Business Communication Final Report, Section A, M. Abu Hurairah, Mahin Mazhar, Haiqa Khan, M. Umer

Communication Methodologies of Unilever

Haiqa Khan
M. Abu Hurairah
Mahin Mazhar
M. Umer
Lahore School of Economics
Business Communication SSC 311
Ms. Rumessa Abid Naqvi
December 5th, 2021
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Executive Summary
The HR department contacts candidates by the following four methods: seminars at
targeted universities, LinkedIn job posts, headhunting, and calling or emailing internally
referenced candidates. The department further uses assessment techniques like on campus
tests and group activities as well as behavioral, screening, functional, panel, online recorded,
and experiential interviews. The stakeholder group with which Unilever’s marketing
department deals with are customers. It uses both traditional and interactive channels for the
advertisements. For Feedback, the department has systems for contacting mentioned on their
website, and social media pages. The Supply Chain department uses SAP, which facilitates
the planning, monitoring, and execution of an organization's supply chain activities. Unilever
keeps excellent connections both inside and outside the company wherein corporate affairs
plays a key role. Government relations, corporate communication, and brand positioning are
all intertwined. According to our findings, Unilever Pakistan's communication with its
internal and external stakeholders, pertaining to its different departments, is quite effective.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank our instructor, Ms. Naqvi, for guiding us through this course,
even when she went through one of the toughest phases of her life.
We are also grateful for the time and information Mr. Faizan Zaheer, Channel
Development Manager Walls, and Senior Territory Manager at Unilever, shared with us. This
research would not have been possible without him.
Contributions:
Mahin Mazhar: Human Resource Management Department
M. Umer: Marketing Department
Haiqa Khan: Supply Chain Department
M. Abu Hurairah: Corporate Affairs Department
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Background and context----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
Statement of the problem---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
Significance of the study----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
Scope----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
Literature Review--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6
Research Questions------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13
Methodology-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14
Analysis of Data and Discussion-------------------------------------------------------------------- 15
Communication in Human Resource Management Department-------------------------- 15
Communication in Marketing Department---------------------------------------------------- 18
Communication in Supply Chain Department-------------------------------------------------21
Communication in Corporate Affairs Department------------------------------------------- 23
Conclusion----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26
References----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28
Appendix A---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30
Appendix B---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33
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Introduction
Background and context

Unilever Pakistan is a subsidiary of the British-Dutch multinational FMCG company
Unilever. It was founded in 1927 when two companies merged: Margarine Unie, a Dutch
margarine manufacturer, and Lever Brothers, a British soap-maker. Unilever is ranked as the
largest FMCG company operating in Pakistan, followed by Nestle and P&G and currently it
has six factories at different locations across the country.
Statement of the problem

Being an FMCG, Unilever Pakistan is in a competitive environment. There are
various competitors present in the market, all with a significant market share. Communication
is an important aspect for an FMCG and in order to maintain their competitive advantage,
Unilever has to have strong internal and external communication.
Significance of the study

The study would focus on collecting information about the communication
methodologies and processes of Unilever, with regards to its different departments.
Scope
The primary research would be conducted in Lahore. The study would focus on the
information relevant to Unilever Pakistan and the FMCG sector only. The following four
different departments would be considered for the research: marketing, HR, supply chain and
corporate affairs.
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Literature Review
Since 1947, Unilever Pakistan (previously Lever Brothers Pakistan) has operated in
Pakistan. Unilever has always been a well-established multinational and so, the company
needs to ensure excellence in its standards in order to maintain its position and here, Human
Resource Management plays a key role in attracting, increasing, and retaining the right
personnel. Management at Unilever is constantly working to develop present and future
leaders in order to foster a stronger employee performance culture that values their norms and
encourages more variability inside the company. According to Unilever's 2013 annual report,
their company created HR policies that make the working environment suited to boost
employee performance in order to capture the rapidly expanding change and demand, which
is our organization's aim. Apart from competitiveness and productivity, efficiency and
effectiveness are regarded as the most significant aspects of performance. Human Resource
practices also assist in the development of knowledge and skills as a means of improving
employee performance (efficiency as well as effectiveness). Financial contribution
programmes are more beneficial to organizations than the associated costs. With the greatest
Human Resource methods, a company can achieve significant growth output. Employee
participation in decision-making, according to researchers, boosts employee confidence and
self-esteem which leads to increased productivity. Furthermore, shared decision-making can
open up new possibilities for individuals and the company. Faced with the current era's rapid
change in companies, it has become clear that any organization's personnel must be efficient
in their work. There is increased competition these days between multinationals, especially
like Unilever which operate in the FMCG sector. Employees are similarly energized in order
to reach high levels of production. The management is in charge of implementing HR
procedures in order to get competent results (Sheikh et al., 2016). The literary gap that exists
in this article is that it does not go in depth with regards to how the HR department at
Unilever plays its role in ensuring excellent personnel and what ways the department
employees to communicate efficiently. It focuses more on why effective HRM and
communication is important at Unilever and similar organizations. Our research would focus
more on both aspects in order to go in detailed analysis of what processes and ways does the
multinational adopt here in Pakistan to ensure effective communication between the HR
department and the rest of the organization.
Employee work errors, degree of invention, and coordination with other employees,
as well as regularity, timeliness, and employee retention, are all influenced by the work
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environment. Many factors directly influence an employee's performance, including the

