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STUDY  OF    THE    BCG    MATRIX    FOR  HINDUSTAN  
UNILEVER  LIMITED.  
RAJALAXMI. RAJAMANICKAM 
MCOM (B&F) PART -1    
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                        EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
The BCG matrix is a chart developed by Bruce Henderson for Boston Consultancy 
Group  in  1968.  The  matrix  uses  market  growth  rate  and  market  share  as  the 
parameters for analyzing the portfolio of any organization.  
The project specifically demands the study of BCG matrix for Hindustan Unilever 
Limited  (HUL).  HUL  marked  the  initiation  of  marketing  branded  fast  moving 
consumer  goods  (FMCG).  In  1931,  Unilever  set  up  its  first  Indian  subsidiary, 
Hindustan  Vanaspati  Manufacturing  Company,  followed  by  Lever  Brothers  India 
Limited (1933) and United Traders Limited (1935). In November 1956, these three 
companies merged to form Hindustan Unilever Limited (then known as Hindustan 
Lever limited).  
Hindustan  Unilever  was  recently  rated  among  the  top  four  companies  globally  in 
the  list  of  Global  Top  Companies  for  Leaders  by  a  study  sponsored  by  Hewitt 
Associates, in partnership with Fortune magazine and the RBL Group.  
The company was ranked number one in the Asia-Pacific region and in India. HUL 
have an extremely wide market exposure with over 35 brands spanning across 20 
distinct  categories  such  as  soaps,  detergents,  shampoos,  skin  care,  toothpastes, 
deodorants, cosmetics, tea, coffee, packaged foods, ice cream, and water purifiers.  
HULs brands -- like Lifebuoy, Lux, Surf Excel, Rin, Wheel, Fair & Lovely, Suns 
ilk, Clinic, Close-up, Pepsodent, Lakme, Brooke Bond, Kissan, Knorr, Annapurna, 
Kwality-Walls - are household names across the country and span many categories 
-  soaps,  detergents,  personal  products,  tea,  coffee,  branded  staples,  ice  cream  and 
culinary products   
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                                   OBJECTIVES  
Every  research  is  bound  with  the  prerequisite  of  devising  certain  objectives 
that are going to shape up and guide the path of research. In respect of this project 
the following objectives are being laid down,  
1. To identify the product mix of HUL.  
2. To analyze the product portfolio of HUL with respect to BCG matrix.  
3.  To  highlight  and  recommend  effective  strategies  for  manoeuvring  within  the 
BCG matrix.   
The  project  will  try  to  cover  almost  all  the categories  and  label  the  entire 
product  range  into following characterized  quadrants of BCG matrix,              
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                         RESEARCH METHODOLOGY   
The  research  will  be  based  upon  the  secondary  sources  of  data  as  the  purview  of 
the  research  is  restricted  to  application  of  the  BCG  concept  onto  HUL  involves 
neither the discovery nor the evaluation of effectiveness.  
In order to achieve the first objective secondary sources of data will be referred i.e. 
books, internet, magazines, articles, websites, etc.  
To fulfill the last two objectives, the help of hard facts and statistical data will be 
taken, for such data collection various market surveys will be helpful. The data will 
be analyzed and valuable inputs will be given in form of suggested strategies.             
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                         CHAPTER 1: BCG MATRIX 
             BRIEF HISTORY OF BOSTON CONSULTANCY GROUP  
The Boston Consulting Group was started up in 1963 by Bruce Henderson. Boston 
Consulting Group was founded as the Management and Consulting Division of the 
Boston  Safe  Deposit and  Trust  Company  -  a  subsidiary  of  The  Boston  Company. 
In 1968, The Boston Company spanned off BCG as a separate subsidiary. In 1965 
Henderson  thought  that  to  survive,  much  less  grow,  in  a  competitive  landscape 
occupied  by  hundreds  of  larger  and  better-known  consulting  firms,  a  distinctive 
identity  was  needed,  and  pioneered  "Business  Strategy"  as  a  special  area  of 
expertise  for  BCG.  At  some  point  he  was  said  to  have  eclipsed  McKinsey  as  the 
top  recruiter  at  Harvard,  aggressively  wooing  its  best  students  with  high  salaries 
and the chance to make a difference in a cutting-edge firm In 1973 Bill Bain and 
others left BCG to form Bain & Company, and two years later Henderson arranged 
an  employee  stock  ownership  plan  (ESOP),  so  that  the  employees  could  take  the 
company  independent  from  The  Boston  Safe  Deposit  and  Trust  Company.  The 
buyout of all shares was completed in 1979.  
