Unilever Global: Unilever Is An Anglo-Dutch Company, With A History of Colonial Exploitation, On Which It Has
Unilever Global: Unilever Is An Anglo-Dutch Company, With A History of Colonial Exploitation, On Which It Has
Unilever Global: Unilever Is An Anglo-Dutch Company, With A History of Colonial Exploitation, On Which It Has
Introduction
In this competitive business world, marketing is an essential part of any company. The main two
ideas of marketing are to attract the market and do the activities to retain them.
In order to do the jobs of marketing, a proper marketing strategy is very important. Without
having a complete plan the job of marketing will left with many excuses and even it could create
a disturbing consequence for the company. So, to have an appropriate marketing strategy for
every product of the company is very necessary.
There are many companies in Bangladesh serving to people. All the leading companies have a
strong marketing department where the marketing strategies and marketing mix are made.
Unilever is one of the leading company in Bangladesh, which is serving the people of
Bangladesh over four decades. Unilever has many brands to serve with. Those are Rin, Lux,
Lifebuoy, Fair & Lovely, Ponds, Close-Up, Taaza, Sunsilk, Pepsodent, Clear, Vim, SurfExel,
Dove, Vaseline, Lakme & Axe.
Lets take a quick glance of this global brand named Unilever.
No matter who you are, or where in the world you are, the chances are that our products are a
familiar part of your daily routine. Every day, around the world, people reach for Unilever
products.
Unilever Global:
Unilever is an Anglo-Dutch company, with a history of colonial exploitation, on which it has
gradually built its capital. Today it owns most of the world's consumer product brands in food,
beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products. Unilever employs more than 247,000
people and had worldwide revenue of 48 760 million in 2002. Unilever has two parent
companies: Unilever NV in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and Unilever PLC in London, United
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Kingdom. This arrangement is similar to that of Reed Elsevier, and that of Royal Dutch Shell
prior to their unified structure. Both Unilever companies have the same directors and effectively
operate as a single business. The current non-executive Chairman of Unilever N.V. and PLC is
Antony Burgmans while Patrick Cescau is Group Chief Executive. Unilever's major competitors
include Nestl and Procter & Gamble.
History of Unilever
William Hesketh Lever founded Lever Brothers in 1885. Lever established soap factories around
the world. In 1917, he began to diversify into foods, acquiring fish, ice cream and canned foods
businesses. In the Thirties, Unilever introduced improved technology to the business. The
business grew and new ventures were launched in Latin America. The entrepreneurial spirit of
the founders and their caring approach to their employees and their communities remain at the
heart of Unilever's business today. Unilever was formed in 1930 when the Dutch margarine
company Margarine Unie merged with British soap maker Lever Brothers. Companies were
competing for the same raw materials, both were involved in large-scale marketing of household
products and both used similar distribution channels. Between them, they had operations in over
40 countries. Margarine Unie grew through mergers with other margarine companies in the
1920s. In a history that now crosses three centuries, Unilever's success has been influenced by
the major events of the day economic boom, depression, world wars, changing consumer
lifestyles and advances in technology. And throughout they've created products that help people
get more out of life cutting the time spent on household chores, improving nutrition, enabling
people to enjoy food and take care of their homes, their clothes and themselves. Through this
timeline you'll see how UBL brand portfolio has evolved. At the beginning of the 21st century,
path to Growth strategy focused us on global high-potential brands and Vitality mission is taking
us into a new phase of development. More than ever, how brands are helping people 'feel good,
look good and get more out of life' a sentiment close to Lord Leverhulme's heart over a
hundred years ago.
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TIMELINE
9th
century
Although Unilever wasn't formed until 1930, the companies that joined forces to
create the business we know today were already well established before the start of
the 20th century.
1900s
Unilever's founding companies produced products made of oils and fats, principally
soap and margarine. At the beginning of the 20th century their expansion nearly
outstrips the supply of raw materials.
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1910
s
Tough economic conditions and the First World War make trading difficult for
everyone, so many businesses form trade associations to protect their shared
interests.
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1920s
With businesses expanding fast, companies set up negotiations intending to
stop others producing the same types of products. But instead they agree to
merge - and so Unilever is created.
