HUL is India's largest FMCG company that owns many leading brands in home and personal care, beauty, and foods and refreshments. It dominates various product categories with market shares over 50%. HUL positions its brands differently based on target segments - Fair & Lovely targets fairness, Dove promotes natural beauty. Pepsodent is for families while Close-Up builds confidence in youth. HUL faces competition but has strengths in its brand portfolio, distribution network, and social responsibility programs. Opportunities exist in India's growing population and changing lifestyles.

1. A Case Study on HUL’s
Target and Positioning
The journey from „L‟ to „U‟

2. Introduction
India's largest Fast Moving Consumer Goods
company
HLL formed in November 1956;
2007:- HLL to HUL
Unilever owns a majority stake (52%) in
Hindustan Unilever Limited.
One of the country's largest exporters
The mission – “add vitality to life.”

3. The Vision
To earn the love and respect of India, by
making a real difference to every Indian.

4. HUL Domination Over All
Categories
Source: AC Nielsen – 2008 Value Shares.

5. Understanding the „U‟

6. Icons
(HAND & FLOWER): Hand is a (HAIR): A symbol of beauty and
symbol of sensitivity, and care . looking good..
Flower represents fragrance.
(SPARKLE): Clean, healthy and
sparkling with energy.

7. Product Line Segmentation
and Positioning

8. Product Mix

9. Home and Personal Care
Product Line

10. Personal Wash – Product Portfolio
Product Line – Depth

11. Personal Wash
In this segment HUL had several leading brands
in various price segments

12. HUL‟s Soap Marketshare
57% 55% 55%
52%
10% 9% 9%
8% 8%
5%
Source: Company Website.

13. Segmentation – Personal Wash

14. Positioning
Lifebuoy:
Positioned as a family soap;
Synonymous with health and hygiene
Lux:
Positioned as a film stars choice
Product extensions – Fragrance and ingredients
Variants like moisturizer, sunscreen & cleanser
Reach their target market through
Advertisement
Price Range: brands positioned at different price points
Packaging

15. Product Portfolio – Laundry &
Cleansers

16. Segmentation: Laundry &
Cleansers

17. Positioning
Detergent Segment
Surf excel:
A premium version of surf
“Daag Ache hai”
Surf:
Positioned as value for money
“Surf ki Kharidari me hi Samajdhari”
Wheel:
Low priced detergent. Introduced to compete with
Nirma. - “Mehnat se azaadi”

18. Sunlight
A Heritage brand
In the form of detergent cake.
Value added brand i.e. priced over Wheel
but below Rin.
Famous in WB & Kerala.

19. Positioning
Dishwasher Segment
Vim Liquid
Vim Powder
Vim Bar
Surface Cleaner: Not much success initially
Vigor – launched in 1993 – withdrawn in a year
Domestos – also bombed in the market
Domex – Launched in 1997 – became the market leader.
Competitor:
Lizol at Rs.38/500ml ; Domex : Rs.32/500ml

20. Product Portfolio – Cosmetics,
Deo‟s, Skin Care

21. Products
Fair and Lovely
Fairness cream launched in 1970‟s
Indian Women place a premium on Fairness. Emerged as
a market leader.
Ponds
Taken over by HUL in 1995
Product line extension From Talc and Face wash to
various skin care products
Lakme
Taken over by HUL in 1998
Leading Player in Colour Cosmetic Market

22. Lakme
Named after the French opera Lakmé
Lakme started in 1952 as a 100% subsidiary of Tata Oil
Mills
In 1998 Tata sold off their stakes in Lakmé Lever to HLL
It offered a range of cosmetics with nail polishes &
lipsticks from the early 80‟s
It has introduced a range of skincare products from
1987.
Competitors
Revlon, Maybelline, L‟Oreal

23. Ponds
Theron T. Pond, a pharmacist from New York,
introduced 'Pond's in 1846
In 1886 it was relaunched as Pond's Extract and
in 1914 Pond's Cold Cream
In 1955 Pond's Extract Company merged with
Chesebrough Manufacturing and in 1987
Unilever purchased Chesebrough-Pond's
Competitors
Nivea

24. Hair Care

25. Segmentation

26. Positioning
HUL is the market leader in the hair wash category with
65% market share.
Dove:
Targeted towards the upper and upper middle class;
Uses the concept of natural beauty
Ads use common women and their „real stories‟
Sunsilk:
Positioned as the hair expert
Identified different hair needs
Ads targeted young girls (gang of girls), used style icon
Priyanka Chopra

27. Positioning
Clinic plus:
Targeted towards the family.
Packaging shows family with healthy hair
Ads use kids as influencers „n use the mother-daughter
bond
Clinic all clear:
Targeted towards the youth.
Positioned as an anti- dandruff shampoo
Endorsed by celebrities (earlier men and now women)

28. Oral Care

29. Competitors of HUL in Oral Care
Pepsodent Colgate
Close Up Meswak
Dabur Red
Anchor

30. Toothpaste Market Share
48%
46% 47%
32%
30% 30%
7% 7% 8%
2%
Source: Company Website.

31. Positioning
Pepsodent:
Targeted towards the entire family.
USP- anti-bacterial agent triclosan
Ads used children as influencers
Prices less than Colgate (50,100,200 gms)
Close-up:
Targeted towards the youth.
Positioned as a product for mouth freshness.
Common theme in all ads was confidence.

32. Foods

33. Positioning
Kissan Fruit Kick Spreads:
Targeted at people above 15
USP- no added preservatives, low on calories
Kissan Jams:
Targeted at kids
The „jammy‟ ad campaign with Rahul Dravid
was very popular with children.

34. Positioning
Kissan Annapurna Salt:
Kissan Annapurna Atta:
Targeted at urban consumers preferring low fatty
foods
USP- „Extra Fibre‟
Knorr Soups:
Quick Meals
Targeted at urban consumers

35. Positioning
Cornetto:
Targeted at young adults and older
people.
Feast:
Targeted at teenagers
Max:
Targeted at children

36. Beverages

37. Segmentation

38. Positioning
Brooke Bond and Lipton – two main
umbrella brands
Brooke Bond:
Stood for refreshment and aroma
Lipton:
Stood for youth and vitality

39. Focus and Priorities
Ensure competitiveness across the portfolio,
particularly at the mass end
Continue to invest in emerging categories and
segments
Strengthen/ build Processed Foods, Water and
Premium Personal Care
Drive focus and speed alongside leveraging scale
Significantly strengthen Go-to-Market capability
Continued focus on Costs & Cash

40. SWOT Analysis
Strengths:
Strong brand portfolio, price quantity & variety.
Innovative Aspects.
Strong distribution networks in both urban and
rural areas.
Solid Base of the company.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

41. SWOT Analysis
Weaknesses:
Strong Competitors & availability of
substitute products.
Price positioning in some categories
allows for low price competition like Amul
captured Kwality‟s market.
High Advertising Costs.

42. SWOT Analysis
Opportunities:
Large domestic market – over a billion
populations
Untapped rural market.
Changing Lifestyles & Rising income levels, i.e.
increasing per capita income of consumers.

43. SWOT Analysis
Threats:
Unfavourable raw material prices due to
inflation, reducing profitability.
Competitors focusing on a particular
product and eating up HUL‟s share.