Abstract
Unilever has been operating in UK for more than a century. With annual UK sales of nearly £2.5 billion, the company is one of the world's leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods which includes food products, home and personal product categories. In 2004, the company spent $1250 million (= £ 715.7 million) on research and development, 2.6% of the company's turnover, which confirms their leadership on the market. This research and development was focused on their priority segments i.e. the D and E markets, personal care and vitality segments. Dove, originally a moisturizing soap, had strong brand image among the consumers which was an economic leverage for Unilever. The company has expanded Dove's brand from 13 countries to 75 over the past decade, with global sales reaching more than $800 million (= £ 458 million).
