Unilever has warned it will sell off brands that do not contribute positively to society. Big brands including Marmite, Pot Noodle and Magnum ice-cream are among the names thought to be vulnerable to a cull linked to the company’s sustainable business agenda. Alan Jope, Unilever’s chief executive, said consumers wanted to buy brands that have a “purpose”. Unilever has tasked its marketers with devising sustainable business plans for its portfolio of more than 400 brands to help find a raison d’être for each to ensure they remain part of the group in the long term. Unilever points to the success of its ‘Sustainable Living’ brands – a group of 28 that includes Dove, Hellmann’s and Sunsilk – which are growing much faster than the rest of the business. The brands, which accounted for more than half of the group’s £46 billion sales last year, are those that are the furthest ahead on meeting the company’s sustainability goals, which include increasing the positive impact it has on communities.

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The Guardian