Roles Of Marketing In Achieving Long-Term Goals And Objectives Of Unilever

Task 1: Concept of marketing and current and future trends

The report outlines the roles of marketing to gain the long-term mission and vision of the Unilever. It explains the different marketing processes. It tells that how the marketing influences other functional departments of the company. It describes the marketing mix strategies to achieve the overall business objectives and goals. Along with this, it develops and evaluates the marketing plan and program to determine the long-term success and growth of the firm.

Unilever is a Dutch British transnational consumer products and goods organization with its headquarter is located in London, United Kingdom. It is dealing with various food, personal care products, and beverage products across the world. It is one of the biggest consumer goods companies evaluated by the revenue. Further, it is one of the oldest multinational companies in the world. The firm is delivering its products in more than 190 countries across the world. There are approx 169,000 employees are employed in the company. In today’s era, the company is expanding and flourishing its business activities and operations day by day (Chen, Fay, and Wang, 2011).

Marketing is the broad concept which is used by the several multinational companies to increase and maximize the revenue and profit of the company. It is the management and study of exchange relationship between organization and customers. Marketing may be defined as the activity, process, set of institutions and procedure for communicating, creating, rendering and exchanging offers that have value for the partners, clients, customers and society at a high level. Marketing is used by the Unilever and other companies to satisfy the customers in the global market. It also helps to introduce and launch new products and services in the market. Many companies use marketing to attract and increase the number of customers around the world. There are the various concepts of marketing which have been discussed below (Grönroos, 2011).

Production concept: This concept focuses on the quality and quantity of the products to attract more customers in the market. The marketing managers focus on the production efficiency, costs, and mass production.

Product concept: This concept believes that customers always prefer products with innovative attributes, good quality, and high quantity. They want to buy the good quality of products at reasonable prices across the world.

Selling concept: Selling concept plays a vital role in marketing. Marketers use selling concept to sell the products and services of the company. On the other hand, consumers want to buy the products at appropriate prices. In this way, it is the important concept of marketing (Sheth, 2011).

Different marketing processes

Marketing concept: The companies use marketing concept to beat the competitors in the global market. The consumer is king of the market. The success and growth of the Unilever depend on the consumers. None of the company can survive its business without effective and unique marketing. There are four pillars of the marketing concept such as target market, profitability, client needs and integrated marketing.

The current trends of the marketing are very effective and unique. Some of the current trends include social media marketing, targeted emails, internet video advertisements, retargeting campaigns and text message advertisements. These trends are going on in today’s modern world. These trends are used by the many companies to gain long-term benefits in the universal market. It is seen that competition is increasing day by day in the market. Thus, the companies need to think about the future to attain the long-term goals and objectives. In this way, the companies will have to do future planning to prevent and reduce the risks and challenges of the market. The Unilever will focus on the strategies, plans, and policies of the market. Further, collaboration and co-operation are other future trends of the marketing. The company must use the natural resources in an effective way. In addition, positive changes in the policies and strategies must be done by the company to gain various growth opportunities in the global market (Shankar et al, 2011).

Different marketing processes

The firm has to determine and evaluate the hidden customer's needs, wants and requirements to increase the sale of the products and services. The marketing processes have been discussed below (Schmitt, 2011).

Situational analysis process: The situation analysis include the evaluation and measurement of the customer need, preferences, and desires to provide satisfaction them. Thus, the company must understand the environment and other marketing factors to gain the long-term goals, targets, and mission of the firm. In addition, the company should analyze the external and internal environment to attain the long-term targets of the firm. Situation analysis is done by the SWOT and Pestle analysis (Spina, Caniato, Luzzini and Ronchi, 2013).

Marketing strategy:  After the various researchers, it has been analyzed that a strategic plan should be developed by the firm to gain mission and vision of the company. The success and growth of the organization depend on the marketing mix strategy to reach the target market.   

Marketing mix decisions: Marketing mix decision depends on the quality and prices of the products. Through marketing mix decisions, the company can buy the right product at appropriate prices.

