Unilever is partnering with Chinese internet giant Alibaba with the aim of improving the “precision and effectiveness” of its marketing across China.

The FMCG firm is hoping to use Alibaba’s data offering to boost awareness of its brands – including Dove, Knorr and Rexona – across rural China.

Key features of the agreement include a “strengthened cooperation” to expand distribution channels; greater cross-border ecommerce cooperation; the optimisation of Unilever’s digital advertising strategy through Alimama, Alibaba’s online marketing business; and an anti-counterfeit drive using Alibaba’s Blue Star QR code scheme.

The partnership kicks off with ‘Unilever Week’ on Alibaba’s ecommerce platform Tmall, running from 22 to 24 July. Unilever China opened its first Tmall flagship store in June 2011.

“Alibaba has changed the shopping habit of Chinese consumers. Its mission is to make it easy to do business everywhere, and its vision is to build the future infrastructure of commerce. This meets the Unilever’s development needs in China,” said Marijn Van Tiggelen, Unilever North Asia President.

“Alibaba is the leading internet company in China, with the most innovative thinking. It’s not only an online store, but also a solution platform for online payment, e-finance, and e-commerce logistics. In cooperation with Alibaba, Unilever can provide more convenient services to consumers in China.”

Daniel Zhang, chief executive officer of Alibaba Group, added: “Moving forward, Alibaba Group and Unilever will jointly innovate in Big Data analytics application, cross-border e-commerce, and supply chain management. In this rapidly changing business landscape, we are committed to continually provide greater value to merchants and better experiences to shoppers.”