Unit 2: Marketing Process, Planning, and Media Strategy at Unilever

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Unilever's marketing process and planning strategies, focusing on the concept of marketing in the 21st century and the role of marketing functions within the organization. It examines how the marketing function interacts with other departments such as operations, finance, and human resources, and explains the extended marketing mix (7Ps) in the context of Unilever. The report evaluates the effectiveness of the marketing mix in achieving overall business objectives and offers recommendations for improvement, including leveraging social media marketing and expanding business operations to new markets. Furthermore, it develops a marketing plan with SMART objectives, market research, and situational analysis, culminating in a media plan with recommendations and rationale for media activities that meet budgetary requirements and campaign objectives.

UNIT 2 MARKETING
PROCESS & PLANNING

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Part 1:...............................................................................................................................................3
P1: Explanation of the concept of the marketing in the 21st century:.........................................3
Analysing the role of the marketing functions in the context of the “Unilever”:........................4
P2: Analysing how the marketing function works and interacts with other departments:..........5
P3: Explaining the extended marketing mix in the context of the “Unilever”:...........................5
Evaluation of marketing mix in meeting overall business objectives:........................................6
Recommendations:.......................................................................................................................6
Part 2:...............................................................................................................................................7
P4: Developing the marketing plan including the key elements related to the marketing plan
for the “Unilever Plc.”:................................................................................................................7
Situational analysation:................................................................................................................8
P5: Producing media plan including recommendations and rationale for media activities
meeting budgetary requirements and objectives of the campaign:............................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
The marketing is the process of the promoting and selling out the products and the services of
the company that includes the market research and the advertising of the products and the
services of the company's products and services. The report based on the Unilever a
multinational company of the consumer goods and is operated by its head quarter in the London,
United Kingdom. Organization was founded in the 2 september, 1929 and is operated with the
149000 numbers of employees. The report based on the marketing process and planning will
show about the concept of the marketing and how the marketing functions works. The report will
be showing about the marketing mix related to the achievement of the business objective and
marketing plan will be developed. The report will also be showing about the media plan that will
be including the recommendations and rationale to select media activity that will help in meeting
the budgetary requirements and the marketing objective.
MAIN BODY
Part 1:
P1: Explanation of the concept of the marketing in the 21st century:
The concept of the marketing is the preoccupied process that haves the idea of the satisfaction of
the needs and the wants of the customers by the means of the products and that too
demonstrating the solution to the problem of the customer's need. The concept of the marketing
represents the major changes in the present competition of the business organization and helps
them to achieve the competitive advantage in the market (GARG, and MISHRA, 2018).
Marketing mainly refers to the activities that are related to the company undertaking the
promotion of the buying and the selling of the product. Marketing has the different types of the
activities like advertising, selling of product and delivering it to the customers. In the modern
world marketing concept for the business firms are based on the preferences of the digital world.
The digital marketing have taken the world of business far more ahead by letting the businesses
have the competitive advantages. The digital marketing have so many types of aspects that help a
business in performing its marketing activity. The digital marketing comprises the various
activities like social media marketing that have Facebook marketing, Instagram advertising, SEO
s, etc. It is focused on the mass marketing, as the arrival of the internet have transformed the
process of the promotion in to the inbound series of the marketing. This helps the business firms

by facilitating two-way interactions' communication in between the organization and their
customers through the search engines, emails and content strategies and social media platforms.
Analysing the role of the marketing functions in the context of the “Unilever”:
1. Promotion: this can help the firm in educating the targeted audience of the firm about
the products and the services offered by the organization. This function of the marketing
focus on introducing the consumers to the brand (Vilkina, and Klimovets, 2019).
2. Selling: this function of the marketing comprises communication of the business to the
customers by pursuing the sales leads. This helps the authorities to build a good
relationship with the potential customers.
3. Product management: this function includes the designing and the improvement of the
product. This incudes different activities that the firm needs to perform like analysing the
competition, communicating to the customers, implementing the feed backs, conducting
research in the market, coordinating with different departments, etc.
4. Pricing: this is the main factor for the firm to determine the price of the products and
services offered by them in the market. While pricing the product, it should match out
with the prices of the promotion and branding.
5. Marketing information management: the collection of the data comes as the most
important task, in the marketing. This can be done by using the different marketing tools
like conducting the surveys, online reviews, social media engagements, and market
research report. These all tools can provide with the different data and feed backs.
6. Financing: this is the function that includes the funding that can be either internal or on
the external basis for the firm. The marketing team can help the firm by growing out its
revenue due to high quality of the products they offer.
7. Distribution: this is the process under which the company will be transporting its
products to the customers, with different methods like online stores, sales call, retail
stores, wholesalers, etc.
For example: the firm introduced a new product in the market after conducting the market
research and promoted it and kept the product as per the preferences of the targeted audience and
kept its price as minimum.

