Icon College Marketing Essentials Report: Unilever Marketing Functions

This report delves into the core aspects of marketing essentials, exploring the roles and responsibilities of marketing functions within an organization, with a focus on Unilever as a case study. The report examines key areas such as product development and designing, branding, promotions, customer demands and needs, and pricing strategies. It also investigates the context of marketing environments and the interrelationship between various departments like marketing, research and development, production, human resources, and finance. Furthermore, the report provides a comparison of the marketing mix (7Ps) between Unilever and its competitor, Proctor & Gamble, analyzing product, price, place, promotion, people, process, and physical evidence. The report also highlights the importance of marketing strategies and the significance of effective communication and market research. This report aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of marketing principles and their practical application in a real-world business context.

MARKETING ESSENTIALS

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
P 1 Roles and responsibilities of marketing functions.................................................................3
P 2 In context to marketing in organization of the roles and responsibilities..............................5
P3 Comparison of the Marketing Mix.........................................................................................7
P 4 Marketing plan.....................................................................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Marketing is a set of activities that undertakes by organization to influence it’s products
and services in the business market. Currently no business ca not gain high profitability in it’s
business without using marketing functions. In modern time, most of the organizations or firms
gives more efforts to make their marketing functions more productive. Marketing is not only
supported to promote products but also influence brand image in the business market. it also
supports organization to develop dynamic capabilities which helps to maintain sustainable
competitive advantage in the business market. Today’s world only those corporation enables to
generate high profit in the business market which follows modern marketing strategies. These
strategies is quite enough to build large customer base as compared traditional marketing
strategies. To understand role of marketing has an example of Unilever plc. It is a British
Multinational company that has goal to lead high level of satisfaction in customers for the
products and it’s services. In this report will discuss about key role and responsibilities of the
marketing function within organization.
MAIN BODY
P 1 Roles and responsibilities of marketing functions
There has to be a good distribution of all the functioning and roles in the organization so
that there is a better reputation in the market. To have a better functioning marketing functions
are very important in Unilever.
Roles Product and development designing
There are a lot of research and development in the organization which is why there is a better
functioning and the marketing team will be able to design the products accordingly. There are
feedbacks taken by the marketing team for the products and designing so that it can be improved
and the organizations reputation is well maintained. Branding
Branding of Unilever is very strong in the market which is why they have a large market
share in the market. This gets in a strong portfolio in the market for the company which is good
for the further expansion and getting in more customers. The organization has earned €51.980

billion revenue as of 2019 which are because of the place the organization has made for them in
the market. Promotions
There are cost friendly methods which have to be found out and implemented in the
organization effectively so that the profits are higher and the sales can be maintained as well.
The pricing of the products cannot be high because the customers will reduce in the market
which is why there are promotions which are given to the customers (Snyder, 2017). There are
online services and products which are given by the organization so that there is a better
functioning. Customers demands and needs
The needs of the customers are changing which has to be accepted and implemented in the
organization as well so that the sales are maintained. There are strategies and techniques which
can be used in the organization so that Unilever can get a competitive advantage in this
increasing competition in the market as well. Pricing of products
The products have to be priced in a way so that the sales can be maintained in the
organization which is going to help the organization to get higher profits. The pricing on the
products is always done by the market team on the basis of the GDP of the country so that there
is a better supply. The standard of living is increased by the organization so that there is a better
purchase of the products of Unilever.
Responsibilities Setting marketing strategies
There are a lot of strategies which are present in the market so that the marketing department
can function effectively in the market. Unilever has been in the market from a long run which is
why they are aware of the changes and the measures which the marketing team has to take for
accomplishing the objectives. Seminars and events
To have smooth functioning there are a lot of transparency which has to be created for
marketing department so that there is a better functioning. There are a lot of events and
exhibitions which are held by marketing department so that there is a sharing of details. Unilever

