NAME - Ekanath M. Mulki,
Post - Sales Executive, CSD channel(supplies to canteen stores department, ministry of defence)
Experience - Ex-Lakme LTD.(24 yrs),HUL (8yrs), total service 32 yrs. Lakme was taken over by HUL(then HLL) in the year 1999-2000.
1. About the company(history)
A: Anglo-Dutch multinational company, parent company UNILEVER.
2. About the PR activities (internal or external)and why is it internal or external??
Internal / External . Being a very big company it is not really easy to have just a internal or external system it depends on the firm and its need
3. Why was the name changed from HLL to HUL ?
A:Parent company wanted Unilever name to precede with the name of the country in each country viz. Unilever Nepal, Unilever Pakistan. As per this direction the company name should have been ‘Unilever India”. However, this did not work in India as the name ‘Hindustan’ was so embedded in the minds of the consumers that UNILEVER was incorporated in the middle of the name making it ‘Hindustan Unilever Limited’.
4. How does HUL position it self in consumer minds ?
Its no.1 in FMCG sector. Atleast 1 product from the portfolio of HUL is consumed each day in every household.(omnipresent)
5. Employee relations and work culture?
A: Highly professional in approach. Well trained work force. Touted as the training centre of Industries. Promotions are purely on ratings/gradations.
6. Employee engagement programs (motivational) ?
A: All have to go thru SOL e-courses(standard of leadership) specifically designed for the company personnel. Classroom training also given acc. To the job specifications.
7. Competitive strategies (to keep itself ahead as market leader) ?
A:having a firm foundation so the rivals are finding it NOT SO EASY to take the market share. Main competitor are: PnG, Colgate, Pamolive, Nestle{MNC}, Godrej, Dabur ITC{Indian}
8. Some light on the Shakti programme ?
A: Specifically designed to empower the rural women. Highly successful. Coz of it main contributor for growth is rural.(shakti is one of the initiative, for more website.)
9. Crisis management (product default and Filed suits ) ?
A: Complaints attended on priority at the highest level thru outsource(BPO). Login no.provided on every pack. Consumer complaints tackled on priority with whatever action required for consumer satisfaction.
10. Though a wide Variety of media is used, which is Preferred media or concentration on which is more and why? Also specify the recruitment process for PR department
A: Television media(highest spending) local excitements acc. to need eg. BRU in south India, skin products in north India.
11. Government support to the company ?
A: Govt. relies on HUL since its one of the contributors for national growth.
NAME - Mr.Gopinathan.
POST - Brand executive!(Mumbai)
1. About the company HUL (previously known as HLL) ?
A: · Unilever's mission is to add Vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene, and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life.
· Its an 75 years History of FMCG.
Over 100 years' link with India
In the summer of 1888, visitors to the Kolkata harbour noticed crates full of Sunlight soap bars, embossed with the words "Made in England by Lever Brothers". With it, began an era of marketing branded Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).
Soon after followed Lifebuoy in 1895 and other famous brands like Pears, Lux and Vim. Vanaspati was launched in 1918 and the famous Dalda brand came to the market in 1937.
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). These three companies merged to form HUL in November 1956; HUL offered 10% of its equity to the Indian public, being the first among the foreign subsidiaries to do so. Unilever now holds 52.10% equity in the company. The rest of the shareholding is distributed among about 360,675 individual shareholders and financial institutions.
The erstwhile Brooke Bond's presence in India dates back to 1900. By 1903, the company had launched Red Label tea in the country. In 1912, Brooke Bond & Co. India Limited was formed. Brooke Bond joined the Unilever fold in 1984 through an international acquisition. The erstwhile Lipton's links with India were forged in 1898. Unilever acquired Lipton in 1972, and in 1977 Lipton Tea (India) Limited was incorporated.
Pond's ( India) Limited had been present in India since 1947. It joined the Unilever fold through an international acquisition of Chesebrough Pond's USA in 1986.
