HOLISTIC AND SUSTAINABLE MARKETING:


The products of the Company aim to
make a difference in the lives of the
consumers. Products and
innovations are designed in a way that they become relevant to the consumers and have minimum impact on the environment. Societal good, environmental impact and
economic value are integral to the
development process of our products.
Hindustan Unilever Ltd. are central to the strategy and the Unilever
Sustainable Living Plan. The brands of the company help to complete the linkages between driving profitable growth while making a
difference in the lives of people.

SUSTAINABLE SOURCING: Under the Unilever Sustainable Living  Plan, your Company has committed to source 100% of agricultural raw materials sustainable by 2020. Details are listed in the section on Sustainable Sourcing under Principle 2.

 

Hindustan Unilever Ltd. has till date organised various programs and laid down different programs and pays great attention on the sustainable development of the society working under a  holistic approach.

In an uncertain and volatile world, one cannot achieve a vision to double the size without reducing our environmental footprint and increasing our positive social impact. Launched in 2010, the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan is our blueprint for sustainable growth.

The Plan is helping to drive profitable growth for our brands, save costs and fuel innovation.

Plan sets out three big goals:

Underpinning these goals are nine commitments supported by targets spanning our social, environmental and economic performance.
IMPROVING HEALTH & WELL-BEING : By 2020 we will help more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being. We have helped 303 million people take action to improve their health and well-being.

The market for sunscreens is constantly evolving, requiring further research to ensure the maintenance of adequate skin cancer and sunburn prevention. The study of changes in sunscreen patterns, however, requires an epidemiological approach, as community structure and regional differences noticeably alter the supply side of the sunscreen market. With this information, preventative education and initiatives can be tailored to individual community needs.

ANALYZING CONSUMER AND BUSINESS MARKET:

Lakme  brand of a sunscreen contacts its customers through business to the business and consumers. Starting from the basic of how the markets can be analyzed: 

Both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) are becoming increasingly prevalent. Sunburn also accounts for a significant amount of lost work hours, resulting in an estimated economic impact for lost work and treatment in excess of $10 million . Preventive measures against skin cancers and sunburn include sun avoidance during the peak hours, wearing protective clothing, and using sunscreen.
The cost of sunscreen, especially in the setting of daily use, can be expensive and unmanageable for certain patients who require daily protection 
Sunscreen use habits can vary by region, education level, socioeconomic status (SES), racial/ethnic background, and age. 

Lakme as a brand for its sunscreen pays a good amount of attention, though lakme is brand particularly for a niche segment and its loyal customers. But also Lakme is focusing on its sunscreen and making more people particularly the girls and women know about its innovations be it through advertisements on television or any other medium.

India is a place with different climates and geographical conditions, also Australia on other hand posses other different climatic conditions therefore lakme produces different sunscreens considering climates as one options. 
Also lakme sunscreen considers various skin types and then operates by providing particular type of sunscreens in particular places.

Although the use of sunscreen for skin cancer prevention has been a topic heavily discussed in the media, there is little attention paid to the market availability of sunscreen and its possible effect on sunscreen usage. I believe that Lakme will continue to grow the same way its growing.
                  

When we analyse the business market for the product Lakme, it is seen that Lakme follows a B2B2C (Business to Business to Consumers) marketing system. There are wholesalers and retailers involved in the distribution process before a sunscreen reaches to the final consumer.

 SEGMENTATION,  TARGETING AND POSITIONING :



Market segmentation   

Market segmentation involves grouping your various customers into segments that have common needs or will respond similarly to a marketing action. females  Each segment will respond to a different marketing mix strategy, with each offering alternate growth and profit opportunities.

Target markets are groups of individuals that are separated by distinguishable and noticeable aspects. and Lakme sunscreen focuses on targeting a particular segment of girls and women. 

Some different ways you can segment your market include the following;

• Demographics which focuses on the characteristics of the customer. For example age, gender, income bracket, education, job and cultural background. The lakme sunscreen lays emphasis on its market which basically includes girls and women aged between 15 years of age to 45 years of age.

• Psychographics which refers to the customer group's lifestyle. For example, their social class, lifestyle, personality, opinions, and attitudes of the females.

• Behaviour which is based on customer behaviour. For example, online shoppers, shopping centre customers, brand preference and prior purchases.