nature of the task assigned to him, how interesting the tasks are for him to perform,
opportunities for learning and development to improve skills and capabilities in a specialized
field, timely information, friendly staff members who are always willing to help, supportive
supervision, and clearly defined responsibilities. In all professions, job satisfaction is seen as
a vital component of the working environment. Employee dissatisfaction results in decreased
productivity, poor performance, and greater employee turnover for the company. Employee
job satisfaction and reduced turnover intention are the standard procedures for improving an
organization's performance. A contented employee produces good work, is productive, and
has a low turnover rate. During the COVID 19 epidemic, there has been a substantial and
favorable association between work-related environment and job satisfaction. People are
taking precautions to reduce the spread of the corona virus from person to person, such as
social distancing, self-isolation, and travel restrictions. Many organizations have reduced
their personnel as a result of all of these issues. Employers and HR departments at companies
are compelled to cut employee numbers in order to preserve social distance, instability, and
the fear of losing their current employment. During the COVID-19 breakout crisis, the
perception of employment uncertainty is cited as the primary source of mental stress.
Employees in the FMCG sector agree that the work environment has had a significant impact
on job satisfaction during the Corona virus outbreak. It is necessary for the Human Resource
Management to establish a healthy and secure working environment in order to keep
employees happy. Employee satisfaction leads to lower turnover intentions, increased
productivity, strong employee engagement, and increased efficiency and effectiveness, as
described in this study (Tabasum et al., 2021). A major literary gap in this paper is that it is
not organization specific and hence gives an overview of various factors which are related to
Human Resource and affect FMCG organizations as a whole. Furthermore, because the
research was conducted solely in the context of FMCG operations in Karachi, a general
Pakistani perspective is lacking, however the majority of the findings are still applicable to
other Pakistani cities.
Using appropriate communication channels for communication is important for a

company because it helps in persuading the customers, and also in establishing brand image
and positioning. Munir Dad (2012) in his paper discusses the traditional communication
channels and new interactive communication channels for advertising in the FMCG industry
of UK. The paper draws on data from various secondary sources, including many surveys
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from different agencies. Traditional channels include Television, Postal Mail, Door to door
selling, newspaper, and radio; new channels include social networking sites, Blogs, banner
ads, Search Engine Marketing, SMS and email marketing, Viral Marketing, Blogs, and games
advertising. Traditional channels focus on one way communication, and use only push
marketing channels whereas new channels are more interactive and use more pull marketing.
Using interactive channels in the FMCG industry has been indicated to be better than
traditional channels. Interactive communication helps in building customized interaction
between customers and the brand. It focuses more on fulfilling customers’ needs rather than
focusing on sales. Social networks enable consumer to consumer interactions, and brands use
their existing customers to influence more consumers. Moreover, social networks and blogs
allow brands to influence the perception of consumers about a brand by keeping themselves
in touch with customers’ needs and the trends. Email and SMS marketing ensures loyalty
towards the brand as it can be personalized, can be sent quickly and is cost effective. Search
engine marketing allows FMCG products to be linked with high involvement products
resulting in more sales for the company, and it enables the company to better track their
performance of advertising campaigns. Viral marketing is used by marketers to generate
content that will be further shared by users. It can help in generating positive word of mouth
and more brand awareness for the company. However, interactive channels of
communication can also be used to create negative word of mouth; advertisements from
multiple brands can create confusion for consumers and it decreases the effectiveness of ads,
and traditional channels are perceived to be more credible by the consumers.
COVID 19 has posed numerous challenges for marketers, as they have to reconsider
their marketing strategy in the times of lockdown. The situation impacted the GDP of
countries negatively, also it changed the way of living, working, and consumer behavior.
Hoekstra and Leeflang (2020) in their paper “Marketing in the era of COVID 19” discuss the
disruption caused by the pandemic in the strategies of marketing. The research points out that
a pandemic situation differs from a cyclic economic downturn as consumers' life-priorities
and spending criteria are being challenged. Lower consumer confidence, and lower incomes
resulted in shifts in consumption. The situation has affected shopping behavior due to social
distancing, and has given rise to a healthy lifestyle. To respond to such changes, marketers
have made changes in their marketing strategies. The cause-related marketing saw an
increase as brands tried to donate to COVID related activities, and tried to create awareness
regarding SOPs in advertisements. Some companies redefined their product portfolios by
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innovations like DSM now produces face masks as well. The distribution channels were
affected due to lockdown, and to counter that, marketers applied a multichannel strategy by
incorporating both online and offline channels. Researchers also noticed a decline of 10% in
advertising expenditure as companies are trying less to attract new customers and are
focusing more on current customers. Furthermore, researchers found that FMCG companies
like P&G and Unilever are less affected due to the pandemic. However, in other sectors the
sales declined. The price changes and price promotions strategies were also used by
marketers.
Aman, A. (2017) carried out a qualitative research on the vertical competition in

growing markets between major retailers/wholesalers and Fast Moving Consumer Goods
(FMCG) companies. The conventional distribution mechanisms in developing markets are
briefly outlined to provide perspective. The article examines channel conflict through the
eyes of FMCG executives in Africa and other developing regions. Various issues faced by
FMCG manufacturers both internally (within the company) and externally (outside the
channel) are discussed using examples from Pakistan. Furthermore, the use of computers and
the internet helped the coordination between suppliers and retailers. This factor had a role in
developing countries in the 2000s after actively contributing to retail contraction in developed
economies in the 1990s (Weatherspoon and Reardon, 2003).
While devising new ways for marketing managers to address these internal and
external disputes, the researcher cited the comment on the emergence of the online channel in
2002 by Webb and Hogan who used Mattel as an example of a company that had successfully
developed an online platform for the selling of its toys. While established retailers and
dealers fought the shift, Mattel overcame the opposition by carefully emphasizing the
benefits of internet sales on the products' brand image. The firm also made sure that the
prices on its online sites were slightly more than those in real locations, and that some items
were only accessible in-store (and not online). In the event of the creation of mega formats in
emerging nations, Mattel's model may be difficult to emulate since market pricing must be
kept identical in the interests of the maker and the two distribution systems. The majority of
consumer products businesses hold regular sales meetings at which both teams are
represented. Furthermore, yearly sales conferences are held to encourage collective thinking.
Hassan, A., & Nasereddin, H. (2018) conducted research which focused on