In  1998  BCG  created  The  Strategy  Institute.  Its  purpose  is  to  enrich  the  firm's 
strategic thinking by applying insights from a variety of academic disciplines to the 
strategic challenges facing both business and society. 
The  Boston  Consulting  Group  (BCG)  ranked  8th  overall  and  first  among  smaller 
companies  in  Fortune  Magazine's  2007  "100  Best  US  Companies  to  Work  For" 
survey,  based  on  strong  employee  development,  a  supportive  culture,  and 
progressive benefits.    
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                                      BCG GROWTH-SHARE MATRIX                      
The  model,  the  BCG  matrix  or  growth/share  matrix,  was  based  on  the  Boston 
Consulting Groups knowledge and work in the area of the experience curve and of 
the  product  life  cycle  and  how  they  relate  to  cash  generation  and  cash 
requirements.  
The  BCG  Growth-Share  Matrix  is  based  on  the  observation  that  a  company's 
business  units  can  be  classified  into  four  categories  based  on  combinations  of 
market growth and market share relative to the largest competitor, hence the name 
"growth-share".  Market  growth  serves  as  a  proxy  for  industry  attractiveness,  and 
relative market share serves as a proxy for competitive advantage. 
The  BCG  Growth-Share  Matrix  positions  the  various  SBUs/product  lines  on  the 
basis  of  Market  Growth  Rate  and  Market  Share  relative  to  the  most  important 
competitor as shown below. 
1.  Relative market share 
This indicates likely cash generation, because the higher the share the more 
cash  will  be  generated.  As  a  result  of  'economies  of  scale'  (a  basic 
assumption of the BCG Matrix), it is assumed that these earnings will grow 
faster the higher the share. The exact measure is the brand's share relative to 
its largest competitor. Thus, if the brand had a share of 20 percent, and the 
largest  competitor  had  the  same,  the  ratio  would  be  1:1.  If  the  largest 
competitor had a share of 60 per cent, however, the ratio would be 1:3. 
The reason for choosing relative market share, rather than just profits, is that 
it carries more information than just cash flows. It shows where the brand is 
positioned  against  its  main  competitors,  and  indicates  where  it  might  be  
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likely to go in the future. It can also show what type of marketing activities 
might be expected to be effective. 
2.  Market growth rate. 
The reason for this is often because the growth is being 'bought' by the high 
investment,  in  the  reasonable  expectation  that  a  high  market  share  will 
eventually turn into a sound investment in future profits. 
The theory behind the matrix assumes, therefore, that a higher growth rate is 
indicative  of  accompanying  demands  on  investment.  This  is  outside  the 
range  normally  considered  in  BCG  Matrix  work,  which  may  make 
application of this form of analysis unworkable in many markets. 
Where  it  can  be  applied,  however,  the  market  growth  rate  says  more  about 
the  brand  position  than  just  its  cash  flow.  It  is  a  good  indicator  of  that 
market's strength, of its future potential 
(Of  its  'maturity'  in  terms  of  the  market  life-cycle),  and  also  of  its 
attractiveness  to  future  competitors.  It  can  also  be  used  in  growth  analysis. 
The  Boston  Consulting  Group  developed  this  model  for  managing  a 
portfolio  of  different  business  units  (or  major  product  lines).  The  BCG 
growth-share  matrix  displays  the various  business  units  on  a  graph of  the 
market growth rate vs. market share relative to competitors:   
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Star - a business unit that has a large market share in a fast growing industry. Stars 
generate  large  amounts  of  cash  because  of  their  strong  relative  market  share,  but 
also consume large amounts of cash because of their high growth rate.  
Question  Mark  (or  Problem  Child)  -  a  business  unit  that  has  a  small  market 
share  in  a  high  growth  market.  Question  marks  are  growing  rapidly  and  thus 
consume large amounts of cash, but because they have low market shares they do 
not  generate  much  cash.  A  question  mark  (also  known  as  a  "problem  child")  has 
the  potential  to  gain  market  share  and  become  a  star,  and  eventually  a  cash  cow 
when  the  market  growth  slows.  Question  marks  must  be  analyzed  carefully  in  
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order to determine whether they are worth the investment required to grow market 
share.  
