Marketing Sunsilk: How Unilever Launched its Global Hair Care Brand in the US

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Case Details:

Case Code : MKTG204
Case Length : 17 Pages
Period : 2006-2008
Pub Date : 2009
Teaching Note :Not Available
Organization : Unilever
Industry : Consumer Packaged Goods
Countries : US

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This case study was compiled from published sources, and is intended to be used as a basis for class discussion. It is not intended to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a management situation. Nor is it a primary information source.

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Excerpts

Background Note

Unilever, an Anglo-Dutch company, was formed in 1930 as a result of a merger between British soap maker Lever Brothers and Dutch margarine producer Margarine Union. The merger was beneficial to both companies as palm oil was a major raw material for both margarine and soap and could be imported more efficiently in larger quantities...

Sunsilk - The Brand

Sunsilk was launched in 1954 in the UK. The brand included a range of shampoos, conditioners, and other styling products. By 1959, it had become a well known hair care brand and was available in 18 countries worldwide...

Sunsilk in The USA

Sunsilk was one of the leading shampoo brands in the world behind P&G's Pantene. In 2005, its sales were about US$ 1.3 billion. Until 2006, the only major market where Sunsilk was not sold was the US, though other Unilever shampoos such as Dove and Suave were available in the country...

Sunsilk Promotional Strategies

With the launch of the Sunsilk brand in the US, Unilever hoped to gain market share in the hair care segment. It adopted innovative strategies and developed new marketing campaigns to attract women to the brand and to gain popularity among the youth population, its target customers...

Outlook

Sunsilk's launch in the US was one of the biggest brand launches in Unilever's history, with the company investing heavily on it. Though Sunsilk was successfully launched in one of the biggest markets of the world, analysts felt it was uncertain whether the company would be able to sustain the brand's presence in the long run.

The Anglo-Dutch company was aggressively marketing the brand in the US, but it would incur losses if the product failed to deliver positive results...

Exhibits

Exhibit I: Unilever Brands in the US
Exhibit II: US Hair Care Market
Exhibit III: Sunsilk Product Line
Exhibit IV: Recognition for Sunsilk in US


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