illustrating Information Sharing in Supply Chains which has become increasingly important
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in supply chain management research. The study report explained the information exchange
method and demonstrated certain specifics regarding the supply chain, as well as supply
chain management and global supply chain expansion. It also discussed some of the
advantages and disadvantages of a shared information approach across all supply chain
participants. Some of the benefits of exchanging information among businesses may result in
better performance. The study also addressed the occurrence of shared information being lost
between suppliers and retailers. Finally, the article came to a conclusion about how the
danger of leaked data may affect supply chain performance and hence competitive advantage.
The necessity of integrating information throughout supply chain entities has been explored
in this study. Sharing information has the potential to provide major advantages to
production; yet, intentionally leaking information among retailers or suppliers may have a
detrimental influence on performance, raise issues and mistrust, and create hurdles to the
process of sharing information. A literary gap in these research papers was that they were
based primarily on qualitative data and hence no findings were drawn by using quantitative
measures. However, in order to support our analysis, we will use both qualitative and
quantitative metrics in our research.
In the mid 1990s, Unilever began responding in a more organized way to a number of
global trends that were just beginning to emerge at the time, particularly around natural
resource limits and how globalization was increasing demands on systems like agriculture,
fisheries, and freshwater. There is a widely held belief that it is the responsibility of
government, not industry, to address these societal issues. But, as Unilever began to realize
that some things needed to be fixed, and governments were finding it difficult to act, it
became in their business' best interests to assist in the development of alternative solutions.
Hence, they joined hands with other entities such as WWF in order to establish and
incorporate more sustainable patterns of addressing all the environmental and sustainability
issues. Unilever's strategy document summarized their view that the "future will not be like
the past'' by stating that their goal is to double the size of their firm while minimizing their
total environmental effect and improving their positive social impacts. This was expanded
upon in Unilever's Sustainable Living Plan, which was released in November 2010 and laid
out 50 precise, measurable, and time-bound goals for the corporation to meet. The plan had
three main objectives: (i) to assist one billion people in improving their health and well-
being; (ii) to reduce the environmental impact of Unilever's products by half across their
entire lifecycle, from raw material sourcing to consumer use and disposal; and (iii) to source
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100 percent of our agricultural raw materials sustainably. One of the noteworthy aspects of
the Sustainable Living Plan targets set by Unilever is that they take its employees beyond the
sphere of items under the company's direct control. They are what the development
community refers to as external objectives. Majority of businesses focus on internal goals,
which are goals about the firm that involve traditional metrics of business success and are
usually more or less closely tied to things under the organization's direct control. For
example, enhancing efficiency, lowering costs, and attracting more customers. However, by
using these types of success metrics, Unilever has made itself liable for things that are outside
of management's direct control and into the realm of influencing in a larger system (Lingard,
2012). Although this article gives us a thorough overview of the role of the corporate affairs
department in managing Unilever's internal and external affairs, it should be emphasized that
it restricts the job to public affairs and focuses mostly on environmental impact and
sustainability. In summary, the focus is primarily on one aspect of corporate affairs, rather
than the complete position. Furthermore, given this article is nine years old, it is possible that
the department's role has not changed since 2012, but the setting in which it performs and the
manner in which it performs have changed, both internally and externally. Another literary
gap in this article is that it examines Unilever's global operations, and the majority of the data
is presented in a global or UK perspective. Although being a multinational, similar processes
would exist in Unilever Pakistan as well but still differences do exist depending on the
country. As a result, we will concentrate our investigation on the company in the context of
Pakistan.
The business must be innovative. This has a lot to do with the company's structure
and senior management. For at least thirty years, Unilever has produced goods and processes
based on revolutionary procedures. Employees and local managers are given the opportunity
to propose new initiatives based on their position and contract type, both on sustainability
problems and anything else that could improve the effectiveness of the company's
procedures. It is an employee's decision to attend meetings about global sustainability issues,
and once they do, they begin creating and formalising alliances with farmer associations,
governments, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) around those debates. Employees
cannot achieve what they do at Unilever without a company culture of innovation that allows
them to invest in the idea of establishing multi-stakeholder platforms. Obviously, personnel
within the business have had and continue to have heated disputes regarding how to deal with
stakeholders, whether launching a new effort or reproducing one that has worked in other
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situations. Building consensus inside the organization when discussing ideas and new
projects takes time—talking to a lot of people and genuinely influencing each other's
perspective. Instead, open innovation and discussions with local and international
stakeholders are now at the heart of the organization’s operations. Unilever's recent efforts in
developing and learning from multi-stakeholder platforms have encouraged and trained its
middle and upper management to keep their eyes open as well as train their teams to do the
same. Managers need to have faith in their collaborators, from extension officers to field
workers who deal with stakeholders on a daily basis. Innovation is stressed both inside and
beyond the business by consistently listening to and discussing other people's suggestions, as
well as giving proposals to others. "Business as usual" is the name for this type of innovation.
Sharing occurs across teams and departments, and techniques and platforms that can be
implemented are examined, but interactions and decisions with stakeholders are ultimately
left to individual teams (Dentoni & Veldhuizen, 2012). This article provides a broader
overview of Unilever's corporate affairs department's various topics and concerns, such as
communications with stakeholders and the company's sustainability aim, but it still focuses
on a worldwide or Netherlands-specific perspective. Furthermore, this work was also
published in 2012, indicating that a new study will most likely differ in various ways.
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Research Questions
Primary Research Question
● How effective is Unilever Pakistan’s communication with its internal and external
stakeholders, with regards to its different departments?
Subsidiary Research Questions
● How does Unilever Pakistan contact candidates for hiring?

● What assessment techniques does Unilever Pakistan use for candidates?
● What qualities does Unilever Pakistan seek in applicants?
● What communication techniques does Unilever Pakistan use for employee
assessment?
● What are the advertising communication channels used by Unilever?
● What are the feedback systems of Unilever?
● What are Unilever response strategies to bad word of mouth online?
● What are the effects of COVID 19 on Unilever’s marketing communication?
● How does the supply chain department communicate with suppliers and channel
intermediaries?
● What digital communication methodologies are used in the supply chain department
to communicate with internal as well as external stakeholders?
● What communication strategies does the supply chain department implement in case
of anomalies?
● How effectively does the corporate affairs department internally communicate?
● How does the corporate affairs department manage external affairs?
● In case of a crisis, what strategies does the corporate affairs department use?
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Methodology
This research used both qualitative and quantitative methods. A Google Forms
questionnaire was used to obtain the primary research data. We received 36 responses in all.
The questionnaire received a 100% response rate, with people in the 18-30 age bracket being
the most responsive. Appendix A contains the questionnaire.
The respondents of the study were both males and females. They were literate and
educationally qualified individuals from the upper middle to upper class, according to their
socioeconomic situation.
Archival methods were used to obtain secondary research data. We looked at

scholarly journal papers as well as newspaper articles.
Bar graphs, line graphs, and pie charts were used to visualize the quantitative data.
They have been provided in Appendix B. The findings were subsequently scrutinized,
examined, and debated. Mr. Faizan Zaheer, Channel Development Manager Walls and Senior
Territory Manager of Unilever, was also questioned in an unstructured interview.
It is vital to keep in mind that this research methodology contains limitations. Field
research was not possible due to the continuing pandemic. This is why the survey was
conducted using online technologies, and the interview for qualitative data was not conducted
in person.
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Analysis of Data and Discussion
Communication in Human Resource Management Department

