CIM Market Information and Research:

1. – Rationale

Unilever plc is a major global player in fast moving consumer goods supplying branded food and home and personal care products. Their brands include well known food brands such as Knorr, Walls and cleaning brands such as Persil, Lenor and Domestos and personal care brands such as Dove. Unilever manages its products and brands under categories i.e. Savoury Dressing and Spreads; Ice Cream and Beverages; Personal care; and Home care. Current turn over around €5 Billion annually with almost 40% of profits spent on the welfare and the health benefit of developing new ice cream. Unilever manages most of their products in a variety of markets, varying from health food market to tea market. They are known to be one of the world’s leading fast moving consumer goods companies offering products to over 150 countries. The organisation operates in Europe, America, Asia and Africa but is headquartered in London. Facts and figures obtained from (Reviewing Unilever, Geoffrey Jones) shows that there are around 174,000 employee’s working in the UK under the Unilever Company. With consumers using Unilever products 150 million times per day, they show it is a multinational organisation.

Currently the Ice Cream market is worth near to around £1.25 billion. Research shows that this figure has increased from 2002 by almost 8%. With the market peaking in 2006 due to a long hot summer almost at £1.34 billion, the market is very seasonal in sales. This is further proven in 2007 a less successful year, down by 7% with direct effect of a short summer. It clearly shows that there is a trend/correlation between the weather and sales of ice cream. A large primary objective for the ice cream market is to create products and occasions which will primarily be implemented outside the summer months and try to segment away from being a