Roles and responsibilities of marketing manager in the context of the organization

Implementation and control: After making the effective strategies and plans, the firm needs to implement and execute the plans and strategies of the Unilever. In this way, the company can reduce the marketing risks and challenges. Marketing processes play a vital role to enhance and increase the productivity and efficiency of the employees (Buil, De Chernatony, and Martínez, 2013).

Marketing manager plays a vital role to establish a reciprocal relationship between organizations and customers by offering a variety of products and services in the global market. The marketing team interacts with customers to collect the feedback from the market. Unilever provides food and beverage products to the customers around the world. Therefore, the roles and responsibilities of the marketing manager are broad and wider. The marketing manager maintains coordination and co-operation in marketing campaigns. Further, they are responsible to check and control the marketing budget of the firm. They make effective and unique strategies and plans to accomplish the goals and targets of the Unilever. Further, they implement the advertisement and promotional campaigns to increase the number of customers around the world. In addition, the marketing managers manage and improve the generation campaigns and they evaluate and measure the results and outcomes of the company. They contribute to make a brand image and goodwill in the market.  Further, they are accountable to maintain effective marketing communication among the different department within the organization (Grönroos and Ravald, 2011).

Along with this, they are accountable to listen and understand the needs, requirement, and expectations of the customers in the universal market.  Further, they track and monitor the new trends and competition in the global market. They also communicate and maintain co-operation with other companies. Apart from this, they are liable to calculate the return on investment of the company. Further, marketing managers explain and define the strategic marketing plans and policies to attract and retain more consumers in the market. Along with this, they manage and control the distribution and promotion activity of the market. In addition, they apply and implement the customer-centric approach to maintain good relations with customers around the world. They find and search right and suitable partners of the organization (O’Cass and Sok, 2014). The marketing managers should manage the marketing research to increase and maximize the input of the company. Along with this, they are responsible to manage and handle promotional events, seminars, exhibitions, conventions, trade meeting and training sessions. The company cannot achieve its long-term targets and goals without an effective and efficient marketing team. The marketing department is an important and foremost department of every organization. In today’s era, it has become the key leader to pull and run the business activities and operations successfully. They provide various types of marketing information to the top management. The marketing manager generates and executes effective and unique approaches and strategies which would enhance and increase the business activities and operations of the Unilever (Jaakkola and Alexander, 2014).

It is true that marketing affects and interrelates with another functional department of the organization. The entire activities and operations of the company depend on the marketing. The functional departments of the Unilever have been discussed below.

Finance and management department: Marketing plans include the financial information for both the new and existing products around the world. Therefore, marketing provides support to the financial management while taking decisions related to the investment (Arnett and Wittmann, 2014).  

Production and operational department: Marketing also provides support to the production and operational department. The marketing tries to stimulate and encourage these departments to carry the business activities and operations smoothly.

Resource and development department: Marketing is also interrelated with resource and development department within the organization. It provides ideas and thoughts to the resource and development department to introduce the new products and services within the organization. In this way, Unilever tries to increase and maximize the revenue in food and beverage industry. The marketing research assists and supports to identify and evaluate the most suitable and marketable products and services in the organization.

Sales department: Unilever is the food and beverage company which is dealing in various products around the world. Therefore, the firm is trying to increase the sale of food and beverage products in the global market. Further, the marketing manager maintains a good relationship between seller and buyer within the organization. Now it is assumed that there is a close relationship between marketing and another functional department of the organization. Through marketing, Unilever can run the business effectively and efficiently (Leeflang, Verhoef, Dahlström and Freundt, 2014).

There are the various significance of the marketing in the context of the Unilever Company which have been discussed below.

Spreading the information: Marketing is used by the company to engage and connect with potential buyers in the market. The consumers can know and understand the attribute and quality of the products through marketing.

High sales: Marketing plays an integral role to increase the sale of the food products and beverages around the world. The firm can produce high quality of food with maintaining proper communication by using marketing concept (Finch, Nadeau and O’Reilly, 2013).