Unilever Pakistan primarily uses four methods for contacting employees. Their hiring
procedure starts from these preliminary stages.
The first method is to contact fresh graduates. Unilever targets the following three
main universities in Pakistan: Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), National
University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) and Institute of Business Administration
(IBA). So, the company contacts relevant candidates through their university’s
administration. They send a team of their representatives to these institutes and conduct
seminars, where they tell interested candidates about the organization and share their
experience at the place.
The second method is posting about available jobs on LinkedIn. This way relevant
candidates can apply for a job at Unilever, even if, for example, they do not belong to their
targeted universities. The company and the candidate can then exchange the required
information via LinkedIn’s portal. According to our interviewee, the CEO and directors are
also very active on the company’s LinkedIn profile.
The third method is using headhunters. This method is used to find and contact
candidates for middle management. Unilever works with different headhunting agencies for
this purpose. The communication is done with the help of a third party. Headhunters identify
and approach suitable candidates on behalf of the company. They may also already have a
pool of candidates that meet the job requirements. Unilever also uses headhunters when there
is a necessity and they are unable to recruit the suitable candidate to fill a post from within
the company’s talent pool.
The fourth method is considering internal references. It occurs when a current

employee of Unilever suggests another employee for an available position at the company.
As a person who is already familiar with a company has greater influence on the decision-
making phase, an internal reference carries more significance than other forms of references.
The company then contacts the person through emails and phone calls.
Unilever recruits fresh, unexperienced candidates from targeted universities through

its Unilever Future Leaders Program (UFLP). The first stage in this process is the on-campus
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recruitment test. Interested candidates can apply for this test by coordinating with their
universities’ administration.
The candidates who pass the preliminary test then go through a screening interview.
Unilever utilizes a screening interview as part of their job recruitment process to see if an
applicant has the credentials for the position for which they are employing.
The selected candidates are then sent to an ‘assessment discovery center’. Unilever
decides on a suitable place within the city which acts as this center. The company then
conducts full-day exercises in this center that are used to gauge candidates’ ability to work in
teams, and determine how easily they would adjust in the office environment. They are
divided in teams and participate in group discussions and debates. They are also given case
studies that they must analyze and present on.
The candidates who pass this phase of the recruitment process are selected for the
final interview. Unilever Pakistan focuses on two types of interviews: experiential and
behavioral. The former is more preferred. In experiential interviews they ask about the
candidates’ past experiences, and the candidates’ answer must align with the STAR
methodology. Every answer given by the candidate must be supported by experiential
examples. In behavioral interviews the company checks the soft skills of the applicant.
Unilever calls these soft skills ‘Standards of Leadership’ (SoLs) that would be discussed in
detail later in the paper. During such an interview they can ask about situations in which the
interviewee had to settle a dispute, for example, during an internship or previous job. They
check how the candidate can respectfully and responsibly tackle such problematic situations.
The interviewers may also give the candidate a hypothetical situation and ask how they
would act accordingly, to check how spontaneously the applicant can make problem solving
decisions. Such questions are known as ‘brain teasers’, but they are not preferred by the
interviewers now.
Once the candidates clear the final interview, they are hired for the job. The fresh
employees then stay under supervision for a few weeks. During this time, the company
expects the employee to be familiar with the work ethic and culture of the organization.
For experienced candidates, the CV must be submitted to the HR department. The CV

then goes through a screening process. The department then calls the candidate and schedules
an interview. During the pandemic, Unilever has used online interviews for the initial
screening process. A link is emailed to the applicant with which they can enter a recorded
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interview session. 2 to 3 questions are given to the candidate, and must be answered after 30
seconds. The candidate can answer the question for 3 to 4 minutes. Each response is
recorded.
After this preliminary interview a behavioral panel interview is conducted by the HR

department in which they ask behavioral questions. This interview is conducted in person.
Once the applicant is selected, the HR department recommends the candidate to hiring
manager. The hiring manager then conducts a functional interview for the candidate to gauge
whether their skill sets align with the job requirements. If the applicant is applying for a
senior position they are interviewed by a committee of upper management. It is also
important to note that there is a lot of flexibility in the hiring process. Some screening stages
may be added or even subtracted.
Unilever selects candidates based on its Standards of Leadership which revolve

around the core values of Integrity, Responsibility, Respect and Pioneering. They primarily
look for leadership behaviors in all their potential employees. The qualities they are looking
for are as follows:
1) Personal Mastery
2) Agility
3) Business Acumen
4) Talent Catalyst
5) Consumer Love
6) Passion for High Performance
7) Purpose and Service
The company also looks for soft skills in their candidates that include negotiation and
networking skills.
Employees are reviewed semiannually: midyear and at the end of the year. In both
cases there is a forum of upper managers, relevant to the department, who discuss the
employee’s performance during the relevant time interval of the year. For example, if the
employee is a manager, then the evaluative forum would consist of senior managers. The
employee is evaluated on how aligned his initiatives were with the Standards of Leadership.
This data is plotted and graphically represented as a bell curve. The forum then
communicates the evaluation by using 2 ways. Firstly, the evaluation is uploaded on the
company’s portal. Secondly, the forum may give the employee a talent card which highlights
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their strengths and weaknesses, progression career plan and future promotions. Therefore, the
appraisal system is not based on the 360-degree review methodology; employee’s self-
evaluation does not play a role in the overall evaluation.
Increments or bonuses are given to employees based on their evaluations. The

company sends the worker a letter, which is signed by the HR director, that informs them
about the annual bonus and overall rating.
Growth opportunities are communicated to employees via emails, and they can apply
for these jobs by informing their line managers. For example, if there is a new internal
position that is vacant, employees can apply for it. These opportunities are also
communicated through their evaluation talent cards.
Communication in Marketing Department