is always hosting events for the employees and the customers by the marketing department so
that there is a better functioning. Communications
There has to be a better communication in the organization which the marketing department
can get which is a great responsibility of this department. There is a strong workforce which can
be created so that there is a higher productivity which is going to make the organization have
better profit raise. The responsibilities of the marketing department are huge in Unilever which
can make the organization have better results. Market research
There has to be a strong research by the marketing team which is a great responsibility so
that there is a better understanding of the customers and higher opportunities. The competition in
the market can be understood and their strengths and weaknesses can be helpful for the better
decision making for the future which is a very important factor (Lowery, 2016). There are high
opportunities for Unilever to get in the market so that they can grow further in the market and get
higher market share resulting in higher profit percentage.
In context of marketing environment the roles and responsibilities
There are a lot of responsibilities and roles of marketing functions in the organization
which can make the organization have a maintained reputation and standard. There have to be
loyal customers and marketing help the organization to have a better functioning. Marketing
functions help the organization to have a good brand image in the market which is going to be
very helpful for a long run.
P 2 In context to marketing in organization of the roles and responsibilities
For any organization to get a competitive advantage there has to be a strong workforce
who is having a healthy environment in the organization and a relationship which creates the
dependency. There are a lot of decisions which have to be made in the organization so that there
is a better functioning which has to be taken after considering all the factors in the market (Yuri
and Anatoly, 2017). The different departments in the organization are marketing, finance,
research and development, etc which have to make the organization have better and effective
functioning. Unilever is having a strong workforce in the market so that there is a better
operation which can happen in the market. There is a huge experience which Unilever is having

which is why they make sure that there is a strong team which is hired so that objectives and
goals can be met.
 Marketing and research and development
Marketing team of Unilever has a direct and indirect contact with the customers of the
organization and they take reviews and feedbacks from them so that there is an improvement
which can be done by the organization. The marketing team has to make the research and
development team knows about the reviews and helps that department to get in new ideas which
is going to be very effective for a long run (Chernev, 2018). There is a need of innovation and
creativity to be got in the organization so that there is a better functioning. There are a lot of
changes which are got in by the R&D and marketing department which is helping Unilever to
have better operations and functioning.
 Production and marketing
The demands and needs of the customers for the products of Unilever is increasing so that
there is a better functioning and the organization will be able to have better operations.
Marketing team has a strong understanding of the customers which is why it is very important
for the organization to have better production according to it. There are a lot of countries in
which the organization can expand them into so that there is a better reputation. The packaging
and designing of the organization has to be done effectively so that there is a better functioning.
It is important for the organization to have production and marketing department to have better
functioning.
 Human resource and marketing
It is very important for the human resource department of Unilever for hiring the right
employees in the organization which is going to make the standards of the company be matched.
The objectives are set and the department has to make sure that everyone is doing the work
effectively so that they can be achieved (Chernev, 2020). There is a sense of motivation which is
passed on to the marketing and the other departments of Unilever so that they can give their
personal best in the company. To have strong communication in Unilever it is very important
that the human resource and marketing team is working together which is going to make the
organization have better operations.
 Finance and marketing

Marketing department needs a lot of financial help which is why the understanding of the
two departments in any organization is very essential. There are budgets which are set by
financial department for the organization so that it can be used for promotional purpose. There
are a lot of decisions which have to be made by the two departments of the organization for
Unilever so that there is a better functioning. There is a better sense of direction which is present
in the organization so that the organization can have better results in Unilever so that the decision
making is better and the methods and techniques can be decided effectively.
Interrelationship’s significance
It is very essential for all the departments to work together so that there is a better
functioning for interrelationship in the company (Melnikov and et al., 2016). Unilever is having
a lot of competitive advantage in the market because of the opportunities and a place they have
made in the market for themselves.
Negative aspect of interrelationship
There is a better clarity of functioning which is a very important factor for the
organization to have so that there is a better functioning. There are a lot of factors which are
dependent on the department’s interrelationship so that the organization can have better
functioning. It is easier for the organization to achieve their objectives and this is going to help
the organization have loyalty in the market.
P3 Comparison of the Marketing Mix
Marketing Mix helps in the evaluation of some of the key aspects that are associated with the
marketing and ultimately helps in analysing the manner in which the targeted customer segment
is to be attracted (Jinda and et.al., 2019). There are basically seven Ps that are analysed in the
marketing mix and these collectively help in the better strategy formulation. For Unilever as
well, these factors of marketing mix can be analysed and compared with its fellow competitor for
better analysis in following manner:
7P’s of
Marketing
Unilever Proctor & Gamble
Product Unilever has a vast category of products
under its brand name that are as much as
400 brands. The different products cater
The P&G also has a vast customer
base but there products are mainly
categorised in three main categories