1930s
Unilever's first decade is no easy ride: it starts with the Great Depression and
ends with the Second World War. But while the business rationalizes
operations, it also continues to diversify.
1940s
Unilever's operations around the world begin to fragment, but the business
continues to expand further into the foods market and increase investment in
research and development
1950s
Business booms as new technology and the European Economic Community
lead to rising standards of living in the West, while new markets open up in
emerging economies around the globe.
1960s
As the world economy expands so does Unilever and it sets about developing
new products, entering new markets and running a highly ambitious
acquisition programmed.
1970s
Hard economic conditions and high inflation make the '70s a tough time for
everyone, but things are particularly difficult in the Fast Moving Consumer
Goods (FMCG) sector as the big retailers start to flex their muscles.
1980s
Unilever is now one of the world's biggest companies, but takes the decision
to focus its portfolio, and rationalize its businesses to focus on core products
and brands.
1990s
The business expands into Central and Eastern Europe and further sharpens its
focus on fewer product categories, leading to the sale or withdrawal of two-
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The decade starts with the launch of Path to Growth, a five-year strategic plan,
and in 2004 further sharpens its focus on the needs of 21st century-consumers
with its Vitality mission.
Employees:
Unilever Operations in Bangladesh provide employment to over 10,000 people directly and
through its dedicated suppliers, distributors and service providers. 99.5% of UBL employees are
locals and we have equal number of Bangladeshis working abroad in other Unilever companies
as expatriates.
At the heart of the corporate purpose, which guides us in Unilever approach to doing business, is
the drive to serve consumers in a unique and effective way. This purpose has been communicated
to all employees worldwide.
Mission:
Adding Vitality to Life
Unilever's mission is to add Vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and
personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life.
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Vision:
Every day, our products touch the lives of over 160 million people whether that's through
feeling great because they've got shiny hair and a brilliant smile, keeping their homes fresh and
clean, or by enjoying a great cup of tea, satisfying meal or healthy snack.
Logo and Slogan:
Slogan: FEEL GOOD, LOOK GOOD AND GET MORE OUT OF LIFE
Objective:
Objective means the goals that the business must achieve in order to meet its wider business
objectives.
Unilevers objectives are
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SWOT Analysis
The following SWOT analysis captures the key strengths and weaknesses within the company
and describes the opportunities and threats facing Unilever Bangladesh Ltd.
Strengths:
Competitive advantages
Weaknesses:
Lack of control in the market. If any disruption arises between company and distributor
then the whole market suffers.
Opportunities:
Niche marketing
Threats:
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The motto of Unilever is to hold its strengths the longest time possible. It is also working
constantly with a view to using its opportunities at best. In spite of being the market leader
Unilever Bangladesh has some weaknesses and threats. Its research department is working hard
to make strategies to overcome those weaknesses and threats.
Industry Analysis:
Unilever Bangladesh Ltd produces pure consumer goods. Some its brands are produced locally
in Bangladesh and some are imported from other regional factory of Unilever, like Thailand,
China, and UK etc. In Bangladesh the company has a Soap Manufacturing factory and a Personal
Products Factory located in Chittagong. Besides these, there is a tea packaging operation in
Chittagong and three manufacturing units in Dhaka, which are owned and run by third parties
exclusively dedicated to Unilever Bangladesh.
Competitive Analysis:
In the market of consumer goods Unilever Bangladesh Ltd is considered as the market leader. As
a market leader there is always a risk to be attacked by the market challengers. She, Unilevers
strategy is to defend their market share by being premium in service, having full-line strategy,
extensive and efficient dealership system and good financing.
In Bangladesh the major two challengers for Unilever is Square Toiletries Ltd and Proctor &
Gamble Ltd.
