This paper explains that, identifying the best approach to providing the consumers of South Africa with laundry detergents and fabric care products, which meet their unique needs, is a significantly more critical than for most of their Western counterparts. The reason given is because water supply and safety issues in South Africa remain a major health concern and government programs to address this issue have not yet been successful. The author points out that, although the
market for soaps continued to be dominated by Lever, Olivine and Colgate-Palmolive, the growing popularity of other toiletry lines created opportunities for large local firms, such as the Central African Pharmaceutical Suppliers (CAPS), and other smaller firms, such as Robins Remedies and Stobard & Wesley, and multinationals like Ponds and Boots. The paper outlines the
methodology for the proposed
study including (1) focus
groups about South African habits and practices to
understand consumer needs, behaviors and attitudes in the
detergent markets; (2) AC Nielsen share (volume and value) data of the South African detergent market in the past 5 years to determine market size, splits, trends and overall performance by key players; (3) Porter's 5 Forces model to analyze the industry sector; (4) a company analysis of Unilever using data from their annual reports in order to understand marketing spending, trends and overall investment strategies and (5) an evaluation of successful marketing campaigns and strategies in markets with similar market demographics by other leading detergent companies to understand winning formulas in other markets. Illustration, charts and tables. Table of Contents Introduction Importance and Rationale of Study Scope of Study Review of Related Literature Background and Overview South Africa Today Unilever Today Corporate Strategy at Unilever Shift from Mono Branding to House Branding Eliminate Furtive Branding Techniques in Favor of Corporate Branding Porter's Five Forces Analysis The Relative Strength of Buyers or Customers The Relative Strength of Suppliers Ease of Entry of New Competitors Availability of Substitutes Rivalry between Competing Firms Methodology Description of the Study Approach