Cash  Cow  -  a  business  unit  that  has  a  large  market  share  in  a  mature,  slow 
growing industry. Cash cows provide the cash required to turn question marks into 
market leaders, to cover the administrative costs of the company, to fund research 
and  development,  to  service  the  corporate  debt,  and  to  pay  dividends  to 
shareholders.  Cash  cows  require  little  investment  and  generate  cash  that  can  be 
used to invest in other business units.   
Dog  -  a  business  unit  that  has  a  small  market  share  in  a  mature  industry.  A  dog 
may  not  require  substantial  cash  because  dogs  have  low  market  share  and  a  low 
growth rate.   
                                       Assumptions of BCG  
1.  This  matrix  assumes  that  a  larger  market  share  in  a  growth  market  leads  to 
profitability.  An  effort  to  obtain  a large market share  in  a slowly  growing  market 
requires too much cash.  
2. The higher the growth rate, the easier to gain market share.   
              Limitations / problems of the BCG Matrix  
1. The problems of getting data on the market share and market rate  
2. There is no clear definition of what constitutes a market.   
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3. A high market share need not necessarily lead to profitability all the time.  
4.  The  model  employs  only  two  dimensions  market  share  and  growth  rate.  This 
may tempt management to emphasis a particular product or divest prematurely.  
5. Low share businesses can be profitable too.  
6.  It  considers  the  product  or  SBU  only  in  relation  to  one  competitor:  the  market 
leader. It misses small competitors with fast growing market shares.                                 
                            Uses / Application of BCG Matrix   
 1. If a company is able to use the experience curve to its advantage, it should be 
able  to  manufacture  and  sell  new  products  at  a  price  low  enough  to  get  early 
market share leadership. Once it becomes a star, it is destined to be profitable.  
2.  BCG  model  is  helpful  to  management  in  evaluating  the  firm's  current  balance 
among stars, cash cow, problem child and dogs.  
3.  BCG  model  is  applicable  to  large  companies  that  seek  volume  and  experience 
effects.  
4. The model is simple and easy to understand.  
5.  It  provides  a  base  for  management  to  decide  upon  and  prepare  for  contingent 
future courses of action.     
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            CHAPTER 2: HINDUSTAN UNILEVERLIMITED  
                            History of Hindustan Unilever Limited   
Hindustan  Unilever  Limited  (HUL)  is  India's  largest  Fast  Moving  Consumer 
Goods Company; its journey began 75 years ago, in 1933, when the company was 
first incorporated. The company stirring the lives of two out of three Indians with 
over  20  distinct  categories  in  Home  &  Personal  Care  Products  and  Foods  & 
Beverages  and  also  one  of  the  country's  largest  exporters.  HUL's  brands  includes 
Lifebuoy,  Lux,  Surf  Excel,  Rin,  Wheel,  Fair  &  Lovely,  Pond's,  Sunsilk,  Clinic, 
Pepsodent,  Close-up,  Lakme,  Brooke  Bond,  Kissan,  Knorr-Annapurna,  Kwality 
Wall's - are household names across the country and span many categories - soaps, 
detergents,  personal products, tea,  coffee,  branded staples,  ice cream  and culinary 
products. They are manufactured in over 40 factories across India.  
In the late 19th and early 20th century Unilever used to export its products to India. 
This process began in 1888 with the export of Sunlight soap, which was followed 
by Lifebuoy in 1895 and other famous brands like Pears, Lux and Vim soon after.  
1.  In  1931,  HUL  set  up  its  first  Indian  subsidiary,  Hindustan  Vanaspati 
Manufacturing  Company,  followed  by  Lever  Brothers  India  Limited  in  the 
year 1933 and United Traders Limited in 1935.  
2.  In 1956, these three companies merged to form Hindustan Unilever Limited. 
HLL  offered  10%  of  its  equity  to  the  Indian  public,  and  it  was  the  first 
among the foreign subsidiaries to do so.   
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3.  In the  year  1958 the company  started  its Research  Unit  at  Mumbai  Factory 
namely The Hindustan Unilever Research Centre (HLRC).  
4.  .In the year 1962 the company's Formal Exports Department was started and 
HUL recognized by Government of India as Star Trading House in Exports 
in 1992.  
5.  A  turning  point  to  the  company  was  guaranteed  in  the  year  1993,  HUL's 
largest  competitor,  Tata  Oil  Mills  Company  (TOMCO),  merges  with  the 
company with effect from April 1, 1993, the biggest such in Indian industry 
till that time. Merger ultimately accomplished in December 1994.   