to the different needs of the consumers
such as personal care, food and
refreshments etc. (Wu and Li, 2018).
Some prominent brand names under
Unilever are Ben and Jerry, TRESmme
etc. and the division in the production
process has been done on the basis of
products only. This helps in better
functioning and implementation of the
marketing strategies and plans of the
company.
i.e. personal care and grooming,
household brands and health related
brands. Some of the major product
names under P&G are Joy, Olay, and
Pantene etc. There are 10 major
brands of the company which act as
major revenue generators for the
company.
Price Since the product range is extremely
diverse and wide and the market area is
also based in multiple numbers of
countries, the prices charged are
different from each other. Unilever
hence adopts the value pricing
technique, penetration pricing, bundle
pricing etc. while launching different
products in different markets. The
different pricing techniques are used for
different markets for example
penetration pricing is used when the
market is new and bundle pricing is
used when offers are being given.
P&G on the other hand prefers to use
only value pricing strategy as the
emphasis it gives on the quality
aspect is too high (Jinda and et.al.,
2019). This is the reason that the
company was not able to target
majority of the customers towards he
brand an lately, the company has been
shifting its weight towards exercising
different pricing strategies depending
on the market conditions and
scenarios.
Place Unilever has been operating in many
countries at a wide number of locations
and this is the reason why the
accessibility of the brand has increased
comparatively (Hisrich and Ramadani,
2017). The company operates through a
P&G also has an extensive network in
more than 125 countries where
intensive, extensive and speciality
distribution channels are being used
by the company. the company is
taking services of the DHL provider

number of retailers and wholesalers and
additionally the company has stores of
its own as well. The online presence of
the brand is registered through platforms
like EBay, Amazon etc. and mainly the
Think Global, Act Global strategy of
Unilever is the motive behind the
overall expansion of the company in
different countries.
as a major carrier and as a service
provider for the company which
increases the flexibility of operating
and overall decision making.
Promotion There are a multiple number of
promotional policies that are adopted by
the company for the different products
and services that are provided by them.
In the global market, Unilever uses
technological based strategies and these
are integrated with the attractive pricing
and discounting techniques so that
majority of the customers can be
retained and attracted in the company
itself.
P&G has also exploited the attraction
strategy since it also operates in the
international market. The company
hires favourite celebrities and idols of
the youth so that people can easily
relate with the brand (Kuntonbutr,
2019). Apart form this, company also
engages in various social activities by
supporting different NGOs etc. so that
the main of serving each other
portrayed by the company can
become clearer.
People The organization is experience and so
are the employees who are loyal to
Unilever which is making the service
and quality of the products increase. It is
very important for the customers to have
good service in the market so that the
satisfaction of customers can be
maintained.
There are high trained and loyal
employees in the organization which
the organization have a better
functioning but these employees
cannot work in direct situations
which is a major drawback of the
organization (Timotin and Savciuc,
2018).
Process There is a strong network which the There is an online presence in the