• Geographical location such as continent, country, state, city that the customer group resides.
  

Targeting

After segmenting the market based on the different groups and classes, you will need to choose your targets. No one strategy will suit all consumer groups, so being able to develop specific strategies for your target markets is very important.

There are three general strategies for selecting your target markets:

• Undifferentiated Targeting: This approach views the market as one group with no individual segments, therefore using a single marketing strategy. 

• Concentrated Targeting: This approach focuses on selecting a particular market niche on which marketing efforts are targeted. 

• Multi-Segment Targeting: This approach is used if you need to focus on two or more well defined market segments 

Prior to selecting a particular targeting strategy, you should perform a cost benefit analysis between all available strategies and determine which will suit your situation best.

Positioning

Positioning is developing a product and brand image in the minds of consumers. It can also include improving a customer's perception about the experience they will have if they choose to purchase your product or service.
Lakme positions its product in the minds of girls and women and has build an image for its brand and doing well in the market.

SALES MANAGEMENT:

1. "The planning, direction, and control of personal selling, including recruiting, selecting, equipping, assigning, routing, supervising, paying and motivating as these tasks apply to personal sales force."
   - The American Marketing Association defines Sales Management
2. 
   Sales force is appointed as to control or manage the total sales of the firm. And the same procedure is followed by the Lakme sunscreen.
3. Sales Force Objectives: A Sales Force of the particular sunscreen(i.e. lakme sunscreen) will have one or more of the following tasks:

• Information gathering - market research
• Targeting - allocation of time between prospects and customers
• Communicating - info about company and products
• Selling - Approach, presentation, answering objections, closing sales
• Servicing - consulting, technical, financing, etc

1. 
   Sales Force Structure
   

   
   • Territorial - each representative gets own piece of land to work equally divided by workload or potential, result is no customer confusion as to who the rep is
   • Product - generates specific product knowledge
   • Market - industry or customer type delineation                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

   
   

   Managing the Sales Force

   Recruiting and Selecting Reps
   

   1. Determine what you want your sales people to be like
   2. Recruitment
   3. Select the best applicants
   4. Train the new reps - vital to protect company image as well as get orders - Program should have the goals of having reps:
   • know and identify with the company - what has the company done
   • know the company's products
   • know the customers, and competition characteristics
   • know how to make an effective presentation
   • understand field procedures and responsibilities - dividing time between active accounts and prospecting etc.                                                                                                            
     
                 

   Supervising the Sales Force: Training or supervising the employees plays a great role in an organisation.                                              
2. Motivating Sales Reps - often not too difficult as sellers are usually self motivated. Supervisors must work through expectancy theory: 1) Hard work will get sales -2) Sales will get you a reward, and 3) you will like the reward. All three are linked.
3. Sales Quotas - three schools: High quotas to spur effort, Modest - to achieve buy-in, Variable - to account for differences between sales people.
   
   Supplemental Motivators - sales meetings and contests provide social occasion to meet, share ideas and accomplishments, or get extra effort from the force.
   

   1. Lakme sunscreen involves Personal selling as a promotional method in which one party (e.g., salesperson) uses skills and techniques for building personal relationships with another party (e.g., those involved in a purchase decision) that results in both parties obtaining value.
4. 
   
   Lakme does all these functions or basically goes through this procedure and manages its growth and failures for its product sunscreen.

BRANDING OF LAKME:

The process involved in creating a unique name and image for a product in 

the consumers' mind, mainly through advertising campaigns with 

a consistent theme. Branding aims to establish a significant and differentiated 

presence in the market that attracts and retains loyal customers.

Lakme is an ally to the Indian Woman and inspires her to express her unique beauty and sensuality. Thus, enabling her to realize the potency of her beauty.
Lakme is a brand for a niche segment which focuses on retaining its loyal 

customers and attracting the new customers. 

Contemporary Indian beauty expert Lakmé continuously innovates to offer a wide range of high performance and world class color cosmetics, skincare products, and beauty salons. Combining international cosmetic technology with an in-depth understanding of the Indian woman’s needs.