Improving and maintaining company reputation: When the company renders good quality of food products to the customers then it will also help to build and develop the reputation and goodwill of the Unilever. Marketing manager maintains effective communication between customers and enterprise.

Healthy competition: Marketing also maintains a favorable working environment to gain the various competitive advantages across the world. It focuses and evaluates the competition of the market. Through marketing, the company set the reasonable and suitable prices of the existing and new products and services to overcome on the competitors across the world. It also helps to maintain effective and healthy competitors in the world (Hennig-Thurau, Hofacker and Bloching, 2013).

Marketing is an important concept to maintain coordination and collaboration among the different departments to attain the long-term targets and goals of the firm. There are the various significance of having an effective relationship between different functional departments of the Unilever that have been discussed below.

Trust: It helps to build and develop trust, confidence, and loyalty among the customers in the universal market. Through effective and excellent communication, the company is able to share various types of information with customers across the world (McDonald and Wilson, 2016).

Customer service: Along with trust and confidence, effective and unique communication helps to improve and enhances the customer services within the organization. The consumers do not have to suffer from any issues and problems because they are interrelated with each and every department to communicate and collaborate with customers in the world.

Efficiency: If the company maintains effective communication among the different department of the organization. It also helps to increase and enhance the demand for the food and beverage products in the world. The customers become aware through marketing campaigns and programs in the universal market. In this way, it increases the efficiency and productivity of the organization as well as employees.

Conflicts:

Marketing also helps and guides the employees to resolve and handle the conflicts, disputes, and obstacles of the marketing. The conflicts and disputes can break the effective communication among the people. Thus, the company needs to focus and monitor the strategies, plans, and procedures of the organization.  The effective and unique communication system is used by the firm to resolve and handle the customer relationship among the various people in the global market (Asare, Brashear, Yang and Kang, 2013).

Unilever uses marketing mix strategies in an effective way compared to the competitors such as DANONE, PepsiCo, and Henkel for achieving the overall business goals and objectives within the organization. The elements of the marketing mix have been discussed below.

Product: The Company must focus on the quality of products and services to gain long-term success and growth globally. It should produce the product and service according to choice, wants, desires and requirements of the consumers. In this way, Unilever can enhance and increase its profitability and success around the world (Khan, 2014).

Place: Further, the company must focus on location to produce new products and services around the world to reach the target audience. It must be easily available in shops and stores in the market. In addition, the firm can take help of the social media, mail order and e-commerce to increase the demand for the products and services.

Price: The products and services must easily available on stores and shops at cheapest and suitable prices to make happy to the customers. In today’s era, DANONE and PepsiCo are trying to beat the Unilever by producing unique products at appropriate prices (Huang and Sarigöllü, 2014).

Promotion: Advertising, personal selling, social media, and sales promotion are mandatory tools for Unilever and other competing companies globally. These tools use to communicate and assist with customers and clients effectively and efficiently. Advertisement and promotion are good sources to increase the revenue and profit of the company.

People: Manpower is an important tool for the company to achieve its long-term targets and objectives of the firm. The firm hires a qualified and skilled person to do work effectively and efficiently within the organization. These people believed upon to push the organization agenda and they attain goals and objectives of the firm.

Processes: The company uses effective and favorable process with the presence of the consumers to deliver the unique and effective products to the customers around the world. The consumers pay according to the product quality and feature that delivered to them (Leonidou, Katsikeas, and Morgan, 2013).

Physical evidence: Most of the products and services include some physical components. Thus, Unilever also uses physical evidence to ensure the presence of the products and services.

Statement of the marketing goals and objectives: The main of the marketing plan is to provide satisfaction to the people by providing unique and healthy food and beverage products to the people around the world. The company takes each and every step according to the profit, long-term value, and growth of the company. Further, it wants to develop and build a healthy relationship with customers. These are the objectives of the Unilever marketing plan within the organization (Odunlami, 2013).

SWOT analysis of Unilever: The SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The SWOT analysis has been discussed below.

Strengths

• It is the well known and recognized brand in the world.
• The company maintains an effective relationship with vendors, retailers, and customers.
• The economic position and portfolio of the company are good and effective (Hasan, 2015).

