Unilever's Strategies to Connect with Consumers: A Case Study

This case study delves into Unilever's consumer behavior strategies, examining the factors and frameworks that influence consumer decisions regarding Unilever's diverse range of products, from personal care to foods. It highlights Unilever's research-driven approach to understanding consumer needs and preferences, exemplified by the Dove's "Campaign for Real Beauty," which successfully linked the brand to positive self-esteem, fostering consumer loyalty. The analysis also covers Unilever's "Five Levers for Change" approach, emphasizing understanding, ease, desirability, reward, and habit formation to influence consumer behavior ethically. Furthermore, the study considers psychological, social, and environmental factors, including the impact of events like COVID-19, on consumer behavior and Unilever's adaptive strategies to maintain brand relevance and consumer trust. The case study concludes that Unilever's success stems from its commitment to understanding and responding to consumer needs through effective marketing, product availability, and consistent brand messaging.

SERVING CUSTOMER IN
GLOBAL MARKET

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Factors & Frameworks that influence consumer behaviour of Unilever.....................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Consumer behaviour is the analysis of the people or consumer about their decision
making of purchasing the product. Consumer behaviour theory also help business and help them
to enrich the customer demands and their need of buying the product. Consumer behaviour also
enlighten the decision taken by the consumer and enhance the strategy to handle the behaviour of
the customer and influence them. This report includes the consumer behaviour of the Unilever
and their frameworks and factors that influence the consumer behaviour.
MAIN BODY
Factors & Frameworks that influence consumer behaviour of Unilever
Consumer behaviour indicates the individual for buying the product in four w and the
process where buying goods in change for acquire them and make them habit. In importance of
consumer there's a retention of consumer and predicting the product value in the market. Produce
innovative product to maintain the standard of the brand.
Schiffman & kanuka elaborate the consumer behaviour framework that describe the
behaviour of the consumer whose finding the purchasing products and services. Consumer
behaviour include a four W and how this identify that what product consumer want to buy. Why
consumer wanna buy that product. When consumer are gonna buy that product. And from
where? Importantly how. This evaluation of consumer behaviour included all the aspect of this
frameworks. In this rapidly changing environment every organisation wants to maintain their
products sales and quality in the environment. In Unilever they grow their consumer base with
consciousness with this consumer easily decide which product they actually want to buy
(Unilever–UK government global hygiene coalition reaches 1 billion people,2021). All the
consumers know about the Unilever products and they also willing to buy the company product
but still company have to do marketing and create their brand awareness among the targeted
audience (Nguyen, and Johnson, 2020).
FIVE LEVER FOR CHANGE when people neglect their health and ignore cleanliness while,
Unilever's founder saw a business opportunity and they bring a world first health soap as
lifebuoy and so many more products like Pepsodent. Which prevent people from having an
unwanted disease by hands through germs etc. and after they promote the product which has
great impact in the market till now. Company develop the five levers for change approach for

setting a ethics in the company. While applying new approaches. Company adapt the needed and
uses for the change and inspire from them and apply the five levers for change.
Understood:- Make it understood for all the people why they do wanna buy that product what it
needs for them in their life's. When company apply this approach while launching lifebuoy soap
this was very beneficial for them.
Easy:- While explaining about the product company have to clear their perception and explain
their thought regarding the product the are willing to sell like lifebuoy. Company make people
convince with the advertisement and confidence about the product.
Desirable:- Company must make it desirable people have aspirational self-image in that
advertisement or product that company want them to buy (Voramontri, and Klieb, 2019). This
approach is about the individuals and the society well-being. As the infant mortality is big issue
in so many state. The purpose of advertisement is like if people wash their hands clean with
health soap when look after for a infant then this issue will be gone forever.
Rewarding:- In these kind of approach company have to clear their thought to the consumer
while giving proof and pay-off. Like Unilever did for their shampoo brand they motivate the
women to save water while applying shampoo. Even though they start a brand campaign of this
they aware so many women, family about the brand.
Habit:- Company must make it habit , this approach is all bout the reinforce and and time to
time remind consumer about the product like lifebuoy soap campaign is run so many days that
reinforce the people to buy that product and assure them that this product is useful and company
concern about the people health.
In five lever of change there are also three major things that is barrier, trigger, motivator.
Barrier is about what's the major thing that control people for adapting new changes. And
trigger is about how company trigger people of force them to use that product and start
something new. Motivator is about what help company to motivate and remind people for stick
to the new product.
Consumer behaviour factors that affect the company are :-
psychological factor :- human psychology is play an important in consumer behaviour. In
Unilever they use their inter process for changing and understanding the consumer behaviour
which include motivation, attitude , knowledge , perception (Murphy, and Murphy, 2018). They
motivate people for buying there product while applying w's and they show their customer to

how to use the product in easiest way. For e.g. company play with people mind while launching
lifebuoy health soap.
Social factor:- in this Unilever have dove's campaign for real beauty product. It is belonging to
the social group which describe every women is beautiful in their own this influence the people
to buy the company products. In dove's setup they set an uncategorised campaign for all women
this shows that every person is equal. This innovative idea is because to target all kind of people
and the campaign of this product work out so great and have a good impact on the people.
Environmental factor:- consumer behaviour of purchasing goods is also depends on the
economy of a country. Because of COVID-19 every company, every business has a major impact
of that including Unilever also but the company come up with the new idea's and bring new
product that time such as sanitizer, spray bottles etc. and after that company also working on
their hygiene in a product (Reisch, and Zhao, 2017). Unilever start a lot of campaign after
COVID that bring awareness among the lower class of people and in NGOs.
CONCLUSION
After seeing the consumer behaviour of the Unilever. Majority of the consumer of Unilever buy
the health care and beauty products from company because the trust that company gain from the
customers and the product availability and reinforcement and reminder is also important that
company bring in their advertisement and campaign also. The approaches and the framework
which uses by the company have made very clear about their consumer behaviours.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Murphy, P.E. and Murphy, C.E., 2018. Sustainable Living: Unilever. In Progressive Business
Models(pp. 263-286). Palgrave Macmillan. Cham.
Nguyen, N. and Johnson, L.W., 2020. Consumer behaviour and environmental
sustainability.Journal of Consumer Behaviour. 19(6). pp.539-541.
Reisch, L.A. and Zhao, M.I.N., 2017. Behavioural economics, consumer behaviour and
consumer policy: state of the art. Behavioural Public Policy.1(2). pp.190-206.
SHARMA, S., EFFECT OF ADVERTISEMENT ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR.
Voramontri, D. and Klieb, L., 2019. Impact of social media on consumer behaviour.
International Journal of Information and Decision Sciences.11(3). pp.209-233.
Online
Unilever–UK government global hygiene coalition reaches 1 billion people,2021 [Online].
Available through; <https://www.unilever.com/news/covid-response/hygiene-and-behaviour-
change-coalition.html>