6.  HUL formed Nepal Lever Limited in 1994, HUL and US-based Kimberley-
Clark Corporation form 50:50 joint venture as Kimberley-Clark Lever Ltd to 
market  Huggies diapers  and  Kotex feminine  care  products.  Factory  was  set 
up at Pune in 1995.  
7.  HUL  acquired  Kwality  and  Milk  food  100%  brand  names  and  distribution 
assets accordingly HUL introduced Wall's.  
8. The company and Indian cosmetics major, Lakme Ltd came to joint ventures     
and  formed  Lakme  Lever  Ltd  and  HUL  recognized  as  Super  Star  Trading 
House in 1995.  
9. A group company, Pond's India Ltd was merged with HUL on January of the    
year 1998.   
10.  In  2001,  the  company  embarked  on  an  ambitious  programme,  Shakti.    
Through  Shakti,  HUL  is  creating  micro-enterprise  opportunities  for  rural 
women,  thereby  improving  their  livelihood  and  the  standard  of  living  in  rural 
communities.   
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11.  The  company's  spotlight  was  turned  on  to  Ayurvedic  health  &  beauty,  HUL 
entered  Ayurvedic  health  &  beauty  centre  category  with  the  Ayush  range  and 
Ayush Therapy Centres 2002.  
12.  During  the  year  2003  the  company  launched  Hindustan  Lever  Network,  a 
strong  initiative  by  the  company  worth  of  Rs.  1800  crore  for  Direct  Selling 
Channel.  
13.  In  line  with  company's  business  strategy  to  exit  non-core  business,  the 
Company  has  disposed  its  Mushroom  business,  which  formed  part  of  KICM 
(Madras) Ltd and its Seeds Business also in the year 2004.  
14.  As  of  December  2005,  Lever  India  Exports  Ltd,  Lipton  India  Exports  Ltd, 
Merry  weather  Food  Products  Ltd,  Toc  Disinfectants  Ltd  and  International 
Fisheries  Ltd  was  merged  with  the  company,  both  the  five  companies  are  wholly 
owned subsidiaries of the company and Vasishti Detergents Ltd (VDL) came in to 
fold  of  the  company  as  a  result  of  amalgamation  of  the  Tata  Oil  Mills  Company 
Ltd, VDL was merged with the company in February, 2006.  
15.  In  February  2007,  the  company  has  been  renamed  to  "Hindustan  Unilever 
Limited"  to  strike  the  optimum  balance  between  maintaining  the  heritage  of  the 
Company  and  the  future  benefits  and  synergies  of  global  alignment  with  the 
corporate name of "Unilever".  
16.  During  2008,  Unilever  announced  its  collaboration  with  the  Indian  Dental 
Association (IDA) in conjunction with World Dental Federation (FDI) through its 
Pepsodent,  leading  oral  care  brand  to  help  improve  the  oral  health  and  hygiene 
standards in India.     
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                            COMPANY VISION        
The  four  pillars  of  our  vision  set  out  the  long  term  direction  for  the  company          
where we want to go and how we are going to get there:  
1.  We work to create a better future every day  
2.  We  help  people  feel  good,  look  good  and  get  more  out  of  life  with  brands 
and services that are good for them and good for others.  
3.  We will inspire people to take small everyday actions that can  
4.  Add up to a big difference for the world.  
5.  We  will  develop  new  ways  of  doing  business  with  the  aim  of  doubling  the 
size of our company while reducing our environmental impact.                 
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 CHAPTER  3:  DATA  ANALYSIS  BCG  MATRIX  OF                                               
HUL   
MARKET GROWTH RATE ANALYIS:  
The table 4.1 clearly depicts the various FMCG sectors in which the industries are 
performing at a high rate, moderate rate and a low rate of growth. Since the entire 
FMCG sectors growth rate is calculated to be 13%, thus this 13% benchmark will 
be  used  to  distinguish  between  the  industries  (w.r.t.  HULs  products)  with  high 
growth rate and low growth rate. 