Chapter 2
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Fabric Wash
Household care
Personal care
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Foods
Fabric Wash
Wheel Laundry Soap
Wheel Washing Powder
Wheel Power White
Surf Excel
Household Care
VimPowder
Vim Bar
Vim Liquid
Personal Care
Personal Wash
International
Lux
Total
Lifebuoy
Dove bar
Skin Care
Fair & Lovely Multivitamins
Fair & Lovely Body Fairness Milk
Fair & Lovely Ayurvedic
Fair & Lovely Menz Active
Ponds Age Miracle range
Ponds Daily Face Wash
Ponds Cold Cream
Ponds Perfect result Cream
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Hair Care
Sun
Silk
Shampoo
All Clear
Shampoo
Lifebuoy
Shampoo
Dove
shampoo
All Clear Hair Oil
Oral Care
Close-up Toothpaste
Pepsodent Toothpaste
Pepsodent Toothpowder
Pepsodent Tooth brush
Deodorant
Rexona
Axe
Foods
Lipton Taaza Danadar
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Chapter 3
Strategies Followed By the Company
Functional Level Strategies:
Unilever Bangladesh Ltd follows different functional level strategies to gain competitive
advantages and sustain it in the long run in the matured industries.
They increase their efficiency through exploiting economies of scale and learning effects. For
example, 808,720 bars of soaps, 1,023,810 packets of detergent powders, 154, 430 toothpaste
tubes and sachets,329, 530 bottles and sachets of shampoo, 156, 910 tubes, jars, bottles and
sachets of creams and lotions, and 35, 000 packets of tea are produced in one day in Bangladesh
by Unilever.
They adopt flexible manufacturing technologies, upgrade the skills of employees through
training and perform research and development function to design products that are easy to
manufacture.
They have higher customer responsiveness rate. They carry out extensive research to innovate
new products and modify the existing products to better satisfy the consumers.
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They continuously innovate products, promotional activities, packaging and distribution. This
way they can respond quickly to customer demands.
Business-Level Strategies:
Unilevers strategic managers adopt different business level strategies to use the companys
resources and distinctive competencies to gain competitive advantage over its rivals. These are:
They also follow differentiation strategy for some products to meet the needs of the consumers
in a unique way.
They also target different market segments with different products to have broad product line.
By product proliferation they reduce the threat of entry and expand the range of products they
make to fill a wide variety of niches.
Corporate strategy
UBL carries out the following corporate level strategies:
They involve in short term contracts and competitive bidding for the supply of raw materials.
They have a diversified business. UBL has both related and unrelated diversification. They
compete in nine different industries with various products from home care, personal care and
even food products. They have economies of scope as most of the products can share the same
manufacturing facilities, inputs and specially the distribution channels.
segment, as a strategy to earn more revenue for the firm. Sunsilk, Lux (mini pack) are the
existing products but in new markets of Unilever.
Dhaka city till date and has planned to carry forward this initiative all over the country.
The campaign activities:
UBL arranges a team of enthusiasts known as Brand Detailing Officers (BDO) who are
prepared beforehand with meticulous training. As these officers will be representing UBL so
they must have adequate knowledge about the product which they will be detailing to
doctors/dermatologists. In addition, these officers are be trained to be highly skilled in giving
presentations and to showcase bold deliberation and confidence to be expert spokesman of the
brands that are assigned to them.
1. Brand Detailing Officers meet assistants of various and take an appointment from
them at a specific date
2. On that pre-specified date, BDOs visit the dermatologists/dentists and deliver them a
brochure which has detailed information regarding product specifications
3. The BDOs then show a presentation on an electronic gadget (a tablet) provided to
them specifically highlighting the features and usefulness of the brand- an activity
known as detailing.
4. The BDO will answer any queries of the dentist/dermatologist.
5. Finally, the BDO will provide a sample of the brand as a present to the specialist to
enhance their confidence about UBLs brands
6. The BDO will then ask the specialist to fill up a feedback form and request them to
recommend UBLs product to their patients.
The processes mentioned above are shown through illustrations as follows:
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Step 1
Figure: Unilever brands introduction
Step 2
Figure: Scientific content detailing
Step 3
Figure: Video presentation
Step 4
Figure: Gift presentation
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Step 5:
Figure: Feedback form being filled up by a dentist
Also, to enlighten dermatologists about the effectiveness of UBLs skin care brands (Clear,
Vaseline, Ponds, Dove, Fair and Lovely), the activation team had organized various skin
experts conferences in 2012 for these brands respectively. In addition, a Dental Experts
Conference was arranged in 2012, named Pepsodent Dental Experts Conference, to convey
the therapeutic features of Pepsodent and to generate frequent endorsement in favour of
this brand from the dentists.