Lakme Unilever Limited, to market Lakme's market-leading cosmetics and other appropriate products of both the companies. Subsequently in 1998, Lakme Limited sold its brands to HUL and divested its 50% stake in the joint venture to the company.
HUL formed a 50:50 joint venture with the US-based Kimberly Clark Corporation in 1994, Kimberly-Clark Lever Ltd, which markets Huggies Diapers and Kotex Sanitary Pads. HUL has also set up a subsidiary in Nepal, Unilever Nepal Limited (UNL), and its factory represents the largest manufacturing investment in the Himalayan kingdom. The UNL factory manufactures HUL's products like Soaps, Detergents and Personal Products both for the domestic market and exports to India.
3. About the PR activities
A: Every branch has its own activities,,,dey work accordingly
4. How does pr works with internal departmental, HUL being a big company ?
A: Strong R and D team, stringent measure, vigorous testing before launching, few testing with customers, its own expenditure...sales channel then can be rectified and controlled no instant problems.
5. Why was the name changed from HLL to HUL ?
A: Its is different n different countries...eg in srilanka it wil b cald co.uniliver srilanka...in india its hul....it was always uniliver...
Unilever Ltd its an UK based company which plan to develop their Indian operation from Multinational national company to Globalize company.
6. How dose HUL position it self in consumer minds ?
A: Unilever's mission is to add Vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene, and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life.
· The company is committed to making its products environmentally acceptable, on a scientifically established basis, while fulfilling consumers' requirements for excellent quality, performance and safety.
· We actively engage our consumers and customers, translating their needs and requirements into our products and services, thus creating consumer value wherever we position our products. This is at the very heart of our innovation process.
7. Employ relations and work culture?
A: Very systematic...every branch has its own map, full time work with R and D head, separate brand manager, they will decide, conduct interviews and surveys
8. Employee engagement programs (motivational) ?
A: Yes such programmes are carried out often to motivate the employees to come up with good ideas on improving the quality and fulfilling the desires of the people
9. Competitive strategies (to keep itself ahead as market leader) ?
A: Not much competition...communication line is open...consumer feed back promotions...how to tell them, awareness! make them try the new products.
Each brand has its own map,its nt planed in short span...they use swot analysis...and as the company .is 100 yrs old they already know the strengths...so theirs not much competition
10. Consumer relations and communication ?
A: Its a professional system based company. Very strong team which includes...marketing, finance , PR etc .. ther is a good leadership team...
11. Some light on the Shakti programme ?
A: SHAKTI - Changing Lives in Rural India
*Shakti is HUL's rural initiative, which targets small villages with population of less than 2000 people or less. It seeks to empower underprivileged rural women by providing income-generating opportunities, health and hygiene education through the Shakti Vani programme, and creating access to relevant information through the iShakti community portal.
*Shakti is a pioneering effort in creating livelihoods for rural women, organised in Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and improving living standards in rural India. Shakti provides critically needed additional income to these women and their families, by equipping and training them to become an extended arm of the company's operation.
*Started in 2001, Shakti has already been extended to about 80,000 villages in 15 states - Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar & Jharkhand. The respective state governments and several NGOs are actively involved in the initiative.
*Shakti already has about 25,000 women entrepreneurs in its fold. A typical Shakti entrepreneur earns a sustainable income of about Rs.700 -Rs.1,000 per month,
*HUL's vision for Shakti is to scale it up across the country, covering 100,000 villages and touching the lives of 100 million rural consumers by 2005.
12. Crisis management (product default and Filed suits ) ?(some light on the fair and lovely issue
A: ooty incident were the company .was blamed 4 spreading pollutant...and came under the chemical act...so the co. gave a statement on what is exactly happening...and all such perceptions are wrong and that the company .is not spreading pollutants
13. Though a wide Variety of media is used, which is Preferred media or
concentration on which is more and why?
A: TV
14. PR funds allotted by the company?
A: Depends...each branch has its own work plan ,,promotion accounted separately ,no specific budget, they have certain guidelines...they follow that
15. Do u relate the product to the celebrity?
A: Yes its really imp..as it make sa difference in da mindset of the ppl...