High Growth Rate Industries   Low Growth Rate Industries  
Deodorant  
Anti-Ageing Cream  
Tooth Paste  
Skin And Fairness Cream  
Mens Fairness Product  
Cleaners  
Dish Wash  
Detergent Powder  
Toilet Soaps  
Processed Food  
Packed Wheat Flour  
Tea Bags  
Washing Cakes  
Ice Creams  
Shampoos  
Toothpowder  
Liquid Soaps  
Shaving Products  
Jam & Jellies  
Moisturizing Creams  
Packed Branded Tea  
Coffee     
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RELATIVE MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS:  
The  table  4.2  provides  the  relative  market  value  of  HUL  products  in  comparison 
with the largest competitor for the individual products. The market leader position 
occur  when  the  relative  market  value  crosses  1.0  because  then  the  organizations 
market share in terms of sales is above that of its largest competitor. The bigger the 
value (>1.0) the higher market share that product has and is more preferably placed 
on the extreme of the BCG matrix. 
High Market Share   Low Market Share  
AXE Deodorant  
Fair & Lovely Fairness Cream  
Wheel  
Surf Excel  
Lifebuoy  
Lux  
Clinic Plus  
Sunsilk  
Vaseline  
Kissan Jam  
Vim  
Kwality Walls  
Lipton28  
Red Label  
Knor Soups29  
Close Up  
Pepsodent  
Fair & Lovely Menz Active  
Domex  
Rin  
Dove Shampoo  
Annapurna  
Taj Mahal Tea Bags  
Kissan Ketchup  
Bru  
Breeze  
Taaza  
Brooke Bond Sehatmand  
Knor Meal Maker Range    
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On the basis of above mentioned analysis, almost every product of HUL 
is  being  analysed  against  the  industry  to  which  it  belongs  and  then 
placed in one of the 4 quadrants of BCG matrix.                
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                  CHAPTER 4 : PRODUCT MIX OF HUL  
(OBJECTIVE I)  
The entire product range of HUL can be visualized in terms of the following of the 
following segments12:  
1. FOOD BRANDS  
2. HOME CARE BRANDS  
3. PERSONAL CARE BRANDS   
I. FOOD BRAND SEGMENT:   
HUL is one of Indias leading food companies. Its passion for understanding what 
people  want  and  need  from  their  food  -  and  what  they  love  about  it  -  makes  its 
brands a popular choice. The category that this segment tends to cover includes;  
1. TEA13: A. 3 ROSES: The 3 Roses tea of HUL is known for its perfect colour, 
strength  and  aroma  that  create  a  perfect  tea  moment.  Being  marketed  while 
keeping in mind the couples, it portrays itself as an essential drink with which they 
can spend time talking about the everyday issues that matter to them.  
Key facts  
1.  3  Roses  is  a  30  year  old  regional  brand  and  is  the  market  leader  in  Tamil 
Nadu.  
2.  It is one of the largest FMCG brands in Tamil Nadu across categories.  
It has a strong presence in both in home and out of home segments.   
B.  RED  LABEL:  Red  Label  is  for  the  housewife  who  seeks  to  bring  her  family 
together over a cup of great Red Label with its perfect strength taste and colour.   
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Key facts  
a)  Red Label is a 107 year old brand and has tremendous equity and heritage in 
the Indian market.  
b)  It is the second largest tea brand in the country.  
c)  The oldest and largest brand in the Brooke Bond portfolio in India  
d)  It has both leaf and dust variants, as well as a health and immunity variant  - 
Red Label Natural Care. Red has also launched a premium variant under the 
name Red Special.  
C.  TAAZA:  Brooke  Bond  Taaza  entered  the  lives  of  the  contemporary  Indian 
housewife  in  the  1990s.  And  over  the  years,  Taaza  has  found  a  place,  not  just  in 
her home but also in her heart. Taaza is a unique and refreshing blend of tea that's 
sprinkled  with  fresh  green  tea  leaves.  It's  her  daily  cup  of  joy  that  helps  her  to 
refresh and connect with her inner self and aspirations.  
Key facts  
a.  Taaza  is  a  20  year  old  brand  with  strong  presence  in  North,  West  and 
Eastern India.  
b.  It is the 3rd largest tea brand in the country with a portfolio spanning in both 
leaf and dust segments.  
c.  It has a strong presence in the out of home segment in South India.   
D. TAJ MAHAL:  Brooke Bond Taj Mahal- Indias best tea since 1966. For over 
four  decades,  Taj  Mahal  has  been  the  gold  standard  of  tea  in  India.  It  has  been  a 
pioneer  of  innovations  in  the  Indian  tea  market.  Taj  Mahal  was  the  first  to 
introduce  tea  bags  and  also  the  first  to  usher-in  new  formats  like  instant  tea  and 
dessert tea. Taj Mahal is special because it is made from the rarest and the best tea 
leaves.   
