popular
Prizes & Awards

This case is amongst the top 50 most popular cases in the 50 years history of The Case Centre – 1973-2023

2022 The Case Centre Best-selling Classic Case in Marketing

2022 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in Marketing

2021 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in Marketing

2021 The Case Centre Best-selling Classic Case in Marketing

2020 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in Marketing

2020 The Case Centre Best-selling Classic Case in Marketing

2019 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in Marketing

2018 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in Marketing

2017 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in Marketing

2016 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in Marketing

2015 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in Marketing

2014 The Case Centre Best Selling Case in Marketing

2013 The Case Centre Best Selling Case in Marketing

2012 ecch Best Selling Case in Marketing

2011 ecch Best Selling Case in Marketing

2010 ecch Best Selling Case in Marketing

2009 ecch Best Selling Case in Marketing

2008 ecch Best Selling Case in Marketing

Overall Winner 2008, ecch

2007 ecch Best-selling Case in Marketing

Winner of 2007 ecch Case Awards, Marketing Category

2006 ecch Best-selling Case in Marketing

2005 ecch Best-selling Case in Marketing

Winner of 2004 EFMD Award, Marketing Category

Summary

Unilever is a solid leader in the Brazilian detergent powder market with an 81% market share. Laercio Cardoso must decide (1) whether Unilever should divert money from its premium brands to target the lower-margin segment of low-income consumers, (2) whether Unilever can reposition or extend one of its existing brands to avoid launching a new brand, and (3) what price, product, promotion, and distribution strategy would allow Unilever to deliver value to low-income consumers without cannibalizing its own premium brands too heavily.

Teaching objectives

This case deals with the question of whether marketing and branding create value for really poor consumers. It can therefore be used in an MBA, executive education or undergraduate core course on marketing management to illustrate the value of marketing and the marketing approach, or in a brand management course to explore the frontiers of branding. This case can also be used in a consumer behaviour course to examine the motivations and decision-making process of low-income consumers. Alternatively, it can be used in a global marketing or global strategy and management course to study the way multinational companies adapt their strategy to compete in emerging countries.

Keywords
  • Media support
  • Branding
  • Low-income consumers
  • Marketing
  • Poverty
  • New product introduction
  • Break-even analysis
  • Advertising
  • Pricing
  • Poor
  • Distribution
  • Promotion
  • Product
  • Powder
  • Detergent
  • Guimaraes
  • Brazil
  • Unilever
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