Analyzing Marketing Mix and Research for Unilever Sri Lanka - PCM

This PCM assignment report, prepared for the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing, provides a comprehensive analysis of Unilever Sri Lanka's marketing strategies. It begins with an introduction to the company, its vision, and product portfolio, focusing on three selected products: Vaseline, Signal, and Marmite. The report then delves into the marketing mix of Lifebuoy soap, examining product, place, price, and promotion strategies. Furthermore, it explores the key stages of the marketing research process, outlining how Unilever can conduct formal market research to understand its customers. The report concludes by assessing the impact of the macro environment on Unilever's operations, providing a holistic view of the company's marketing approaches and challenges. This report is a valuable resource for understanding the application of marketing principles in a real-world FMCG context, offering insights into market research, product analysis, and environmental influences.

UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF
MARKETING RESEARCH TO IDENTIFY CUSTOMER
INSIGHT IN ORDER TO SATISFY TARGET CUSTOMERS
BY DEVELOPING APPROPRIATE MARKETING MIX
ELEMENTS AND MONITORING CONSTANTLY THE
“MACRO ENVIRONMENT” FORCES THAT WOULD
IMPACT THE OPERATIONS OF AN ORGANIZATION
Prepared by
C. P. M. T. P. Fernando
0000039137
SLHS Academy - Kalutara
JUNE 2019
Preliminary Certificate in Marketing
SRI LANKA INSTITUTE OF MARKETING

Table of Contents
1. Introduction to selected organization
a. Brief Introduction………………………………………………………04
b. Selected three products…………………………………………………07
2. The Marketing Mix of selected organization
a. Product…………………………………………………………………12
b. Place……………………………………………………………………12
c. Price…………………………………………………………………….13
d. Promotion………………………………………………………………14
3. Marketing research process…………………………………………………….15
4. Macro environment…………………………………………………………….18
5. Reference……………………………………………………………………….22
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1. Executive Summary
This PCM assignment has mainly focused on understanding the importance of Marketing
mix, stages of marketing research process and macro environment.
There are four main tasks in this assignment. The first task is selecting a FMCG business
organization and presenting a brief on the products and the company background.
The second task is the analysis of marketing mix by applying the organization for the
selected services. The third task is about the key stages of the marketing research process and
how the Unilever Company should undertake in order to develop a formal market research
study on its customers.
The last task understands the impact of macro environment for selected FMCG
organization. In this report we can understand,
 Background of the Unilever company
 Product portfolio
 Information about three products selected and the Marketing mix elements.
 The external factors which can affect to Unilever Company
 How we can do a Marketing research
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Task 1
Selected organization: Unilever Sri Lanka–
1. About the organization:
Unilever Sri Lanka has 70 years of manufacturing history in this country and produces
95% of all the products it markets in Sri Lanka. This significant investment reflects
Unilever’s commitment to its presence in Sri Lanka. At a time when global organizations are
consolidating production in countries that offer greater economies of scale and lower
production costs, credit goes out to the local management for retaining manufacturing
operations in Sri Lanka. This will ensure that Unilever will continue to provide Sri Lankan
consumers with their favorite brands while adding substantially to the nation’s economy.
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2. Vision of the Company
The vision of the company is to grow their business, while decoupling their
environmental foot print from their growth and increasing their positive social impact.
Unilever Sri Lanka is one of the biggest FCMG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) company in
Sri Lanka, with 29 market brands in categories such as Home care, Personal care and Foods.
Established in Sri Lanka in 1938 with brands such as sunlight, lux, pears rose, today Unilever
manufactures 95% of its products locally. Unilever’s corporate purpose is to make
sustainable living common place. The Unilever sustainable living plan sets out to decouple
the company’s growth from environmental impact, while increasing its positive social
impact. The plan has three big goals that by 2020 will help improve people’s health and well-
being, reduce the company’s environmental footprint, and enhance livelihoods across its
value chain.
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The product portfolio of Unilever Sri Lanka organization is mainly divided into three
product categories. They are
I. Home care
II. Personal care
III. Food and drink
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Home care
House Hold Care
vim
Domex
Comfort
Water Purifier Pureit
Laundary
Rin
SurfExcel
Sunlight
Food & Drink
Food
Tea
Marmite
Astra
Knorr
Lipton
Laogy