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Key facts   
a 
decade, exemplifying both discernment as well as the pursuit of excellence.     
E. LIPTON: Lipton Yellow Label is a premium, full-bodied tea, made out of the 
finest  teas,  perfect  for  the  healthy  Indian  .Lipton  Yellow  Label  has  a  unique 
blend that has  
22  high  levels  of  natural  Theanine,  which  along  with  other  goodness  of  tea  can 
help you, clear your mind. The range also contains, Lipton Clear Green tea, which 
combines  the  goodness  of  antioxidants  and  purifying  effect  of  water  to  help 
cleanse your body naturally.  
F.  Brooke  Bond  Sehatmand:  The  primary  reason  to  introduce  Brooke  Bond 
Sehatmand,  a  Vitamin  Fortified  Tea  was  to  allow  people  to  have  access  to  a 
healthier yet affordable product. Three Cups of BB Sehatmand guarantees delivery 
of  50  %  of  the  Recommended  Dietary  Allowance  (RDA)  of  added  B  Vitamins, 
required by a person.  
Key facts  
Tea brand enriched with Vitamins, The first tea of its kind to address vitamin 
intake gaps among the masses.  
Vitamins.    
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2. COFFEE:   
A.  BRU:  Bru  has  been  on  a  constant  Endeavour  to  bring  better  products  and 
formats  to  the  consumer  with  every  passing  year.  With  the launch  of  Cappuccino 
in 2007, Bru pioneered the launch of instant coffee premixes in India for the youth. 
Burs  specially  selected  and  freshly  roasted  coffee  beans  offer  a  great  cup  of 
aromatic coffee that makes those moments of genuine warmth and happiness even 
more special  
Key Facts  
1.  Number 1 Coffee brand in India  
2.  Unilever's only Coffee brand  
3.  Enjoys  a  rich  heritage,  came  into  existence  in  1962  under  the  brand  name 
Deluxe Green Label  
4.  Consistently  offering  better  and  newer  products  to  the  consumer  through 
improved packaging solutions and innovative product formats.  
KISSAN:  Kissan  is  being  projected  to  be  the  brand  which  will  help  dissolve 
tension  between  mother  and  the  family  during  informal  good  food  moments. 
Kissan acts as a catalyst, easing stressful moments at the dining table. With Kissan, 
good food is loved not shoved!  
Key facts  
1.  Kissan is in its 62nd year of its existence in India.  
2.  Category leaders in India   
II. HOME CARE BRAND SEGMENT:    
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1.  ACTIVE  WHEEL:  Indias  largest  detergent  brand,  Wheel,  aims  to  bring 
delight  back  into  the  lives  of  lacks  of  women  across  India,  by  giving  them  a 
magical wash experience of lemons and thousands of flowers.  
Key Facts  
a.  The largest selling detergent brand in India.  
b.  Used by over 1 in 2 households in India  
c.  Famous for using Bollywood stars as its Brand Ambassadors.   
2.  RIN:  It  plays  an  integral  part  in  enabling  us  to  look  good  by  providing 
demonstrably superior whites, giving us the confidence to realize our ambitions.  
Key Facts  
a.  Rin  was  launched  in  India  as  a  bar  in  1969  with  the  iconic  lightning 
mnemonic.  
b.  Rin powder was launched in 1994 as Rin Power White  
c.  Rin Matic for washing machines, launched in July 2008   
3.  SURF  EXCEL:  A  pioneer  in  the  Indian  detergent  powder  market,  Surf 
Excel has constantly upgraded itself over the years, to answer the constantly 
changing washing needs of the Indian homemaker.  
III. PERSONAL CARE BRAND SEGMENT:   
1. SOAP: The soap segment of HUL comprises of various brands catering to 
different customer base.    
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A. BREEZE:  Breeze  makes  use  of  a  new  revolutionary  global  technology  which 
enhances the impact of world class perfumes in a much larger way, apart from 
bringing out the goodness of glycerin.  
B.  LIRIL:  New  Liril  2000  makes  every  part  of  your  skin  come  alive  with 
freshness. Its combination of lime extracts and tea tree oil freshens and cleanses 
skin. Liril keeps skin germ-free and so beautiful that you cannot resist touching 
it.  
Key facts  
A. one of the oldest soap brands in India  
B.  A brand that has been consistent in bringing alive freshness  
C.  A  brand  that  has  managed  to  create  breakthrough  advertising  over  the 
years.  
