Marketing Assignment III

Marketing Plan 5

Marketing Plan Assignment II

EJ LeJeune

Columbia Southern University

Marketing Plan – Unilever Company Target Market

The target segment of Unilever Company is basically for the beauty and health conscious people that include both male and female groups. The company positions itself at beauty and health care products (Unilever.com, 2017). Almost in all part of the world, the Unilever Company products are normally shelved and customers pay huge attention by visiting the stores frequently.

The company is focused on the middle-class people as their main target to increase their volume of sales and the market share. Some of the products of Unilever such as the Lux targets the working and the middle-class families (Maljers, 2015, pg. 42). The company also targets young and stylish men ranging in the age of 18-26 with their products such as Axe. At the same time, they also target young women and beauty conscious ladies using the Fair and Lovely products. Additionally, it targets all types of kitchen activities by every housewife.

Having a target market ensures that the company develops an effective communication strategy. It enables the company to craft messages that are appealing specifically to those targeted. It is essential to note organizations do not have the resources and time to reach to everybody with their product messages but target market enables marketers to focus on those who are likely to purchase their products (Hitt, Ireland & Hosskisson, 2013, pg. 85). It enables a company to better the provision of their services hence enhance its competitive advantage.

SWOT Analysis

Positive

Negative

Internal Factors

Strengths

Unilever brand is a popular brand
It has a strong relations and transactions with the vendors and retailers
Has a deep and well-built brand portfolio and a diversified product range to tap into the consumer preferences
Operates in around 190 countries across the globe therefore has a global footprint. It has a strong global market presence (Maljers, 2015, pg. 45).
Has a well-organized economic position

Weaknesses

Lack of direct association with the consumers hence affecting the sales of the brand
Income is slowly reducing because of the overall decrease in the sale of the brand
Its products can easily be substituted particularly in the emerging markets in Asia and Africa where the rural consumers can use natural and traditional alternatives to the products that Unilever offers.
The company does not have the capability of doing more acquisitions that can help to expand the business.
Has weak managerial functions organized by the company results to reduction in the scale of brand
High dependence on retailers

External Factors

Opportunities

Business diversification by entering business outside the consider goods industry
Market development to increase revenue from new market segments (Maljers, 2015, pg. 46).
Product innovation for health to improve the attractiveness of the products and address the needs of the health-conscious consumers.
Business improvement for environmental conservation to make the business more sustainable

Threats

Tough competitive rivalry which threatens to reduce the company’s market share and financial performance
Product imitation
Increase in the popularity of house brands of retailers

References

Hitt, M., Ireland, R., & Hoskisson, R. (2013). Strategic Management: Concepts and cases: Competitiveness & globalization (10th Ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage learning.

Maljers, F. A. (2015). Inside Unilever: The evolving transnational company. Harvard Business Review, 70(5), 46-52.

Unilever Global Company Website (2017) A Bright Future, A Better Business Retrieved from https://www.unilever.com/