As we all know brands perform various functions for firms starting from 
simplifying product handling to providing legal protection to the product.
it creates a barrier to entry that make it difficult for other firms to enter in the market.
Lakme sunscreen underwent several changes since its inception in 1973. One of the significant changes happened with the relaunch of the brand with the new formulations, size, shape, packaging etc to make the brand contemporary. With the product formulation, packaging and other brand elements have been changed to keep pace with changing consumer perceptions and preferences, the brand continues to maintain its core value proposition of skin care.


Brand Equity:

Brand equity is the added value endowed on the product and services. It may reflect the way consumer feel and act with respect to the brand as well as in the prices, market share and profitability the brand commands.  
There are four key components or pillars of brand equity:

• Energized differentiation: Lakme as a brand differentiates with other brands because of its pricing, packaging,delivering and trust.
• Relevance: consumers relates themselves to lakme as a brand. 
• Esteem: quality and the loyalty of lakme sunscreen 
• Knowledge : consumers of lakme sunscreen have complete awareness if they are experienced consumers. Lakme sunscreen focuses on providing an intimate understanding of the brand lakme!

Lakme as a brand goes through a lot of market research on the target segment of the product so as to create a larger impact in the market.


SOME KEY FACTS:

• Lakme was the country's first cosmetic brand to introduce make up to Indian women and takes pride in being the expert on Indian Beauty for over 50 years
• It is a complete beauty brand spanning colour cosmetics & skin care and extending to beauty services through the network of Lakme Beauty Salons.
• Its bond with beauty and fashion is manifested through the Lakme Fashion Week, which is now the largest fashion event of its kind in the country.

PROMOTION OF THE LAKME SUNSCREEN:

Promotion of a product is a means by which firms attempt to inform, persuade, and remind consumers directly or indirectly about the product and brand they sell.

Marketing communication mix involves eight major modes of communication through which promotion of the product can be done. For lakme sunscreen the modes are as follows:

1. Advertising- Promotion of lakme sunscreen includes print and broadcast ads, packaging-outer, cinema, and posters. Advertisements portraying various actors which attracts the attention of the consumer market segment.  
2. Sales promotion- This includes contests, gifts on a purchase, coupons, rebates and discounts, sampling and demonstrations.
3. Events and experiences- Entertainment which involves fashion shows and other events under lakme fashion week etc to promote the product.
4. Public Relations and Publicity- Programs organised to promote or protect a company's image.
5. Direct Marketing - TV shopping , E-mails, websites play an important part here.
6. Interactive Marketing- Internet as a medium company has its own website to advertise its products. Website:http://www.lakmeindia.com.
7. Word-of-mouth marketing- From person-to-person, chat rooms and blogs, the product is promoted. The girls and women, if they like the product they spread or build an image in front of their friends and family members.
8. Personal Selling- Samples and face to face interaction with the purchaser for asking questions and procuring orders is a part of promotion.

Good way to promote and market skin care products would be the internet, promotional fliers, newspaper ads and home shopping parties, but your best advertising will be by way of word-of-mouth referrals.To jump-start the business, offer free skin care analysis to customers along with free samples of the natural skin care products that you sell.

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) came up with various innovative ideas for the promotion of lakme sunscreen in the market. It started with a multi-media campaign, which included print, television, outdoor, and online media. With the tagline — Lakme Sunscreen Lotion: Your umbrella for beautiful skin and then sun safe hamesha  — the campaign highlights the value additions that protect the skin from the sun. 

The online campaign was the result of teamwork with agency etc.

COMMUNICATION PROCESS:

The communications process consists of nine elements: sender, receiver, message, encoding, decoding, response, feedback, and noise.

To get the messages through, marketeers must encode their messages in a way that takes into account how the target audience usually decodes messages.

STEPS IN DEVELOPMENT EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS:

Identifying target audience, determining objectives, design communication, select channels, establish budget, decide on media mix, measure results and manage integrated marketing communications. 

PACKAGING:

Packaging is the technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of design, evaluation, and production of packages.
Private label brand is a brand that retailers and wholesalers develop.

Lakme sunscreen comes in various shapes and sizes keeping in mind the consumers likes and portability of the product. Also packaging is done in such a way which grabs the attention of the consumer mentioning all the necessary details of the product on the container.
There are sufficient number of sunscreens packed in the same color packs but the consumer is able to recognize its lakme sunscreen. And I think this is something what Lakme as a brand has achieved.