C.LUX:  Lux stands for the promise of beauty and glamour as one of India's most 
trusted personal care brands.  
Key facts  
1.  The brand name Lux has been derived from Luxury  
2.  Since  Leela  Chitnis  in  1929,  Bollywood  beauties  throughout  ages  have 
appeared in Lux commercials. Till date nearly 50 Bollywood heroines have 
featured in Lux ads.  
3.  The  first  bar  of  Lux  was  made  in  India  and  sold  for  a  princely  sum  of  two 
annas in 1934.  
D. LIFEBUOY: It is an undisputed market leader for 112 years, has a compelling 
vision to make 5 billion people across the world, feel safe and secure by meeting 
their personal care hygiene & health needs  
Key facts   
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1.  Undisputed Leader in the soaps market of India, with 18.4% shares.  
2.  Turnover of 350 million a year globally,  200 million in India.  
3.  Recent  Awards:  Voted  in  the  top  10  most  trusted  brands  in  India  in  the 
Brand  Equity  Survey  (came  in  at  No.  9  in  2008  as  well)  Marketing 
excellence  awards  for  its  recent  innovations  and  activations:  Gold  at  the 
Envies  2008  for  best  use  of  media  innovation  .ASIA  Pacific  CSR  Award 
2007, for Lifebuoy Swarthy Chetna.  
E.  PEARS:  With  the  goodness  of  glycerine  &  natural  oils,  Pears  is  trusted 
for  being  gentle,  and  is  recommended  by  doctors  and  paediatricians 
worldwide. It keeps your skin soft and smiling with innocence. It is so pure 
that you can actually see through it!  
Key facts  
a.  Pears  were  first  made  in  1789  by  Andrew  Pears  in  London.  This  is  from 
where it derived its name!  
b.  The  most  famous  Pears  'face'  is  'Bubbles',  from  an  original  painting  by  Sir 
John Everett Millais in 1866. The painting later became to be the very first 
advertising on the brand!  
c.  Pears are the worlds first registered brand and it is in existence continuously 
since then.   
    2.  DOVE:  Since  1993,  Indian  women  have  relied  on  Dove  for  beautiful  skin.                          
Dove is known to be a keeper of promises and has given real products to women  
world  over.  To  help  you  enjoy  your  own  brand  of  beauty,  Dove  provides  a  wide 
range of personal care, hair care, skin care and deodorants  
 Key facts   
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in  1957;  is  one  of  the  leading  brands  of  Unilever 
globally.  
products from bar, lotions, body washes, face care and creams.   
Fastest growing hair category brand in India.  
3.  ORAL  CARE:  HUL  owns  two  major  brands  in  the  oral  care  segment  with 
toothpaste as its major product. These are;   
A.  PEPSODENT:  It  has  a  range  of  toothpastes  and  toothbrushes  that  could  take 
care of specific oral care needs. Pepsodent toothpaste fights germs to protect teeth 
against cavities and gives strong teeth, fresh breath and healthy gums.  
Key facts  
 by FDI (the largest dental association globally)     
Range  
Pepsodent Germ check+ Pepsodent Whitening Pepsodent 2in1  
Center Fresh Pepsodent Gum Care Pepsodent Sensitive Pepsodent Kids  
B. CLOSEUP: The brand has always had a youthful communication, one that has 
always  been  unique  and  fun;  using  music,  song  and  dance  to  get  its  message 
across. It is aimed at every person who is young at heart.    
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Key facts   
 launched in 1980  
-segment for almost 3 decades  
-day  stars  like  John  Abraham,  Deepika 
Padukone, Salman Khan, etc. are some of many who have been models of Closeup 
in the early days of their careers)   
Range  
Close up Red Lemon Mint Menthol Milk Calcium  
4.  HAIR  CARE:  The  hair  care  segment  constitutes  the  major  brands  known 
throughout the hair industry,   
A.  SUNSILK:  The Sunsilk hair  care range  provides  a  complete  hair  care solution 
and functions as a 3-step combination of cleansing, nourishing and manageability 
that gives a 20 something girl the confidence to express herself.   
Key facts                                 
washed and styled in one day. Soft & Smooth Thick & Long Damaged Repair  
Hair Fall Solution Stunning Black Shine Anti Dandruff    
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B. CLINIC PLUS: For most Indians, the first interaction with shampoos has been 
Clinic  Plus.  Over  time,  it  has  evolved  to  keep  in  step  with  the  changing  needs  of 
consumers by constantly renovating its offering to make sure it is the best solution 
for the eternal desire of having long hair for both mom and daughters   
Key facts    
Range  
Strong and Long Health Strong and Long Natural Strong and Long Anti Dandruff   
SKIN CARE: The skin care segment caters to the beauty of the women and men 
by providing products ranging from whiteness cream to anti marks.   
