Unilever's Path to Growth Strategy: Is It Working

Unilever's Path to Growth Strategy: Is it Working

1. What are the chief elements of Unilever’s diversification strategy? Is Unilever pursuing a multicountry or a global strategy? What aspects of the strategy do you like? What aspects of the strategy are you skeptical about and why?

2. Did Unilever pay too much to acquire SlimFast? Is there any reason to believe that SlimFast might be a better performer as part of Unilever than it would be a standalone enterprise? Explain. Is SlimFast a good strategic fit, given that there are no other important diet products in Unilever’s product/brand portfolio?

3. What is going on at SlimFast in 2003? Why are sales nose-diving? What can be done to get things turned around? Should the SlimFast business be sold? Was the acquisition a mistake? Why did things look so good at the time of the acquisition and so dismal now?

4. Did Unilever pay too much to acquire Ben & Jerry’s? Is there any reason to believe that Ben & Jerry’s might be a better performer as part of Unilever than it would be a standalone enterprise? What problems will Unilever be likely to encounter with its Ben & Jerry’s acquisition?

5. Did Unilever pay too much to acquire Best Foods? Why or why not? What is your assessment of Best Foods’ recent performance and business portfolio? Is Best Foods a