Digital Marketing Strategy for Unilever PLC

This report analyses the digital marketing strategy of Unilever PLC, including the use of Ansoff's Growth Matrix, STP marketing model, and Balanced Scorecard. It also discusses the company's digital marketing communications campaign and the impact of digital marketing assessment on stakeholders. The report provides insights into the company's operations, products, and target audience. Course code and college/university are not mentioned.

Digital Marketing
Strategy

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Digital Strategy............................................................................................................................1
Digital Marketing Communications Campaign-..........................................................................5
Impact of Digital marketing assessment in stakeholders-............................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Digital marketing strategy consists of a plan that helps a company to attain specific
targets with selected marketing channels such as earned, paid as well as owned media (Anjum,
Thomas and Prakash, 2020). In this report Unilever PLC is the selected company which has
headquarter in London, UK. Unilever PLC operates as a multinational consumer goods provider
and its products consists of beauty, food, well-being, vitamins&minerals, personal care, home
care products etc. This company owns across 400 brands with having a turnover of approx 51
billion euros. Unilever PLC was founded by Lever Brothers and Margarine Unie and was
founded 92 years ago on 2nd September 1929. Unilever PLC has a number of 155000 employees
working with it. This company has facilities of research and development in United kingdom,
China, India, Netherlands and United States.
This report includes a digital marketing strategy. It also includes digital marketing
communications campaign. The report analyses internal and external stakeholders of an
organisation and their impact on digital marketing strategy.
MAIN BODY
Digital Strategy
Digital strategy is known as digital media strategy which includes a plan for increasing
and enhancing business benefits of technology focused initiatives as well as data assets. An
effective digital strategy needs a cross functional team along with marketing, leadership as well
as information technology members (Bonafede, 2019). Management of Unilever PLC adopts
search engine optimization as a digital marketing strategy in order to maximize its business
operations by attracting more customers online with motive to earn more profits. Determining
and developing digital marketing strategy in context of Unilever PLC by utilizing various models
such as Ansoff's growth matrix, STP and balanced scorecard and they are evaluated as below-
Ansoff's Growth Matrix-
Ansoff matrix is a model used by management of an organisation to determine and plan
strategies for their growth in competitive market. In order to analyse digital strategies of
Unilever PLC by utilizing ansoff matrix is analysed as below- Market Penetration- Market penetration is a process in which a company uses its
products in its current market. Unilever PLC promotes its existing products in its current
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market by using search engine optimization in which company promote its products
through its websites in order to reach more audience and attract them while providing
them knowledge about their products. In this approach Unilever PLC reduces price of its
products by providing discounts to its customers on purchasing products through online
platform. Product Development- In this strategy, a company develops and introduces a new
product in its existing market (Hermawan, Maesaroh and Purwaamijaya, 2020). Unilever
PLC introduces a new product in market for example a skin cream for sensitive skin type
which are made by organic products in its existing market. Company uses search engine
optimization to promote its new product in market in order to reach its existing and
potential customers. Unilever PLC publishes advertisements in its websites in its pop-up
screen in order to provide information to audience visiting its website about its newly
launched product. Market Development- Under this strategy a firm enters a new market, a new
geographical area with its existing product (Tardan, Shihab and Yudhoatmojo, 2017).
Digital strategy of search engine optimization helps Unilever PLC to enter various market
place globally through its website on digital platform. Digital strategy helps Unilever
PLC to reach customers beyond geographical boundaries by means of digital sites. This
aids Unilever PLC to expand its business globally while operating from its home country.
Unilever PLC never aimed to operate in its local market and was always up to expand its
business through market development in order to keep its company growing. This market
development objectives made company to establish its presence on across 150 countries
worldwide. By adopting successful digital strategy Unilever PLC will be able to expand
its business in more countries such as Middle East, Australia, etc. Diversification- In this strategy an organisation enters into a new market with a new
product. By utilizing this strategy of ansoff matrix Unilever PLC can expand its business
by innovating a different product from its nature such as furnitures in a new market.