A . PONDS: Ponds has been listening to womens needs and desires for 150 years 
and this has enabled us to deliver new products customized to their needs. Ponds 
accompanies them on their journey to enchance the beauty of their  
 Range: Age Miracle Flawless white Perfect Whit Beauty.   
B.  FAIR & LOVELY: Its skin-lightening technology is known to be the best in 
the  world!  However,  this  hasnt  stopped  the  brand  from  innovating  further  to 
pioneer the development of cutting-edge fairness solutions.   
Key facts  
ds first fairness cream.   
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It contains no bleach or harmful ingredients. Instead, it provides visible fairness 
in a safe and reversible process.  
In 2003, it was rated as the Twelfth Most Trusted Brand in India by ACNielsen    
ORG-MARG.  
In 2004, it was identified as a Super Brand.                                   
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                                       CHART    BCG MATRIX OF HUL   
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                  CHAPTER NO 5:  RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES    
Though HUL has been implementing several strategies to outperform and boost up 
its  market  share.  Following  are  some  strategies  that  might  lead  to  generation  of 
cash cows:  
1. QUESTION MARKS:  
Taj Mahal Tea bags in order to capture the market share of Tetley Tea bags should 
also  come  up  with  its  own  range  of  Herbal  or  Green  Tea  bags.  (Product 
Development).  
Close Up being a leader in the gel based toothpaste segment should try to cut the 
monopolistic holding of Colgate in the market by:  
a) Coming up with innovative cream based toothpastes  
b) Entering into the toothpowder industry. Kissan Ketchup can boost up its market 
share to outcast Maggi by expanding its geographical base by going for wide scale 
product  distribution,  thereby  substituting  ketchups  name  with  Kissan  ketchup  in 
the minds of users. (Market Development).   
2. STARS:  
Having  Vim,  Wheel,  Lifebuoy  and  Lux  in  the  star  segment  and  that  too  in  an 
industry  with high  growth  rate,  HUL  should go for backward  integration  in order 
to secure the supply of raw material for all the soaps. (Backward Integration)   
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To  maintain  its  market  share  Lakme  Anti-Ageing  should  carry  on  excessive 
interactive  sessions with  high network  individuals.  Record those  sessions  and  use 
them  as  advertisements  to  get  their  product  indirectly  endorsed  by  them.  (Market 
Development)   
3. DOGS:  
 Brooke  Bond  Sehatmad  should  be  sold  off  because  the  customer  tastes  and 
nutritional requirements have changed from sipping vitamin B enriched tea to anti-
oxidants  enriched  tea.  With  the  evolution  of  green  tea,  the  demand  by  health 
conscious an individual is more of anti-oxidants rather vitamin b, as fruits provides 
an ample source of vitamins. (Liquidation)   
                                LIMITATIONS   
The  entire  project  is  based  upon  an  extensive  research  extending  from  the 
individual products market share data to that of the entire industry, but there is no 
such thing as perfection when it comes to research because perfection is just a state 
of  relative  comparison.  The  applicability  of  the  findings  of  project  suffers  from 
certain limitations, such as.  
The  dependence  is  entirely  on  the  market  surveys,  annual  financial  statements  of 
the company and economic news.  
There was an element of Time Constraint while carrying out the research, whereby 
not all the products of HUL would have been covered by the project.    
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                                  CONCLUSIONS  
  An  in-depth  analysis  of  the  entire  markets  data  has  been  done  and  the 
various SBUs and products of HUL have already been classified into  
  The four quadrants of BCG matrix. 
  Subsequent  to  their  allocation  into  one  of  the  four  quadrants  a  detailed 
parallelism will be drawn with. 
  The various strategies being discussed in the first chapter and will be quote 
conclusively.                 
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                                  BIBLIOGRAPHY   
        Websites:  
  http://www.hul.co.in  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth-share_matrix#Critical_evaluation  
  http://www.maxi-pedia.com/BCG+matrix+model  
  http://www.economictimes.com  
  http://www.economictimes.com  
  http://www.economictimes.com  
  http://www.maxi-pedia.com/BCG+matrix+model  
  http://www.economictimes.com   
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