Company Introduction
Unilever, a multinational firm was founded in January 01, 1930 with its head offices in United Kingdom and London. Michael Treschow and Lord Simon, the president and chairman of the company are organizing it. The company was formed by integrating British soap maker Lever brothers and Margarine Uni, brands of which were imported in larger quantity with greater efficiency.
Statement of the Marketing Goal
The liveliness and validity of life is very critical to the company being its primary objective. The company aims at attainment of people’s satisfaction of looking good and feeling pleased. This is made possible by the providence of hygienic products, nutritional brands along with the heath care. The company’s each and every step is taken in accordance with long term value, profit attainment, company’s growth, and balancing a healthy relationship with partners.
Unilever SWOT Analysis
Strengths
• The Unilever brand is renowned as the world wide operating company.
• The company has strong relations and transactions with their retailers or vendors.
• The economical position of the company is very well organized and reached to the certain scale maintained by the business world.
• Portfolio of the brand is very well-built.
Weaknesses
• There is no direct association of the company with the customers that affects the sales of the brand.
• The income of the company is gradually decreasing because of its overall reduction in the sales of brand.
• The company doesn’t have the abilities to do more acquisitions which help in expanding business.
• Managerial functions organized by the company are very weak which in result reduce the scale of brand in the world as the services are not properly performed.
• As the company is operating under leadership of more than one persons which sometimes disagrees with the views.
Opportunities
• By changing the approach of the customers, the company can get better results in the future.
• The requirements related to the products must be increased to enhance the commodities.
Threats
• Very tough competition is faced by the company because of the popularity of the brand
• The products related to stores must be increased to maintain the position of the company.
• The exchange excise has been the long time problem for the company.
• The climate of the business is effecting the position of the company.
Who are competitors?
The top and worth mentioning competitors of the company includes;
• Nestle
• Procter and gamble
• Reckitt Benckiser Group plc
Marketing Objectives for the Project
The marketing objectives of the company include;
• Marking up 10% profit rate each year in sustainable way by valuing the stakeholders and employees while maintaining the customer’s loyalty.
• By increasing the sales percentage by increasing the manufacturing rate of core brands.
• Spending the noticeable part of budget on advertisements and marketing of core brands that are around 200.
• Introduction of adaptive products in local markets through innovation in research and development.
Overall Objective
Overall objective of the company is to expand worldwide with its products penetrating into the local markets; ultimately attaining the customers’ loyalty of different market segments through quality and innovative products.
Strategic Objectives for Every Primary Objective
• As a main strategy of the company being customer-ship the company aims at establishing the additional products range to retain it according to the advanced expectations of the customers.
• Maintain its position with the gradual growth to lead the world.
• Relationships with stockholders are enhanced along with the strong international management.
Target Market Segments
The target segment for the company is health and beauty conscious people including both male and female groups as the company positioned itself at health and beauty care products. Almost in all parts of the world, the Unilever products are shelved and are paid huge attention by the customers visiting the stores for routine items like grocery.
Unilever Marketing Mix
Product
• The top most brand of Unilever is dove.
• The Unilever is completely categorized in two brands that are in home and personal care and food and beverages.
• Unilever is a globally largest manufacturing brand of ice cream with annual sales of $5 billion and working with the sign of “heart brand”.
• In food and beverages it includes Soya based drinks, syrups and deserts, spreads, cooking oil and margarine etc.
• Laundry detergents, shower gels, hair products, deodorants and dish washer etc.
Price
• The prices of the products are not specific; they gradually keep on changing and are different for different products.
• While deciding the price for any article, the competitor’s strategies are kept before, by the company.
Place
• Unilever is paying its services in almost 100 countries and further they are planning in 50 countries.
• The company contains 3 business segments which are involved in planning for future success.
Promotion
The company is promoting its product through advertisement by electronic media and print media. Beside this conventional promotion the company offers the schemed like premium packs, sales etc to attract the majority of the customers.
Main strategies
1. Market Penetration
Market penetration strategy of the company runs along its extension more towards North America, Asia and Europe by extending its product line. The market augmentation could be done by stimulating the market with product innovation and thus market penetration.
2. Market Development
Unilever is extending the practicality of its market development strategy by stimulating the product innovation and research and development sector for the new product development. As the market development for any company becomes more integrated with the company’s expansion, acquisitions and partnerships, therefore Unilever is also focusing on all these respects.
3. Diversification Strategy
The company diversification strategy is being focused more preferably for the North America and the emerging economies of Asia including China. The company is presently serving worldwide with 100 countries and is on the way to add up 50 more countries in the queue.
Monitoring and Control
The monitoring and control by the company is successfully carried on through the balance control card method focusing separately on the following four perspectives;
• Financial Perspective
• Customer Perspective
• Internal Perspective
• Innovation and learning Perspective
Budget
The major part of the budget is being used up by the company in marketing programs and strategies. The total revenue owned by the company by 2010 was €44,262 million and the net income was €4,598 million.
References
• Official website. http://unilever.com. Retrieved on August 10, 2011.
• New York Times. (15 February 1996) "Unilever Agrees to Buy Helene Curtis".
• Gerry J and Kevan S. (1999), Exploring Corporate Strategy, Prentice Hall, fifth edition.
• Unilever buys Greek Ice Cream Manufaturer. (28 September 2010). Food News.
• Unilever Completes TIGI Acquisition". (14 April 2009). GCI magazine.
• Dhillon, Amrit (1 July 2007). "India’s hue and cry over paler skin". The Daily Telegraph (London).
• "Unilever Shuns Stereotypes of Women (Unless Talking to Men)". (15 October 2007). The New York Times.