popular
Prizes & Awards

2023 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in the Category 'Marketing'

2023 The Case Centre Best-selling Classic Case in the Category 'Marketing'

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 the Category 'Marketing'

2022 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in the Category 'Marketing'

2021The Case Centre Best-selling Case in the Category 'Marketing'

2021 The Case Centre Best-selling Classic Case in the Category 'Marketing'

2020 The Case Centre Best-selling Classic Case in the Category 'Marketing'

2020 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in the Category 'Marketing'

2019 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in the Category 'Marketing'

2018 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in the Category 'Marketing'

2017 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in the Category 'Marketing'

2016 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in 'Marketing'

2015 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in the Category 'Marketing'

2014 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in the Category 'Marketing'

2013 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in the Category 'Marketing'

2012 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in the Category 'Marketing'

2011 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in the Category 'Marketing'

2010 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in the Category 'Marketing'

2009 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in the Category 'Marketing'

2008 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in the Category 'Marketing'

Overall Winner of the 2008 Case Centre Awards

2007 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in the Category 'Marketing'

Winner of the Case Centre Awards and Competitions 2007 in the Category 'Marketing'

2006 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in the Category 'Marketing'

2005 The Case Centre Best-selling Case in the Category 'Marketing'

Winner of 2004 EFMD Award in the Category 'Marketing'

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
Loading please wait.
Loading please wait.