In order to stay competitive in the rapidly changing industry of Fast moving consumer
goods (FMCG), companies are focusing more on using appropriate channels in reaching out
to their customers. Communication channels can be categorized into two categories:
traditional and interactive. Traditional channels use one way communication to reach out to
masses whereas interactive focuses on two way communication where feedback is received
by the company. Traditional channels include Television, billboards, newspaper, and radio
etc. whereas interactive channels include social networking sites, Blogs, SMS and email
marketing, Viral Marketing, PR (Dad & Munir, 2012). Unilever uses the mix of both
interactive and traditional channels. In our questionnaire, we asked our respondents, “Where
do you see Unilever's promotional messages the most”. Majority of the respondents answered
with TVC, social media, and billboards (Refer to Figure 1 in Appendix B).
Our findings from the interviewee also complemented our questionnaire as they said
“We try to reach out to both potential and current customers through social media, billboard,
TVC, magazine and newspaper ads”. Furthermore, TVC ads are also uploaded on the social
media pages of brands to create more interaction. Figure 2 and 3 in Appendix B show an
example of a Lipton TVC ad, and the responses from the consumers.
Feedback systems allow companies to better follow the changing needs of consumers,
and help them adapt their products accordingly. Unilever Pakistan has enacted systems so
customers can easily reach out to them and share their complaints. Every brand of Unilever
has a dedicated Facebook, twitter, Instagram accounts where customers can send a direct
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message. Figure 4 in Appendix B shows the Unilever Pakistan website with the relevant links
for contacting the organization.
Our interviewee also pointed out that Unilever has some Unilever uses “lead
generation ad” on social media where potential customers who click on your ads may choose
to leave their information and responses behind which could be used as a feedback.
Moreover, Unilever has a formalized Email query system and a dedicated “Rabta” phone
helpline. Refer to Figure 5 in Appendix B.
Unilever has used intermediaries as a source of feedback, for example Unilever brands have
stalls in various malls like Metro where they give free samples to people and collect their
feedback. We asked our respondents in our questionnaire what feedback channel they would
use if they would want to contact Unilever. Majority of the respondents chose informal
channels like online websites, and social media pages over email, and call service (Refer to
Figure 6 Appendix B). We also asked them if they were satisfied with the customer service
provided by the company. 55.5% of them responded with ‘satisfied’, whereas 44.6% were
neutral. Refer to Figure 7 Appendix B.
Bad word of mouth online can negatively impact the brands’ image. Negative
information has a tendency to spread faster than positive information and it persists longer
than positive word of mouth. It can cause existing customers to switch brands resulting in
decline in sales (Chiosa & Anastasiei, 2017). To counter this, Unilever has response
strategies which we were able to get information on through our interviewee. The marketing
team works alongside the corporate affairs department to first assess the seriousness of the
issue. Marketing department first checks whether the criticism is limited to isolated platforms
like Facebook private groups, or it involves a wide public. If the seriousness is low and is
limited to private groups and smaller public, the marketing department tends not to issue a
statement on it. However, if it is spreading at a faster rate, the marketing department issues a
statement through their brand’s social media accounts. An example of this is the incident of
Lipton lemon tea in 2016. A video started circulating online globally showing worms in
Lipton green tea bags. Initially, Lipton did not respond to the criticism, but as the video got
more views Lipton issued a statement on their social media account. "There are no 'worms' in
our tea bags," the company said. "These are small lemon flavor pieces which have been
mistaken for worms." Lipton also posted the video where they showed the lemon shreds
being dissolved into a cup of warm water. (ABC news 2016)
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In addition to that, Unilever also uses positive word of mouth by hiring influencers on
Instagram, twitter, and YouTube. We asked our respondents regarding how effectively
Unilever uses influencers to promote their brands. 58% of the respondents replied with
“effectively” and 25% with moderately. Refer to Figure 8 in Appendix B.
COVID pandemic posed many challenges for companies, as marketing departments

had to change their marketing strategies. Globally companies dealt with this situation
differently. CSR was used by companies as cause marketing saw an increase. However, the
FMCG companies like P&G and Unilever were not affected that much by the pandemic, as
their goods are basic necessities. (Hoekstra and Leeflang, 2020). Our interviewee also
mentioned that the sales and profitability of the company was not affected by the pandemic,
only changes had to be made in the operations of the company. For example. Special
Operating Protocols were implemented within the department. Shootings were not allowed
outside, and the departments followed the government restrictions of lockdown as well.
Shooting times were decreased and the number of people that could be on a set was also
limited.
Unilever Pakistan also launched some CSR marketing campaigns related to COVID,
for example, #AByehNormalHai Ads were launched where they highlighted social distance,
face masks, hand sanitizers, and work from home as being the new Normal. Similarly another
Ad was released on 14th august, 2020 where Shehzad Roy sang the national anthem of
Pakistan through facemasks.
Communication in Supply Chain Department

Supply Chain Management is organized into segments within the company. Material
management is an integral part of the buying, manufacturing control, and distribution
departments. SITARA CHEMICALS is a local raw material provider of caustic soda, soda
ash, and other chemicals. Suppliers are chosen based on pricing, quality, and delivery. Basic
imported material safety stock 2 to 3 weeks for material packaging. For managing an
organization's supply chain process, Unilever employs SAP SCM, a product supplied by SAP
AG. SCM aids in the planning, monitoring, and execution of an organization's supply chain
activities. SAP is an excellent instrument for creating smooth and successful supply chain
management and, as a result, gaining a competitive edge in the market. It also enables
information exchange with their supply chain partners. Employees may communicate with
20
suppliers on order forecasting, observe changes in real-time, and plan ahead using the same
data that their partners use.
A session on “Connecting Employees to the heart of Unilever’s Sustainable Living

