Wednesday, September 24, 2008

SWOT - HUL

SWOT Analysis

Strengths
1. Strong and well differentiated brands with leading share positions
2. Distinctly placed products providing reach to every segment of society.
3. Consumer understanding and systems for building consumer insight
4. Integrated supply chain and well spread manufacturing units
5. Distribution structure with wide reach, high quality coverage – The launch of project “Shakti” has helped HUL to create brand awareness and extensive reach in rural India.
6. Access to Unilever global technology, capability and sharing of best practices from other Unilever companies.
7. Well placed to take advantage of growth in rural India and lower strata of the society through “Shakti”.
8. It could look at introducing products from its parent company like margarine in order to cater to changing consumer tastes and opportunities in food sector.
9. It can be a leader in exports by positioning itself as a sourcing hub for Unilever companies in various countries.

Weaknesses
1. Price positioning in some categories allows for low price competition like Amul captured Kwality’s market.
2. Limited success in changing eating habits of people.
3. Competitors focusing on a particular product and eating up HUL’s share, like Nirma focusing on soaps and detergents.

Opportunities
1. Growing consumer base due to increasing income levels and new consumers from lower strata of the society
2. Untapped market in branded Ayurvedic medicines and other such consumer products.
3. Opportunity in Food sector: changing consumer tastes
4. Expansion of horizons towards more and more countries

Threats
1. Unfavourable raw material prices due to inflation, reducing profitability.
2. Heavy onslaught of competition in the core categories from emerging players like ITC will result in higher advertising expenditure
3. Spurious/counterfeit products in rural areas and small towns.
4. Reduction in real income of consumers due to high inflation.

No comments: