Unilever is a multinational consumer goods company that was formed in 1929 from the merger of Margarine Unie and Lever Brothers. It owns over 400 brands in food, beverages, personal care, and household care. Unilever uses branding strategies such as brand architecture, brand extensions, brand sustaining, and brand expansion to build and maintain its portfolio of brands. Recommendations for Unilever include continuing its global branding strategy to unify operations and establish a consistent brand image worldwide, as well as addressing social and environmental issues through sustainability initiatives.
2. Introduction
Presentation Overview
● Background
● Brand Creation & Positioning
● Brand Building
● Brand Measuring
● Branding Strategies
● Conclusions & Recommendations
Unilever is a multinational producer with over 400 brands of fast
moving consumer goods in the following categories:
food beverages personal care household care
“On any given day, two billion people
use Unilever products to look good,
feel good and get more out of life”
- Unilever.com
3. Background
Lever Brothers
United Kingdom
Margarine Unie
Netherlands
September 2, 1929
They merge to form Unilever
+
Inspired by the butter shortage;
innovation:
nutrition & taste
Inspired by varying
degrees of cleanliness
within classes
Co-headquartered in
Rotterdam & London
7. C.B.B.E.
Identity
Who are you?
Meaning
What are you?
Response
What about you?
Relationships
What about you and me?
Consumer goods producer;
may be unknown to the
general consumer
Multinational company;
“distant” company
High usage of products Products are used;
relationship may not exist
passed family brand
Multinational Consumer
Goods Company
A multinational company
working towards improving
the world through our
products
Sustainability, reliability,
innovative, and dependable
Offer a wide range of
products for everyone and
anyone
Consumer
Brand
Manager
8. Competitive
Framework of Reference
Target Market Direct Competitors POP
Products are safe and high quality,
high employee and customer
reviews (five stars)
POD
Brand Mantra
Fewer,
Faster,
Better
● Children
● Health-conscious consumer
● Confident women
● Environmentally conscious
● Consumers concerned with
the wellbeing of the
environment (farmers,
forests, etc.)
● Positive impact
● Working with Integrity
● Selling out our aspirations
● Continued focus on quality
10. Brand Elements
Memorability Meaningfulness Likeability
Transferability Adaptability Protectability
Inherently memorable; “U” design is unique and
composed of symbols representing Unilever’s
mission, vision, industries, products, and more
The name “Unilever” doesn’t refer to anything
other than the merger between Margarine Unie
and Lever Brothers; the letter “U” doesn’t
describe or persuade
Unique and playful; brand logo is unique
enough to be recognizable without “Unilever’
word; like a work of art
Easily transferrable; Unilever doesn’t hold a
specific meaning; “U” design is so unique,
doesn’t need a language for reference;
graphics within reference human concerns
Very flexible design; can be applied to
anything, anywhere; the only problem is the
breadth of brands, endorsing a brand might
confuse consumers
Since Unilever is a global brand, has lots of
exposure; high chance of infringement; high
chance of applying brand to fake products
11. Tactical Contributions
to Brand Elements
Brand Name:
Unilever
1969 - 2004 2004 - Now
URLs:
https://www.unilever.com
With extensions for
100+ countries
Characters, Slogans, & Jingles:
Unilever doesn’t have these, but the many
independent brands it owns do; perhaps
related to sustainability/social issues
Packaging:
Varies by country, but includes the
independent brand and Unilever brand
12. Secondary
Brand Associations & Their Main Sources
Places
Headquartered/
originated:
Netherlands
& the UK
Regions:
Africa
The Americas
Asia-Pacific
Europe
Middle East
Products are available in over 190 countries
13. Secondary
Brand Associations & Their Main Sources
CausesPeople
More than 172,000
employees worldwide
Endorsers:
Celebrities (Babra Sharif to Katrina Kaif), models
(Heidi Klum), television personalities (Mario
Batali), YouTube stars (Grace Helbig, Willam Belli)
Sustainable Living Plan
brightFuture
Awards
2016 Supply Chain Recognition
2015 Forests Leadership
… and many more!
