Question: Should Unilever Penetrate Southeast Asia Further?

Purpose: Unilever is featured in the opening chapter case as a firm that engages in excellent strategic planning. Unilever is the world's third-largest consumer goods company (behind Procter & Gamble and Nestlé). Some of Unilever's best selling brands are Aviance, Ben & Jerry's, Dove, Flora/Becel, Hellmann's, Knorr, Lipton, Lux/Radox, Omo/Surf, Sunsilk, Toni & Guy, VO5, Wall's, and PG Tips. The purpose of this exercise is to give you experience investigating a particular region of the world to determine whether a firm should expand more into that region of the world. Unilever has recently begun construction of a new factory in Yangon, Myanmar, and by 2015 expects to provide direct and indirect employment for over 2,000 people in Myanmar. The company currently employs close to 200 Myanmar employees at its factory in Thailand, of which a number are being moved back to Myanmar to help kick-start its operations in the country.

Instructions:

Step 1 Go to the Unilever website and download the company's most recent Annual Report. Examine the narrative and tables related to their operations in Southeast Asia.

Step 2 Research the competitive climate and business culture of Myanmar and two other countries in Southeast Asia as well as the operations of rival Nestlé.

Step 3 Develop six recommendations for Unilever based on your assessment of their present and potential operations in Southeast Asia.