Company can attract target audience easily by introducing its new product beyond its
current list of products by using search engine optimization techniques of digital strategy.
Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning-
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STP marketing model is an approach that derives in commercial effectiveness by
identifying various market segments in order to successfully targeting its audience from its
valuable products (Jong, 2020). Analysing STP marketing model in aspect of Unilever PLC
while considering digital strategy is being determined as below-
Segmentation- In segmentation, a firm identifies needs if each particular segments of
market for its products in order to increase its sales and profits (Stoychev, 2020). Market
segmentation includes dividing a market in small segments in order to understand the market
effectively. Unilever PLC operates in demographic segmentation under which company
identifies its customers on basis of their age and gender. For example, company produces its
maximum products made specially for females. Mainly its products such as Dove, Sunsilk etc.
which generates a huge revenue for Unilever PLC are mainly utilized by females. Company also
promotes its products in digital platforms by attracting maximum number of female customers in
its sites or through advertisements.
Targeting- In targeting company decides to which segment to target in order to gain more
profits by increasing its sales. Unilever PLC targets concentrated marketing by considering
income segments of its customers (Unilever PLC. 2021). Company provides its products at a
reasonable rate so that it can be easily be affordable by its customers depending on various
income segments. Unilever PLC usually targets middle income groups by affordable price of its
products in order to meet demands and satisfy needs of its customers along with increasing sales
for company. Company targets female customers by offering quality products in beauty and
home care at a reasonable price rate.
Positioning- In positioning, companies analyses thoughts of customers in aspect of a
product with other competitors in market (Saura, Palacios-Marqués and Ribeiro-Soriano, 2021).
Unilever PLC identifies positioning of its products in market with its competitors products by
identifying thoughts and beliefs of customers in market. Unilever PLC develops its digital
strategies by analysing prospects of customers for a specific product in market with other firms
providing same benefits. This positioning strategy helps Unilever PLC to develop its digital
strategy in order to reach and attract more customers in market.
Balanced Scorecard-
Balanced scorecard is a model of strategic planning as well as management systems
which is used by businesses in order to communicate their goal to achieve, monitoring day to day
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activities as well as prioritizing projects. Balance scorecard is a strategical tool which essentially
aids an enterprise in measuring its performance that further assists in making crucial decisions
(Kannan, 2017). Digital management of Unilever PLC considers performance measures of
balanced scorecard which include customer perspectives, internal perspective, financial and
innovation as well as learning perspectives with objectives. Application of balance scorecard is
beneficial for Unilever as it helps in measuring past performance and provides feedback which is
significant for company in taking better future decisions. All the four perspective in respect of
framed digital marketing strategy of Unilever PLC are discussed below:
Objectives Goals Indicators Initiatives
Financial
Perspective
Increased in
revenue
generation
10% increase in
sales and 5%
decrease in
production cost.
Income statement
and annual
reports
More engagement
with suppliers
Customer
Perspective
Increase traffic on
sites by
enhancing key
words.
Extensive
marketing
strategies to
influence
customer buying
patterns (Unilever
PLC. 2021).
Customer
satisfaction which
enhances brand
loyalty.
Encourages
innovative
practices for
enhancing
existing practices.
Internal Process
Perspective
Increase company
production level
to bring new
products in
market
constantly.
Assign more
budget to research
and development
as well as
production
department.
Innovative reports
of products.
Can use advanced
software for
developing digital
marketing
strategies.
Learning and
growth
Perspective
Should learn how
to handle google
analytical tools
and techniques
Acquire experts
knowledge in
developing digital
strategy
Number of
experts and
professionals
engaged with
Train individuals
to be experts in
digital marketing
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company. strategies.
Digital Marketing Communications Campaign-
Marketing communication is a process by which organisations inform, educate, apprise
as well as urge its customers with regards of their products, brands, as well as solution directly or
indirectly (Kannan, 2020). This helps Unilever PLC to connect to people with their brands and
products. Marketing communication also enables Unilever PLC to showcase its use cases, how
its products are beneficial for people while sharing its benefits to use them along with its value.