P2: Analysing how the marketing function works and interacts with other departments:
Marketing and operations department:
The department of marketing works interacted to the production department by ensuring that:
 Perfect research and development is done and planned for the satisfaction of the present
and the future needs of the customers.
 The item designed is at its quality and designed as per the preferences of the customers.
 Orders received are managed and will be met by the time scheduled for it.
Marketers of the organization works to bring on the product in to the market to cover up the
competitive advantage and the production department works to ensure the product is up to the
mark and met the requirements (Tien, Phu, and Chi, 2019).
Marketing and finance department:
The marketing department works in the relevancy of the finance department to make sure about
the there is sufficient budget to meet the needs necessary for the research, promotion and
distribution. The finance department role is to ensure about that the business operates with the
financial capabilities required for meeting the necessities of the business.
Marketing and the human resource management:
The marketing department works relatively close to the HRM department as to ensure about the
appropriate skilled staff is there in the company related to other departments like research and
development, meeting the production targets, and create competent sales team(Mer, and Virdi,
2022).
P3: Explaining the extended marketing mix in the context of the “Unilever”:
The marketing mix for the company is as under:
Product: the firm can sell its products under the broad categories and different product lines.
Organization can sell the products that are famous as per traditional designs they have and are
practical to the customers.
Price: the firm can adopt the pricing strategy that is relevantly flows under the competitive price
strategy, and can set the prices comparatively high if their production cost is high as per their
features.
Place: the firm can have different channels for selling their products to the customers like they
can sell it through online website and It can sell it to the wholesaler where the products can be
further distributed to retailers and then to the customers (Anjani, Irham, and Waluyati, 2018).

Promotion: organization can use the modern tools like digital marketing by working as the
largest firm. The firm can spend more on growing its social media presence in the market.
Organization can use the other different methods like promotion from the celebrities to promote
its content.
People: people of the firm plays a vital role for the company and can take the firm to the
different levels after getting over the competitive advantages.
Process: the company should make sure that the products are available at the stores and if not
the firm can follow the process to make the stock available at the stores and make the things
available at the stores of the wholesaler and retailers and then to the customers.
Physical evidence: the company can have the unique packaging that helps the customers of the
company to identify the products of the company in different ways. Firm can make Its online
presence by using the company's website so that this will help the customers to make the product
view on the website in easy way to the customers.
Evaluation of marketing mix in meeting overall business objectives:
The 7p’s of marketing used by Unilever Plc helps in increasing the profitability and enhancing
the customer base in market. The Unilever plc. Provides a wide range of products, there are a
huge number of customers that are attracted towards the brand and makes their purchase from
the organization. The firm has been dealing and offering its products in about 190 countries
which helps the company in beneficial way by extending its reach in the market. Although, the
products offered by the company are priced at reasonable rates which makes it easier for various
types of customers to get in touch and engage with the firm (Whitler, 2018).
Recommendations:
The Unilever Plc. By operating as one of the leading, highly profitable and reputed firm, there is
still some extent for improvement in the business operations related to the organization. The
recommendations in order to improve the working of the company in the market are as follows:
 The Unilever Plc should opt for social media marketing in order to increase the sales and
revenue generation of the company. The social media marketing can be described as a
model of advertising where an organization uses different platforms for the purpose
increasing the traffic on the website and help the company in increasing its profitability in
the market.
 Other thing that will help the company is expanding the business operations to countries
where the organization has not been operating. This will help the company in engaging