3. Selected Three Products
 Vaseline
 Signal
 Marmite
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Personal Care
Soap
Lux
Lifebouy
Cream & Lotion
Ponds
Vaselin
Fair & Lovely
Tooth Paste
Signal
CloseUp
Shampoo
Sunsilk
Dove
Clear

Vaseline:
Vaseline is an American brand of petroleum-gel based products owned by British Dutch
Company Unilever. Products include plain petroleum-gel and a selection of skin creams,
soaps, lotions, cleansers, and deodorants. In our country We can see following in the market.
 Healthy white
A skin lightening lotion that restores for visibly fairer skin in 2 weeks. Enriched with
micro-droplets of Vaseline Jelly, it helps heal dry skin and makes it look fairer. Also
this contains Vitamin B3 that helps skin look fairer by inhibiting melanin transfer &
production.
Best for: daily fairness, uneven tone, dry and damaged skin, dull skin
 Advanced repair
Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair Unscented Body Lotion moisturizes dry
skin and it can moisturize and repair stubborn dry skin. Contains micro droplets of
Vaseline Jelly to lock in moisture and deeply moisturizes to heal dry skin in 5 days.
Best for: dry skin, sensitive skin, dry irritated skin
 Total moisture
Clean-feel formula combines pure oat extract and Stratys 3 multi-layer moisture to
leave the skin deeply moisturized and feeling healthy, soft and smooth. Also
moisturizes top three layers of surface skin (stratum corneum) and contains pure oat
extract. Absorbs fast for a non-greasy feel.
Best for: dry skin
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Signal Toothpaste:
Signal toothpaste is available in different sizes and these products are available in most of the
supermarkets.
1. Signal strong teeth Tooth Paste 70g Rs.85.00
2. Signal strong teeth Tooth Paste 120g Rs.124.00
3. Signal herbal Tooth paste 160g Rs.145.00
4. Signal Tooth paste Fresh Mint 120ml
5. Signal Tooth paste Essential Anti-cavity calcium 120ml
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Marmite:
Marmite is a British food spread produced by Unilever. Marmite is made from yeast extract,
a by-product of beer brewing. Marmite is a sticky, dark brown food paste with a distinctive,
powerful favor which is extremely salty.
Marmite Large 210g Rs.570.00
Marmite Medium 105g Rs.325.00
Marmite 55g Rs.175.00
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Task 2
1. Marketing mix analysis on FMCG Product - Lifebuoy
This task is presenting an analysis of the marketing mix for the selected FMCG product
of Lifebuoy Soap. The marketing mix is being used by marketers to achieve the
marketing and business objectives. If they don’t use the marketing mix they can’t
achieve the expected results and marketing mix is the main tool of achieving the
Unilever marketing objectives. The traditional marketing mix can be classified into 4
Ps. They are being illustrated here.
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1.1 Product Mix
The product Lifebuoy is a well-established one in the world. As the world’s leading
health soap, lifebuoy aims to make a difference by creating accessible hygiene product (soap)
and promoting healthy hygiene habits. With this in mind, lifebuoy aims to change the hand
washing behavior of 1Billion people by 2015.
The brand lifebuoy has been positioned well among the sri lankan customers as well as in
the global customers. The brand name is playing a main role in the product mix and Unilever
marketers are always try to be the market leader in this soap sector.
The outer package is also doing a main function of this soap and the marketers have
being changing many times the package. The red, white and blue color including white color
package has been used by the brand managers of Unilever. This gives an attraction to the
customers and that package is providing the information about the soap such as price,
ingredients, special features, manufacturers, etc.
The design of the soap has also been changed periodically. The present one has curved
from the body of the soap. The design is also giving a competitive advantage.
Quality and the smell could also be considered as an important element in the product
mix. If the quality of Lifebuoy is high the customers loyalty would be existing for a longer
time.
The marketing managers of Unilever has managed well the product mix and the right
product decision are important as this brand at the maturity level.
1.2 Price Mix
The next item of the market mix is the price. This is giving a profit for the Unilever by
managing well. All the other items are incurring a cost but price. There are few elements to
be analyzed in this price mix.
The pricing strategy is important for the Lifebuoy soap. The present strategy is the
market based pricing method. The Unilever company is setting the price after analyzing the
cost calculation, adding a markup and considering the market situation.
The retail price is for the customers and the distributor price is different. Special price
discounts are being arranged for the special channel members.
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