Marketing communication process consists of receiving, transmitting as well as processing
information. Various steps that are involved in marketing communication process adopted by
Unilever PLC are described as below- Identifying target audience- Target audience consists of potential buyers of an
organisation's products, influencers, present users, groups or general public (Pandey,
Nayal and Rathore, 2020). In Unilever PLC aspect, company identifies its target
audience to provide satisfaction with its products in order to gain profits for long run
stability. Composition of target audience analyses mode, place, message as well as
communication form. Sets objectives of communication- Potential marketing communication objectives
consists of building brand loyalty, increasing awareness, understanding product and
conviction. Unilever PLC focuses in enabling target audience in order to recall or
recognize its brand with objective to make potential purchase. Unilever PLC takes
essential efforts to make its target audience aware of its existence in market with its
products and brand. Unilever PLC focuses in helping its audience to understand its
products along with its benefits to satisfy its needs as well developing perception of its
products in minds of its customers. Design communications- Designing communication for Unilever PLC involves three
major questions for company that what to communicate, how to communicate and who
should communicate. Unilever PLC has to look after process to identify message that
should include value, quality, economy of its products as well as expectations of its brand
to meet consumers needs. Company also focuses on process of communicating
information to its target audience.
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 Selecting channels of communication- Marketing communication channels that are used
by Unilever PLC includes online marketing, offline marketing process, personalised
microsites, social media, search engine optimization, email marketing etc. Unilever PLC
uses this channel to communicate and interact with their target audience about its
products in order to establish relation with more customers to gain more profits.
 Establish communication budget- Marketing communication plan can be establish
properly with a budget that a company has. Unilever PLC sets a budget plan in order to
create a marketing communication budget to communicate with its target audience
effectively without effecting budget or cost of company.
Integrated Marketing Communications refers to as a process used by a company to unify
elements of marketing communications such as search engine optimisation, social media, public
relations, business development principles, audience analysis as well as advertising of brand
(Opresnik, 2018).company adopts integrated marketing communications in order to make
consistency across different channels of media (Key, 2017). Unilever PLC uses this multi
disciplinary field which includes traditions practises along with digital media practises of
marketing. In aspect of Unilever PLC this approach of holistic marketing considers strategy of
marketing in a larger context that focuses on company's objectives of maintaining satisfaction of
needs of customers in order to develop business by earning more revenues. Digital marketing is
usually one of most used methods of integrated marketing communications by businesses today.
Unilever PLC adopts search engine optimisation tactics of integrated marketing communications
in order to engage with its target audience. Unilever PLC establishes an integrated marketing
communication campaign featuring its products especially for women. This campaign objective
is to interact with more and more customers especially women through its beauty products such
as Dove soap. Company objectives is to provide healthy soft skin to female segments of
demographics of society with its products. Company is developing its campaign of integrated
marketing communications by developing features while utilizing latest digital techniques in its
search engine optimization tools such as google adverts to monitor activities of its audiences in
their website. Unilever PLC adopts hey performance indicator tools to analyse activities and
performance of its digital marketing team in context of its integrated marketing campaign.
Company makes essential measures to improve its processes in its campaign to enhance
engagement with its target audience more effectively and efficiently. Despite static billboards of
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geographical boundaries integrated marketing campaign of digital marketing strategy helped
Unilever PLC to reach more customers overseas (Unilever PLC. 2021). This campaign is
initiated in order to attract online customers. Nowadays digital plaforms are major of marketing
and interacting with customers as innovations in technologies has impacted an increase of use of
technology devices by people of different demographics across world. This made easy for
companies like Unilever PLC to interact easily with its target audiences while saving cost of
marketing that were high in traditional marketing process. Though this integrated marketing
campaign Unilever PLC main objective is to target online customers by identifying their
activities in search engine optimisation in order to provide essential goods as per their
preferences and needs.
