Research Paper on:
AN ANALYSIS OF UNILEVER

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one of the largest producers of packaged consumer goods (Hoovers Business Profiles, 2003). Unilever foods, which account for more than half the companys sales, have well-known brands ranging from Hellmans  mayonnaise to Bestfoods -and local food as well (Hoovers Business Profiles, 2003). On the other side is Unilevers line of home and personal care products such as deodorants (Degree); hair  care products (Suave); fragrances (Very Valentino) and skin care products (Lever 2000) (Hoovers Business Profiles, 2003). Other familiar goods it manufactures include  Q-Tips, Vaseline, Pepsodent toothpaste and Wisk laundry detergent. Initially launched during the 19th century as a package goods company, Unilever today is a multi-billion dollar, multi-national company that is in  the middle of restructuring. Strengths. One of the main strengths of this company is longevity. As mentioned above, the company was  launched during the late 1800s and has weathered a variety of financial cycles and market fluctuations. Another major strength for the  company has been company CEO Niall FitzGerald. FitzGerald is working hard to try to restructure the company to fit into the 21st century and to meet competition (Mullin, 2001). During  2000 he made some strong deals such as purchasing Ben & Jerrys, Slim-Fast Foods and Best Foods (Mullin, 2001). The deals that FitzGerald made complemented the products the company already  manufactured - for example, the purchase of Hellmanns nicely complemented the companys Knorr soup and sauces, which are popular in Europe and also well-received in the United States (Mullin, 2001).  Weakness. Like many companies that have been around for awhile, Unilever is a company that has become set in its ways