14. Secondary
Brand Associations & Their Main Sources
Other Brands
Co-branding & Licensing
+ = Broadly Channel
+ =
Super-Premium Starbucks
Ice Cream Business
+ = Expansion of TIGI
cosmetics line
2015
2015
2008
17. Brand Value Chain
Unilever PLC (UL)
courtesy of Bloomberg
Unilever N.V (UN)
courtesy of Yahoo Finance
46.73USD
45.73USD
18. Brand Equity
Management System
Brand Equity Charter
Firm View of Brand Equity Y
Scope of Key Brands Y
Actual & Desired Equity for the Brand Y
Brand Measurement System Y
Brand Management Programs Y
Poor Treatment for the Brand X
Brand Equity Report
Descriptive Information on the Brand Y
Diagnostic Information on Why Y
Brand Equity Responsibility
An Entrusted Executive Present Y
21. Brand Measurement Techniques
Income Approach
Brand Income (Turnover) in Year 1: (2015) €53,272 million
3 Year Period
Discount Rate= 25%
Growth: 30%
Brand Value= €29,024 million
24. Brand Hierarchy
Corporate Brand
Unilever
Family Brand
Dove
Individual Brand
Beauty Bar
Modifier: Item or Model
White, Sensitive Skin,
or Purely Pampering Shea Butter
Dove is just an example of the application the
can be done on most of the Unilever brands
25. Extending Strategies
Super-Premium Starbucks
Ice Cream Business
Unilever constantly surveys the market to understand the positionings of its brands, what
needs to be done to maintain or grow them, and then takes action
“Starbucks Coffee Company … and Unilever … announced
an exclusive licensing agreement for the manufacturing,
marketing and distribution of Starbucks® ice cream in the
U.S. and Canada. The agreement leverages Starbucks
coffee expertise and passion for innovation and
Unilever's capabilities as the leading global
manufacturer and marketer of ice cream, strengthening
the companies' super-premium positions in the more than
$17 billion ice cream category in the U.S. and Canada.”
- Starbucks.com
27. Expanding Strategies
“… small, tuck-in acquisitions…”
- Forbes.com
“The Grom acquisition will strengthen Unilever’s
ice cream portfolio and help to further capitalise
on the growth of the premium gelato market.
Grom will be run as a standalone unit, with
Federico and Guido continuing to manage the
business from its headquarters in Turin.”
- Unilever.com
29. SWOT Comparisons
Strengths Weaknesses
Unilever
One of the oldest multinational companies, its products are
available in around 190 countries.
● High quality and safe products, great reputation.
● operational structure of company
Unilever
● Operate under two companies with different boards.
● Unilever has been criticised by Greenpeace for
causing deforestation
● For years, Unilever purchased paper for its packaging
from Asia Pulp & Paper; labeled as a "forest criminal"
for destroying "precious habitat" in Indonesia’s
rainforest
CHANEL
● Strong Global presence
● Strong brand associations
● Constant Reinvention
● Established base of timeless inspirational characters
CHANEL
● Art Directors don’t live forever
● Highly competitive market with little differences
between competitors
30. SWOT Comparisons
Opportunities Threats
Unilever
● Wide range of products and have leading brands.
● Open to partnering with companies that have the
same values as them.
Unilever
● Direct competitors and competition in local markets
including: Beiersdorf, ConAgra, Danone, Henkel,
Mars, PepsiCo, Reckitt Benckiser and S. C. Johnson &
Son.
● Concern about recent high profile food adulteration
cases in the media. Unilever will continue to work with
external organizations and authorities to develop
more rigorous product vulnerability risk assessment
and countermeasure programs that will help prevent
future fraud.
CHANEL
● Further brand expansion, especially in Africa
● A more robust online store
CHANEL
● Continued growth of counterfeit products
● Overall decline in luxury goods purchases
32. Main Issues
Environment,
Sustainability, and Social
Issues
Continued Expansion Staying Relevant:
changing trends in health
and perceptions of
chemical usage in
consumer products
33. Strategy Recommendations
● A global strategy used by the Unilever is preferable to
localized strategies because Unilever can more unify its
operations and focus on establishing a brand image and
reputation that is uniform from country to country.
● It strategy implies to the Unilever success in building
strong character brand such as Dove, Sunsilk, Rexona
and Lux.
● Moreover, with a global strategy Unilever should
coordinate its marketing, operational and distribution
worldwide.