with the new markets and helps in attracting a wide range of customers towards the
products and services of company.
Part 2:
P4: Developing the marketing plan including the key elements related to the marketing plan for
the “Unilever Plc.”:
A marketing plan is considered as the advertising strategy that helps the business to sell products
and services offered by the business. This plan helps the business in determining target market,
how to reach them and what should be the price of the product would be and how the firm will
be measuring its efforts (Dunleavy, and et.al., 2018).
Smart objectives:
 Specific: organization is trying to increase the customer base and increase the sales by
40% by promoting the luxury food and by adding on new strategies to achieve the
objective.
 Measurable: firm is excepting to increase the sales by around 40 % that can be measured
with the change in sales and demand in the market.
 Attainable: company is excepting 40% increase in the sales, that will be achievable in
the two quarters like 20-20%.
 Relevant: the goal of the firm to make new products in the luxury line up of the
company, helps out the company in achieving the growth and making the brand image.
 Time bounded: firm wants to achieve its marketing objective by increasing the sales and
the customer base by around 40%, that too achievable in the year.
Market research:
Current market trends: after the pandemic, the public is more focused on the sustainable
products and there is demand of these types of products in the market. In the growing trends
related to the health conscious and healthy foods customers are demanding with the luxury items
in this line up. This line up of product might includes the healthy foods like health drinks, low
sugar biscuits and many other products. The organization must focus on bringing in the these
products to the market to fulfil the market demand (Dimitrescu, A, and et.al., 2018).
Consumer needs and behaviour: the company must focus on demands of their customers as the
things are changed after the pandemic. The company must focus on achieving the market trends

that is based on the health trends in the market. Although, thee firm is dealing with the healthy
products in the market, but firm might come up with the new luxury line up of the product to
gain the objective of the firm of achieving the 40% of sales.
Situational analysation:
Swot analysis:
Strength:
Strength of organization is in brand image and
customer loyalty, firm carries in the market,
firm is one of the largest consumer goods and
super market chain dealing in around 190
countries with the wide range of products.
Unilever have super market store in almost
every country they are operating with their
business.
Weakness:
Weakness of company is poor supply chain
management, this might lead the company to
face decrease in sales because of poor supply
chain. The company is known as supermarket
chain but this company do not have strong
chain of supply that impacts sales and revenue
generation process of the firm (Quezada, and
et.al., 2019).
Opportunity:
Firm operates with the opportunity to capture
small scale retail businesses, this company
only provide recognition to brands and reputed
company. However, if they allow small retailer
and manufacture to use Unilever as platform
then this company can boost their sales and
achieve goal of marketing depending on brand
image (puyt, and et.al., 2020).
Threat:
Firm faces tough competition in retail industry,
giants, that are providing competition to
company and impacting their sales each
quarter. Organization have to face threat of
substitute while planning to launch luxury
range in food products.
Pestle analysis:
Political factor: This is one of the most important factor that impact firm's performance, after
Brexit, government took the decision to limit the trade relationship with European countries
impacting international dealing of firm. COVID-19 measures of the government of UK do not
favour growth of market giant like Unilever in the process.
Economical factor: Economy of the United Kingdom was affected after COVID-19, there was
high inflation and that increased the prices of raw material making is difficult for Unilever to

continue existing manufacturing of products, economic instability and slow recovery will impact
new product launch as well, Unilever is facing challenges in almost every nation.
Social factor: after COVID-19, consumer behaviour have changed which means consumer are
not ready to spend their income on FMCG products. COVID-19 pushed consumer to consider
health products which gave the importance to the sustainability, Unilever need to work by
analysing consumer behaviour in market (Pathak, 2020).
Technological factor: This is other important factor impacting firm's performance in the market,
Unilever can adopt both software and hardware technological advancement that allows the firm
to grow in the market. There is modern trend of including automation system in the production
and other business area which may out the company ahead of competitors.
Environmental factor: Environment factor impact firm's performance, both consumer and the
firm as well. After COVID-19 government of the United Kingdom is demanding businesses and
industries to take measure for the enhancement of environment, this may include policy by the
government that includes plastic ban, product packaging of the firm will be impacted.
Legal factor: This is also an important factor. Unilever compile their policy the requirement of
government, the government of the United Kingdom have their own policy and procedure which
means organization have to change their policies and the strategies as per the requirement of the
governmental norms.
Competitive analysis of the firm:
Competitive Rivalry: about every business faces the competition in the target market. Unilever
face competition from Sainsbury, Tesco, Morrison, etc. these are all market giant with rapid
growth and stability in the market, these competitors provide tough competition (AlQershi, and
et.al., 2020).
Threats of New entrants: New entries are the new competition, Unilever might face competition
from the new entrants that have enough budget to come over the competitive advantage in the
business run. Unilever performs as the largest consumer goods company but still face issues
from strategies of new entrants in the market and this might affect the company's brand position.
Supplier's power: Supplier performs with certain powers in the market, Unilever depend on the
suppliers for raw material, this company facilitates with more than 400 brands that means power
of supplier is faced by firm. These suppliers might not accept negotiating offer that firm provides
them (Chen, Michel, and Lin, 2021).