organization has built for themselves in
the market over these years. There are
online and offline evidence of the
organization in the market which is
making the satisfaction level of the
customers increases.
market of P&G in the market so that
there is a better functioning. The
delivery time of the products of P&G
is also low which is making the
company have a competitive
advantage.
Physical
Evidence
There is a lot of improvement in aspect
of the physical evidence of the company
in the market. The organization has
gotten online so that they can capture a
larger market and share of customers in
the organization which is going to be
very helpful or a long run (Romanenko
and Chaplay, 2016). The targeted
segmentation of the customers are also
getting in the organization which is
making the profit percentage of the
company increase.
The services are getting old which is
why P&G has plans to get in new
methods so that they can get a high
profit margins and a easier way to get
in more customers in the company.
The evidence of P&G is not that high
as Unilever which is why new
methods are required by the
organization to compete in this
market.
P 4 Marketing plan
Executive summary
There is a need of getting in a lot of changes in the market because the needs and
expectations of the customers are changing. Unilever is coming up with product for women
which are sportswear. This is going to make the organization get higher profit margins and the
company will be able to capture a larger market for themselves in the market. To get any new
product it is very important that the organization understands the market effectively and then
plan accordingly which is going to be more useful for a long run.
Objectives
 To increase sales of new product of Unilever by 30% till the end of year 2022.
 To enhance consumer experience by 45% in upcoming 10 months.
 To increase the profitability by 20% till the end of year 2023.

 To increase the market share by 50% till the end of year 2024.
PESTLE
 Political Factors
There are free trade policies which the countries are providing which can be used for a
competitive advantage by Unilever to expand and get higher sales. There are stable governments
in a lot of countries which can be a great advantage for the organization to be able to function
effectively in the market.
 Economic Factors
The GDP of the countries in which Unilever is going to expand is going to be better because
the unemployment rates are going to fall and the lifestyle standards of the population is going to
be better (Bala and Verma, 2018). The quality and comfort in the product is going to attract a lot
of customers.
 Social Factors
The cultures and values of customers are going to be followed and this is the trend of the
customers which is going to be followed in Unilever so that there is a better functioning. The
demands are increasing which is a great opportunity for the company because they have the right
skill to increase the productivity in the market.
 Technological Factors
The technological aspect in Unilever is also high because of the methods the company has
been using and the investment the organization has done. There are a lot of changes for the
quicker and better satisfaction of the customers in Unilever from time to time.
 Legal Factors
There are a lot of laws and regulations which have to be followed by the organization for the
customers and the employees of the organization to maintain a better reputation and standard of
the organization (Krekova and et al., 2016). The employees have to be given the right wages and
treatment in the organization.
 Environmental Factors
There is a use of renewable resources in the organization so that there is a long run of the
products and satisfaction of the employees in the company. There is zero carbon footprint of the
organization in the market which makes the standards of the organization increase for a long run.
SWOT

 Strengths
Unilever has spread itself in 190 countries which are why the organization is having a lot of
experience. Organization has created a strong brand image for they in the market which makes
the satisfaction level of the customer and their loyalty in the company also are maintained. Weaknesses
The organization is very dependent on the retailers in the organization which is limiting the
sales of the organization (Chapleo and O’Sullivan, 2017). Women clothing is an excellent idea
but the organization will have to work on the financial planning only then they will be able to
have the right funds for the product to be launched in the market. Opportunities
The opportunity for Unilever in the market is that they have the right target set so that the
demand and needs of the organization can be met. There are loyal customers of the organization
which have to be maintained. The research and development team of Unilever are putting in their
best in the company so that the uniqueness can come in the products. Threats
The competition in the market is high which has to be maintained by the organization by
using the right measures and strategies which can be very helpful. The organization is competing
with Nestle, P&G, etc in the market which is why they have to be certain about the measures
otherwise the company can lose their share in market.
Budget
Particulars Amount
Direct Materials £650.00
Labour £350.00
Production £1,00.00
Marketing and advertising £350.00
Other costs £700.00
Total £3,500.00
Segmentation, targeting and positioning