Plan” was held in London in 2013 which gave an excellent insight into a behavioral change
management plan to bring sustainability front and center throughout the whole business,
including how employees operate, the value chain, and even how customers use different
brands of Unilever. It also spelled out how Unilever synchronizes its internal communication
with external by making use of today’s digital world. Unilever accomplished this by
launching integrated campaigns that reached both external as well as internal stakeholders to
communicate the company's accomplishments, create solutions, and allow relevant parties to
participate in shaping the company's ambitions. A 24-hour 'web jam' forum with a range of
live activities, debate, and online involvement, available to both external and internal
members, was one of the strategies adopted by Unilever in this concern.
There are various internet technologies to help with supply chain transparency that
either exist or are in the works. Good Guide, Source Guide, and World of Good are some of
the resources available. Source Guide is an open source tracking tool that uses crowdsourcing
to provide traceability. Crowdsourcing can be defined as employing the services of a large
number of individuals, usually an employee or contractor, either paid or unpaid, to acquire
information or input into a work or project, usually over the internet. Few examples of
crowdsourcing include Future Melbourne, Local Motors and Next Stop Design. According to
our interviewee, Unilever might fund an open source monitoring technology that customers,
researchers, and the general public may contribute to.
Moreover, on the transition from desktop client-server to gateway technology, a

cross-functional global commission is already in place. On the B2B front, Unilever is
participating to a manufacturing-wide effort to standardize data features during the supply
chain via UCC Net, in addition to its RFID efforts. There are approximately 34 custom-built
data storerooms, as well as ERP and CRM systems from a variety of vendors. Unilever now
has 100 SAP Enterprise Resource Planning systems in place. In a similar manner, the
following are some of the significant SCM technologies and IT explanations used in The
Unilever Group's business model:
ISIS (Integrated Supply Management Information System) is a supply management

information system used by Unilever. It assists its local, regional, and global supply managers
21
in making appropriate acquiring decisions by allowing them to acquire and analyze data
quickly and accurately. The method enables supervisors to communicate with sellers in a
transparent and efficient manner, benefiting both sides. From our primary research, we got to
know about another software used by the supply chain department i.e. Epicor. With its
“Service Connect” module, it centralizes communication between employees and suppliers.
To make collaboration efforts easier, this module contains a supplier portal built on
client/server architecture. This module also allows the users to examine payments, check
stock levels, and execute RFQs and POS.
Enterprise-Scale Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence Solutions: Sinfonia is an

enterprise scale data storage and business intelligence project launched by Unilever.
KALIDO, which is an enterprise data warehouse conception and management software, gives
a consolidated view of data across Unilever at a high rate, all the way through constant
business changes like acquisitions and market merging.
Furthermore, shipment tracking is provided through a variety of data flowing into the
system from carriers and other sources. According to our interviewee, Unilever's customers
and plant operators now have a far clearer picture of what's on the way and which deliveries
are available for being picked up. The system sends out notifications when abnormalities
occur, and several management dashboards allow employees of Unilever to be proactive in
the event of an issue that might compromise stock levels. Also, relevant managers receive
daily reports and feedback, ensuring continual cost and service level tracking. Since, the
COVID-19 epidemic is still wreaking havoc on the planet, and its aftermath is causing more
enterprises to migrate away from on- premise systems and into the cloud. The company is
therefore planning to make use of EDI software. EDI systems standardize and transmit
various sorts of documents, allowing staff to focus on more vital duties rather than moving
papers back and forth between companies.
Communication in Corporate Affairs Department

This section of the paper specifically focuses on the role of the corporate affairs
department at Unilever and how effectively the department communicates within and outside
the organization with both internal and external stakeholders in order to ensure healthy and
systematic operations. We conducted an interview with Mr. Faizan Zaheer - Channel
Development Manager Walls, and Senior Territory Manager at Unilever - who briefed us
regarding how the corporate affairs department acts as the foundation of the company and
22
how strong communication methodologies are important for it in order to effectively perform
in the organization. The key role and responsibility of the corporate affairs department is to
deal with all internal and external stakeholders of the company. For some stakeholder
relations, it builds a direct contact. For others, it guides other relevant departments. For
instance, it is directly responsible for internal corporate relations such as mass emails related
to policies, crisis communications, messages from the board or top management, as well as
external relations which are government relations and public relations.
At the internal corporate level, as highlighted above, it manages all the mass emails
and messages which need to be circulated around the organization or across relevant
departments. These emails and messages could be regarding new policies, changes in existing
policies, notices and advisory mails, meeting schedules, guidelines and agendas etc. Different
methods are employed in order to reach the masses efficiently. For instance, an immediate
step towards crisis management was taken by the corporate affairs department when the first
wave of Covid-19 hit Pakistan. A standard yet detailed mass email was circulated across the
organization in Pakistan with the title of “DISCIPLINARY MATRIX, COVID-19
PROTOCOLS & UPDATED GUIDELINES” which emphasized highly on following all
standards of operations and Covid-19 Protocols within as well as outside the organization and
then it was also made sure that these protocols are strictly followed within the office
environment. Another email was immediately sent again when the second wave of the virus
hit under the title “Ensuring Safety Amid Second Wave of the COVID-19 Virus” and this
time the e-mail emphasized more strictly on all the protocols since the wave was considered
more serious and fatal. Since Unilever is a multinational, there are certain standards and
conducts it needs to adopt and work in compliance with in Pakistan as well since these
standards are set at a global level by Unilever International. Hence, corporate level
department has a major duty and responsibility in these types of companies especially. It
further published a detailed booklet of guidelines and circulated in within the organization
with the title “Return to Work Safety Guidebook” for all the employees at Unilever Pakistan
and this booklet received appreciation from NCOC (National Commands and Operations
Center) as well after which it was published online for general public so that other
organizations could also refer to it in order to implement and practice effective Covid
protocols. Corporate Affairs also works together with other departments not only to make
sure that the global policies are followed internally, but also to ensure that the local and
central government policies are strictly implemented as well. For example, PTA is the
23
telecommunication regulator of Pakistan which is in charge of setting up, operating, and

maintaining telecommunication systems as well as providing telecommunication services in
Pakistan. One of the duties of PTA is to make sure all the advertisements being aired on
national television are in compliance with the governmental policies and adherent with the
laws existing within the country. Now the corporate affairs department plays its part here to
guide the marketing department at Unilever regarding what types of ads are eligible and not
against any of the rules and regulations of PTA. A constant check needs to be kept here since
marketing and advertising is quite expensive.
At the external corporate level, as mentioned above, Unilever interacts and