Impact of Digital marketing assessment in stakeholders-
Internal stakeholders includes entities which are directly relates to business such as
personnel, managers, board of directors etc. External stakeholders include those who are affected
by business performance such as buyers, investors and suppliers (Leung and Mo, 2019). Digital
marketing strategy would adversely impact Unilever's varied stakeholders. In order to
successfully implement search engine optimization technique to enhance digital marketing,
managers of Unilever can recruit IT experts and professionals to improve its functions. By using
this, company can optimize its website so as to make relevant content, create better search
engines which can increase popularity of it pages in order to make them findable by using
specific keywords. It also enhances customer service support as by using optimized website, they
can connect with company in simple and consistent manner. Effective application of search
engine optimisation strategy in digital marketing also aids Unilever in boosting its sales as it
drives more traffic to company's website (Unilever PLC. 2021). This technique not only helps in
optimizing company's own website but also aids in identifying digital channels of of other
organisation in similar industry. This would further assists staying Unilever ahead of its
competitors. This also enhances business operations as it provides a sense of direction to
employees. This use of digital marketing strategy has positively impacted in improving
marketing activities of Unilever PLC by limiting work load of marketing employees so that they
can work effectively in achieving its target business objectives of firm.
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CONCLUSION
Digital marketing is a strategical technique that aids organisations to promote its products
and services by using internet and virtual communication. In a broader sense, it encompasses
social media, web-based advertising, e-mails and many more. It assists in increasing brand
loyalty and awareness through online methods. It is beneficial for engaging customers and satisfy
them by targeting right audience. There are various digital strategies that can be used by
companies in order to gain competitive advantage. Search engine optimization can help an
establishment in various fields by making its website attractive in order to get high rank on
google. Ansoff growth matrix can help company in having a proactive approach towards risks
and threats. STP analysis is beneficial for companies in choosing potential targeted audience and
how to adopt various practices to position its products in market. Balance scorecard helps
managers in design plans strategically by carefully exhibiting cause and effect relationship
between them.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Anjum, A., Thomas, M. R. and Prakash, P. K., 2020. Digital marketing strategies: Effectiveness
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Bonafede, A., 2019. Designing the digital marketing strategy of Schréder for improving the
website customer experience via a digital portal.
Hermawan, A., Maesaroh, S. S. and Purwaamijaya, B. M., 2020. Digital marketing strategy
based on user experience to increase user growth and engagement start-up in
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Jong, K., 2020. What's Your Digital Marketing Strategy? Actionable Tips, Trends for
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Kannan, P. K., 2017. Digital marketing: A framework, review and research agenda. International
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Kannan, P. K., 2020. Key Components of a Digital Marketing Strategy. In The Routledge
Companion to Strategic Marketing (pp. 231-244). Routledge.
Key, T. M., 2017. Domains of digital marketing channels in the sharing economy. Journal of
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Leung, K. H. and Mo, D. Y., 2019, December. A fuzzy-AHP approach for strategic evaluation
and selection of digital marketing tools. In 2019 IEEE International Conference on
Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management (IEEM) (pp. 1422-1426). IEEE.
Opresnik, M. O., 2018, July. Effective Social Media Marketing Planning–How to Develop a
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Pandey, N., Nayal, P. and Rathore, A. S., 2020. Digital marketing for B2B organizations:
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Industrial Marketing.
Saura, J. R., Palacios-Marqués, D. and Ribeiro-Soriano, D., 2021. Digital marketing in SMEs via
data-driven strategies: Reviewing the current state of research. Journal of Small
Business Management, pp.1-36.
Stoychev, I., 2020. Digital and social media marketing strategy. In Digital and Social Media
Marketing (pp. 98-120). Routledge.
Tardan, P. P., Shihab, M. R. and Yudhoatmojo, S. B., 2017, October. Digital marketing strategy
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IEEE.
Online:
Unilever PLC. 2021. [Online]. Available through: <https://www.unilever.com/>
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