Also, in order to build up a long term relationship with dentists and dermatologist, UBL
sends them postcards/emails/mobile messages on their special occasions such as birthdays,
anniversaries, childrens birthdays and so on. Recurrent sharing of scientific information in
light of remedial perspective has already made Pepsodent a promising oral care brand to the
dentist for their patients.
with Pepsodent branded signboards- both for Pepsodent Gum Care and Pepsodent Sensitive
Expert. By providing shop signs and internal accessories branded with Pepsodent, UBL
boosts up their mutual commitment with those specialists.
Another attractive feature of the Professional Marketing campaign is Pepsodent Dentibus; the
th
first of its kind. The Pepsodent Dentibus activation began its journey from 13
January 2013
and shall be continued till December. The Dentibus is a modified, well- equipped bus
sponsored and managed by Pepsodent that goes around the country carrying free dental check
up facilities and expert advice of good oral care. The Pepsodent Sensitive Expert Dentibus
provides services to schools and colleges within Dhaka, while the Gum Care Dentibus travels
in various places outside the city.
Promotional mix in Unilever
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through Broachers and flayers in front of the shop is an easy way to convey your message to
consumer.
Television/Radio:
TV commercials are the most affective and easy way to deliver your message to
others. Unilever advertise through Broadcast media very aggressively. Every new product
advertised on TV screen and Radio, to make people aware of product and build the relationship
amongst the product and the people. Unilever approaches almost all TV channels for advertising.
Bill Boards:
Unilever advertise heavily through Bill boards. They target the main Roads of city
and display their product on the big screen. This is good place to advertise the product, because
everyone uses the road for journey and unconsciously gets attract in ads which will force the
consumers to take a look at them. Unilever also use the tool of displaying their name in front of
shops.
Personal selling:
A direct Vendor Selling Activity was coordinated and carried out during the summer
months of June, July, and August. A team of vendors, clad in branded T-shirts, caps and jackets,
sold chilled 0.5 liter bottles to travelling customers on all major intersections. The brand got
great mileage out of this innovative idea of personal selling in terms of brand awareness, paid
trial, image as well as real sales.
Sales promotion:
To increase the sale of any product Unilever adopts different measures like sample, gift, bonus,
and many more. These are known as tools or techniques of sales promotion. There is more about
some of the commonly used tools of sales promotion in Unilever
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Specific promotions of Unilever products were arranged in some of the key outlets. Elaborate
shelf space was acquired for product display and specially designed POS material was
extensively used to promote sales.
Free samples:
Samples of shampoo, washing powder, coffee powder, etc are provided In stores,
markets for free. It consist of the same product like original but In lesser quantity, packaging.
Bonus offer:
Increase in quantity is called bonus offer for the consumer, which enables him to
purchase more by giving same amount. Unilever gives many bonuses in its existing product
time by time.
Whole seller schemes:
Unilever also offer different discount rates for its whole sellers. To increase
the interest and encourage the wholesale purchase discount offers also remains very positive
business. METRO Store and CSD Store in Rawalpindi and Islamabad are the best examples of
purchasing the product in larger quantity with discount rate.
Price-off offer:
Under this offer, products are sold at a price lower than the original price Rs 2 off on
purchase of lifebuoy soap, Rs. 15 off on a pack of 250 grams of Tea, Rs. 1000 off on cooler etc.
are some of the common schemes. These schemes are designed to boost up sales in off-season
and sometimes while introducing a new product in the market.
Fairs and Exhibitions:
Fairs and exhibitions may be organized at local, regional, national or international
level to introduce new products, reveal the products. Their sale is also conducted at a reasonable
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discount. International Trade Fair held in Dhaka which is a well known example of Fairs and
Exhibitions as a tool of sales promotion of Unilever.
Public relations:
As far as the public relations are concerned, the organization releases an annual report
which includes the company's financial statements along with the sales of all product categories.