Consumer power: Consumer carries power in the market like, the bargaining power. Unilever
face competition when consumer switch over other brands over Unilever, as this company does
not allow the customers to bargain whereas other brands offer better deal considering the
consumer.
Threat of substitute: This is one of the common issue faced in every company, products are
copied by new entrants or by other market giant. Competition comes when same product is
covered by whole industry and price levels reach to the peak in the market. Organization does
not do reductions in the price for their brand image.
STP analysis:
Segmentation: by planning to bring in the new luxury range of food products including
sustainable foods with eco friendly packaging, the company needs to create new segments. For
example: segments for the firm might include age, gender, education and other, this new product
range is luxury which targeted audience will be of the elder age groups like above the age of 22.
Targeting: organization needs to target consumer relevant of the segmentation done, as the firm
is introducing new luxury range of product which means consumers will fall in upper segments.
The firm also have to make out the sub segments too (Lopatin, and et.al., 2019).
Positioning: firm need to position high in the market, might be challenging task, but company
need to introduce new product and this new product might requires the modification as per the
preferences of the customers and trends in the market.
Extended marketing mix:
Product: This is one of the most important aspect based on consumer demands like features and
specification, firm needs to introduce those products which is new to the market. Luxury range
of food product includes certain feature, specification and new ingredient required for the
development of product and might attract the elite consumers.
Price: Price of the product shows the marketing capabilities of firm, when price is as per the
spending capacity of consumer that will help the firm to enjoy good profits. Unilever should set
price as per the market, so introduction of new product in luxury and for elite consumers will be
highly impacting the marketing.
Place: This one is important aspect, organization should have both physical and online presence
of their product impacting marketing of their products. Company need to introduce place mix to

bring advancement in the marketing procedure, and their luxury range of product should be
available at stores and online platforms.
Promotion: Promotion is defined as marketing, company perform promotion to increase the
awareness about the company. Unilever must use print and social media platform to continue the
process, social media promotion includes Instagram ads, Facebook ads, etc. that can help the
firm to grow.
Marketing budget:
Marketing cost
Market research $1800
Social media platform selection $200
Marketing campaign for each media $3500
Key word research $4000
Influencer marketing $1500
Resource allocation $2500
Print media marketing $12000
Paper and template marketing $7000
Other $2000
Total marketing expenses $34500
P5: Producing media plan including recommendations and rationale for media activities meeting
budgetary requirements and objectives of the campaign:
Return On Marketing Investment & Customer Lifetime Value:
ROMI:
Investment requires return, firm that invests in the company and marketing process
demand return on high values. It is very clear that marketing is key significant process in the firm
allowing company to promote the products, however investing in marketing depend on variety of
product company develops. Unilever is focusing on luxury range of food products allowing firm
to sustainable product in their product line, return on marketing investment can be defined like:

ROMI can be seen when Unilever will enjoy 40% increase in sales after completing the
marketing strategies required for luxury range.
CLV:
Customer lifetime value is the process to measure loyalty of consumer related to the
brand and how they react to the product provided by the company. Every consumer is valuable
for the firm but who is worth is more important to know, it is very clear that Unilever will enjoy
value and brand reputation in the market as their consumer are loyal towards the brand. It is also
important to create a relationship in between organization and customers, that generates the
opportunity to capture market with new luxury range of products (Jasek, and et.al., 2019).
Media budget:
Media budget:
Instagram $6000
Facebook $4000
Twitter $600
YouTube $2000
Total $12600
Recommendation:
More budget: Budget play important role in business management and marketing process. It is
highly recommended including budget to ensure process smoothly completed, Unilever need to
have budget to ensure their new product become success in the market. Budget allow company to
cover important area of the marketing. However. Other area and element does matter when it
comes to marketing, company need to have effective and most relevant keywords.
Offline and online marketing:
Facebook: This is one of the best online marketing platform that allows the firm to target almost
every segment. Facebook have features to influence audience through marketing process.
Company need to have best marketing campaign to manage their marketing on Instagram and
enjoy continuous growth (Wang, Ko, Woodside, and Yu, 2021).

Print media: different means of print media will allow company to promote their product and
service and help company to ensure continuous growth and revenue generation. Though, Online
media is much more stable and powerful platform for marketing allowing firm to become
effective in the marketing process, print media is effective tool (Warokka, and et.al., 2020).
CONCLUSION
The report based on the marketing process and planning is concluded about the concept of the
marketing in the 21st century and how the marketing functions relate to the different business
units. The report also shows about the use of the elements of the marketing mix for the
achievement of the business objectives. Report also shows about the marketing plan that helps
the firm to meet the marketing objective. Further, in the report media plan has been developed
for the marketing campaign of the organization.

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