Unilever, is one of the world's largest consumer products companies. This company was formed in 1930 when the British soap-maker Lever Brothers merged with the Dutch company Margarine Unie. In 1978 Unilever, launched a premium priced product, positioned as the heart healthy margarine choice, called Becel Margarine.
Throughout Becel's first five years running they were only able to achieve 8.1% share of the market, and had a limited growth at only 1-25 per year. In 1991 Becel came up with a strategy that made them the market leader within a relative short time frame. The strategy that the brand manager at Unilever came up with was the developing of a communication strategy that revolved around the notion of "living a life that is young at heart." This meant that Becel was a margarine that was good for you heart, and allowed seniors to live an active, fit, outgoing life while enjoying a heart healthy diet.
By 1999 Becel had the leading market share but, unfortunately for Ross Hugessen, the brand manager at Unilever, other brands attracted by the success of Becel began producing products that focused on healthy living. Ross new that after New Years he was going to have to come up with a new strategy to follow up the old strategy implemented by his boss back in 1991. Other brands were growing fast and soon they were going to be stealing business from Becel.
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