communicates with different local, provincial and central government bodies for different
purposes. In our secondary research, Dentoni & Veldhuizen (2012) also mention similar
details regarding the company as to how Unilever has trained its employees in middle and
upper management to communicate and build good terms with different stakeholders under
its ‘Multi-Stakeholder Model’. Different publics are also communicated with in order to carry
out different tasks. The interviewee informed us regarding Unilever’s sustainability
programme which they started in 2010 started under the name of ‘Unilever’s Sustainable
Living Plan’ and how the corporate affairs department has actively contributed to keep this
plan effective by ensuring different activities are done internally and externally according to
this plan. Our secondary research of Lingard (2012) also highlights some brief details
regarding this plan where Unilever, for instance, had partnered with WWF. Mr. Faizan
further informed us regarding other contributions towards sustainability Unilever has made,
specifically clean water access and plastic recycling where they joined hands with
organizations like Ismail Foundation. Although this was partially a contribution of the
marketing department as well of course, but the majority of backend talks between Unilever
and the partnering NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) are done by the corporate
affairs department since it represents the company on external grounds.
Indirect communication for the corporate affairs department considers a mixture of

internal and external communication. This includes how Unilever guides other departments to
interact with their relevant stakeholders. Certain guidelines are communicated to the
marketing department, for instance, when dealing with customers and customer feedback.
There are different issues that the company has to deal with on a daily basis such as bad word
of mouth, controversies, negative feedback, backlashes. Now, in order to deal with them in a
structured way, the corporate affairs department has prioritized them. Firstly, the intensity of
24
the criticism and bad word of mouth is checked. There are different marketing groups on
social media which discuss brands and organizations on a daily basis. The corporate
department refers to these as isolated pocket conversations and advises the marketing
department to never respond to criticisms in these conversations initially since they are very
limited. But at times, the conversations come out of these isolated pockets, on the surface.
Still, they marketing department is advised to not interact unless required. In short, a decision
to address a situation is made depending on the interaction it is getting.
25
Conclusion
The HR department contacts candidates by the following four methods: seminars at
targeted universities, LinkedIn job posts, headhunting and calling or emailing internally
referenced candidates. Unilever uses assessment techniques like on campus tests, group
activities and behavioral, screening, functional, panel, online recorded and experiential
interviews. The type of assessment techniques used depends on whether the candidate is
experienced or not and the level of job they are applying for. The qualities they look for in
candidates are according to their Standards of Leadership. Employees are evaluated
semiannually. They get to know about their evaluation via Unilever’s online portal or the
talent card. Their promotions and bonuses are determined by these evaluations. This appraisal
process, however, does not take into account the employee’s self-evaluation. Furthermore,
they are informed about growth opportunities via emails or their talent cards.
The stakeholders with which Unilever’s marketing department deals with are
customers. They use both traditional and interactive channels for their advertisements. For
Feedback, they have systems for contacting placed on their website, and social media pages.
One of the challenges the marketing department may face is the negative word of mouth. To
face that, the department has a strategy to first assess the situation then release a statement
according to the situation. In the COVID crisis, the marketing department changed some of
their operational activity, and used CSR activities to raise awareness regarding COVID.
The Supply Chain department uses SAP, which facilitates the planning, monitoring,
and execution of an organization's supply chain activities. It also allows them to share
information with their supply chain partners. Employees may interact with suppliers about
order forecasting, see real-time changes, and plan ahead using the same data as their partners.
Also, there is a 24-hour 'web jam' forum featuring a variety of live events, debate, and online
participation, open to both external and internal members. Customers, researchers, and the
general public may be able to contribute to an open source monitoring tool that Unilever
funds. Unilever uses the ISIS, a supply management information system. It helps its local,
regional, and global supply managers make informed purchasing decisions by allowing them
to rapidly and reliably collect and analyze data. For a reputable company like Unilever,
keeping excellent connections both inside and outside the company is critical, and corporate
affairs plays a key role. Government relations, corporate communication, and brand
positioning are all intertwined. Unilever must build a positive connection with the
26
government by working in accordance with its requirements and ensuring excellent

communication with both the public and internal stakeholders. All of this would assist the
company maintain its current brand image while also contributing to its enhancement.
According to our findings, Unilever Pakistan's communication with its internal and external
stakeholders, pertaining to its different departments, is quite effective.
27
References
Aman, A. (2017). Understanding and managing “internal” and “external” channel conflict in
African markets: Learnings from Pakistan. Abasyn Journal of Social Sciences, 10(1).
http://ajss.abasyn.edu.pk/admineditor/papers/V10I1-9.pdf
Chiosa, Ana Raluca, and Bogdan Anastasiei. “Negative Word-of-Mouth: Exploring the
Impact of Adverse Messages on Consumers’ Reactions on Facebook.” Review of
Economic and Business Studies, vol. 10, no. 2, 1 Dec. 2017, pp. 157–173,
10.1515/rebs-2017-0059.
Dad, Aasim Munir. (2012). Interactive Communication Channels and Their Appropriateness
for the FMCG Business. Int. J. Manag. Bus. Res.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292617477_Interactive_Communication_C
hannels_and_Their_Appropriateness_for_the_FMCG_Business
Dentoni, D., & Veldhuizen, M. (2012, January). Building Capabilities for Multi-Stakeholder
Interactions at Global and Local Levels. International Food and Agribusiness
Management Association; IFAMA.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/297524168_Building_Capabilities_for_Mult
i-Stakeholder_Interactions_at_Global_and_Local_Levels
Hassan, A., & Nasereddin, H. (2018). Importance of Information Sharing In Supply Chain
and Knowledge Leakage. Transylvanian Review, 26(26).
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324909807_Importance_Of_Information_S
haring_In_Supply_Chain_And_Knowledge_Leakage
Hoekstra, Janny C., and Peter S. H. Leeflang. “Marketing in the Era of COVID-19.” Italian
Journal of Marketing, 23 Nov. 2020, pp. 249–260,
link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43039-020-00016-3, 10.1007/s43039-020-00016-
3.
Lingard, T. (2012). Unilever’s strategic response to sustainable development and its
implications for public affairs professionals. Journal of Public Affairs, 12(3), 224–
229. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.1436
News, A. B. C. “Lipton Debunks ‘Worms’ in Tea in Viral Video as Lemon Pieces.” ABC
News, 26 Feb. 2016, abcnews.go.com/Health/lipton-debunks-worms-tea-viral-video-
lemon-pieces/story?id=37164389. Accessed 4 Dec. 2021.
28
Pakistan, Unilever. “The National Anthem of Pakistan as Sung through Face Masks.”
Www.youtube.com, 14 Aug. 2020, youtu.be/yr8PDQcSCwA
Pakistan, Unilever. “Unilever Pakistan Presents #AbYehNormalHai.” Www.youtube.com, 30
June 2020, youtu.be/SfcVdIz_vZg. Accessed 5 Dec. 2021.
Sheikh, U., Naveed, A., & Khan, S. A. (2016). THE IMPACT OF HR PRACTICES ON THE
PERFORMANCE OF MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES OPERATING IN
PAKISTAN. GUJR, 32(1).
Tabasum, Dr. S., Siddiqui, I. H., Idrees, S., Alvi, Dr. S. K. K., & Mangrio, I. A. (2021).
work-related environment and job satisfaction during covid-19 ...
http://www.iaeme.com › IJM › IJM_12_03_095. International Journal of
Management, 12(3), 1034–1048. https://doi.org/10.34218/IJM.12.3.2021.095
29
Appendix A
Unilever's Communication with Customers
Q1. What is your sex?
▪ Male
▪ Female
▪ Prefer not to say
Q2. What is your age group?
▪ 18-30
▪ 31-43
▪ 44-56
Q3. What is your educational qualification?
▪ Secondary Education
▪ Under Graduation
▪ Post-Graduation
▪ PhD/Post Doc
Q4. What is your household income bracket (in Pakistani Rupees)?
▪ Less than 100,000