The annual report is mainly aimed at the stockholders. However, another very important form of
public relations is the newsletters and bi-monthly magazines issued by the organization. A huge
amount of information is found in these regarding the products and their promotion. In the same
way, Unilever was given quite a bit of importance in the newsletters issued after its launch,
which obviously helped incretion of the awareness of this brand.
These people have dedicated themselves to improving the lives of those around
them because they care. Some have chosen to spread the light of education, some have been
providing free health care to those in need and some have taken it upon themselves to increase
the natural beauty and help improve the environment of Bangladesh.
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Uttorone Nari
The Fair & Lovely Uttorone Nari Program has brought the
opportunities of computer education to girl students of economically
weaker sectionsIn 2003, Fair & Lovely - the popular skin care cream in
Bangladesh sponsored meritorious girl students from secondary
school level to computer education from a world class computer training
institute, spread out in various branches in all districts of the country. More than 1500 girl
students were nominated throughout the country to be trained under this program.
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Empowering Women
In Bangladesh, like many other developing countries, women facing the
same poverty issues as men are subject to additional social and policy
biases. For this, they remain backward in terms of education and economic
independence. Therefore their need for a guide with a sincere mission to
enhance the state of the Bangladeshi women is recognized by all quarters.
Fair & Lovely Foundation
Keeping this mind and womens empowerment at the forefront, Fair & Lovely Foundation was
set-up as a social initiative by Unilever Bangladesh Limited on 15 June 2004 under its leading
skin care brand Fair & Lovely. The mission of the Foundation is to "Encourage economic
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Health education
In addition, the hospital has a dedicated health education team. The team is responsible for
running much needed education programmes on basic health issues, such as nutrition, sanitation
and safe motherhood.
Unique impact
The floating hospital really is unique and its impact across the char regions is difficult to fully
appreciate. To date, over 200,000 char-dwellers have had access to the hospitals free health
services - many of whom have never had any kind of formal medical attention in their lives. The
hospitals team of health professionals immunised 17,500 children against common water-born
illnesses and other diseases
WEALTH Program
In its maiden programme entitled "WEALTH" in 2004, the Fair & Lovely Foundation trained
310 women in 9 districts across the country. Initially, women with small businesses or at least the
aspiration to start something on their own were selected for the training. The 11-day long project
was divided into two parts. First five days training consisted of business management while the
next six days were dedicated to practical hands-on training.
Vocational training
Courses offered for the participants included:
Pickle Making
Handicrafts
Food processing
Pottery
Poultry Farming
Mrs. Aleya is a mother of three who had to provide for her family when her husband suddenly
passed away. With the help of her brothers she bought a sewing machine. The WEALTH
program trained her to set up a mini garments and tailoring shop and she now has an income of
US$ 400 a month, whilst employing 15 other women.
Health awareness
Facing the major challenge of communicating to consumers across Bangladesh, our health
brands Lifebouy and Pepsodent initiated health awareness campaigns that have brought the
message of healthy living to millions of people.
Chapter 4
Conclusion
Over the the last four decades, Unilever Bangladesh has been constantly bringing new and
world-class products for the Bangladeshi people. Over 90% of the countrys households use one
or more of our products. Manufacturer of leading brands, including Fair & Lovely and Lipton
Tea. Our brands help people to look good, feel good and get more out of life. Celebrating life for
over 40 years in Bangladesh and today, a company bringing world class consumer products to
millions of people in the country we are Unilever Bangladesh. Unilever Bangladesh has been
constantly bringing new and world-class products for the Bangladeshi people. Over 90% of the
countrys households use one or more of Unilever's products. Unilever has an Innovation
Management Process where every new idea goes through four different phases: 1. Idea: This is
the stage where new product ideas and concepts are tested/evaluated 2. Feasibility: At this stage
the product mix (formulation, packaging etc.) is locked 3. Capability: Communication campaign
is developed and tested 4. Launch: The product is launched and monitored. So We can be said it
is one of the largest company all over the world.
Reference
1. http://www.google.com
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5.
http://www.scribd.com
http://www.unilever.com.bd
http://www.wikipedia.com
http://www.wikihow.com
Appendix