Weaknesses

• The income and profit of the company are decreasing due to a reduction in the sales of the products and services.
• The managerial functions which are organized and formulated by the Unilever are weak and poor. As a result, it reduces the sales of the company.
• The firm does not have the ability and potential to do more acquisitions.

Opportunities

• By changing the approach and strategies, the company can get better outputs and results in near future.
• The requirements related to the food and beverage products should be increased to enhance and maximize the commodities (Gopaldas, 2015).

Threats

• The high competition is faced by the company in the global market.
• The exchange excise is the biggest problem of the firm.
• The climate of the business influences the reputation and position of the firm.

Competitors of the company: There are various competitors of the Unilever which include Nestle, DANONE, Reckitt Benckiser Group plc and PepsiCo. The competitors affect business activities and operations of the company adversely (Moodie et al, 2013).

Marketing objectives of the plan: The marketing objectives of the Unilever have been discussed below.

• To increase the sale of the company by maintaining sustainability and loyalty among the customers.
• To increase and maximize the sales percentage by increasing the manufacturing rate of the brands.
• To introduce innovative and new food and beverage products in the universal market.

Target market segments: The target market includes male and female groups around the world. The company focuses and identifies the needs, requirements, and expectations of the target market. The marketing mix of the Unilever has been discussed below.

Product: Dove is the topmost brand of the Unilever. Further, the company is dealing with food, beverage, and personal care products. It is one of the biggest brands of ice cream.

Price: The prices of the products are different in Unilever. The prices depend on the quality and quantity of the products. The company checks and evaluates the strategies of the competitors to set the reasonable prices of thee products (Kent and Wanless, 2014).

Place: The Company is providing its products and services in more than 100 countries. In addition, the company is making a plan to expand its business in 50 other countries. Therefore, the attractive and unique place is essential for the company.

Promotion: The Company is promoting its products and services by using various promotional and advertisement strategies around the world.

People: The Company focuses on the group of the people to attain long-term objectives and goals of the firm (Yadav and Pavlou, 2014).

Process: Process is also important to provide suitable products and services to the customers across the world.

Physical evidence: Some physical components are required while selling the products and services in the market (Ashley and Tuten, 2015).

Effective strategies of the Unilever: The Company uses various strategies while making marketing plan within the organization. The Unilever strategies have been discussed below.

• Market penetration: The firm uses this strategy to explore and expand its business in North America, Europe, and Asia. Through this strategy, the company is able to make innovative and new products for the consumers.
• Diversification strategy:The Company uses this strategy to diversify its products in several countries around the world. By using this strategy, the firm can maximize and increase its revenue and profit within the organization (Dolnicar and Leisch, 2013).

Monitoring and control: After making the marketing plan, the company needs to control and monitors the activities and strategies. The company controls and monitors the activities for increasing the level of satisfaction of the customers. 

Budget: It is the major and essential part which is used by the company while making marketing plans and programs. It makes reasonable budget according to the size and nature of the business. In this way, the company can make effective and unique plan to increase the sales and revenue of the firm (Gupta, 2013).  

Conclusion 

On the above discussion, it has been concluded that Unilever is one of the biggest leaders in food and beverage industry. Marketing plays a significant role to increase and enhance the revenue and profit of the company. The company cannot expand and explore its business without marketing. Along with this, the firm uses 7 Ps in the marketing planning process to attain the business goals and objectives. Further, the company uses marketing mix strategy to evaluate and monitor the progress of the firm.

A marketing plan is made by the company to achieve its long-term business objectives and goals within the organization. SWOT analysis is done by the company to evaluate and measure the plans and strategies of the competitors around the world. Marketing manager plays an integral and significant role while developing a marketing plan in Unilever. Marketing manager maintains coordination and cooperation with other functional departments to run the business smoothly and effectively within the organization. In this way, a marketing plan is implemented by the Unilever to increase the revenue and profit of the company. Although Unilever is using effective strategies still it should focus on the business level strategies and corporate level strategies to flourish and expand its business globally.

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