▪ 100,000 – 300,000
▪ 300,000 – 600,000
▪ Greater than 600,000
Q5. How often do you use Unilever products/brands? *Unilever brands include the
following: Cornetto, Magnum, Wall's, Brooke Bond Supreme, Lipton, Comfort, Domex,
Dove, Glaxose-D, Glow & Lovely, Knorr, Lifebuoy, Lux, Paddle Pop, Pond's, Rafhan,
Sunlight, Sunsilk, Surf Excel, TRESemme, Vim and Pearl Dust.
▪ Very often
▪ Often
▪ Moderate
▪ Less often
▪ Never
30
Q6. On a scale of 1-5, 5 being the highest, how satisfied are you with the quality of the
company’s products?
Q7. Which channels would you use to communicate with the company if needed?
▪ Online website
▪ Call service
▪ Email
▪ Retailer
Q8. How satisfied are you with the customer service provided by the company?
▪ Highly satisfied
▪ Satisfied
▪ Moderately satisfied
▪ Not very satisfied
▪ Not satisfied at all
Q9. If you are not satisfied, please suggest how can they improve their service.
Q10. How do you view Unilever’s activity on social media?
▪ Their presence is less

▪ They are active, and follow social media trends
▪ I do not know
Q11. On a scale of 1-5, 5 being most frequent, how frequently do you see promotional
messages by any of Unilever's brands?
Q12. Where do you see Unilever’s promotional messages the most?
▪ Retailers
▪ Billboards
▪ TVC ads
▪ Social Media
Q13. On a scale of 1-5, 5 being the highest, how effective are Unilever’s ad campaigns
during the pandemic?
31
Q14. Are you aware of any Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity/campaign by any
of Unilever’s brands? * CSR activities are when brands do social service activities/give
social service messages
▪ Yes
▪ No
▪ Maybe
Q15. Based on your social media experience, do you think Unilever is effectively using
influencers on social media to promote their brands? Rate on the scale of 1-5, 5 being the
highest.
32
Appendix B
Fig
ure 1
Figure 2
33
Figure 3
Figure 4
34
Figure 5
Figure 6
35
Figure 7
Figure 8
36

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Communication Methodologies of Unilever

Communication Methodologies of Unilever

Lahore School of Economics

Business Communication SSC 311

Ms. Rumessa Abid Naqvi

December 5th, 2021

Mahin Mazhar: Human Resource Management Department

M. Umer: Marketing Department

Haiqa Khan: Supply Chain Department

M. Abu Hurairah: Corporate Affairs Department

Background and context

Statement of the problem

Significance of the study

environment. Many factors directly influence an employee's performance, including the

Using appropriate communication channels for communication is important for a

Aman, A. (2017) carried out a qualitative research on the vertical competition in

Hassan, A., & Nasereddin, H. (2018) conducted research which focused on

Subsidiary Research Questions

● How does Unilever Pakistan contact candidates for hiring?

Archival methods were used to obtain secondary research data. We looked at

Analysis of Data and Discussion

Communication in Human Resource Management Department

The fourth method is considering internal references. It occurs when a current

Unilever recruits fresh, unexperienced candidates from targeted universities through

For experienced candidates, the CV must be submitted to the HR department. The CV

After this preliminary interview a behavioral panel interview is conducted by the HR

Unilever selects candidates based on its Standards of Leadership which revolve

Increments or bonuses are given to employees based on their evaluations. The

Communication in Marketing Department

COVID pandemic posed many challenges for companies, as marketing departments

Communication in Supply Chain Department

A session on “Connecting Employees to the heart of Unilever’s Sustainable Living

Moreover, on the transition from desktop client-server to gateway technology, a

ISIS (Integrated Supply Management Information System) is a supply management

Enterprise-Scale Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence Solutions: Sinfonia is an

Communication in Corporate Affairs Department

telecommunication regulator of Pakistan which is in charge of setting up, operating, and

At the external corporate level, as mentioned above, Unilever interacts and

Indirect communication for the corporate affairs department considers a mixture of

government by working in accordance with its requirements and ensuring excellent

Q1. What is your sex?

▪ Less than 100,000

Q10. How do you view Unilever’s activity on social media?

▪ Their presence is less

Q12. Where do you see Unilever’s promotional messages the most?

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