"Unilever: Fat and Thin" The Economist, April 15th-21st, 2000, pp.63-66.

Synopsis:
The closing case in chapter 13 describes the strategy that Unilever, a multinational with worldwide operations in the detergent and food industries, adopted in 1990s to better compete on a global basis.

This article explains Unilever's recent strategy to keep competitiveness in the global food industry where margins grow thinner and sales from new products are relatively low. As a way to grow earnings, Unilever is gobbling small and innovative brands such as Ben & Jerry and Slim-Fast. This article also describes the synergy effects Unilever's latest buys may create.

Full-text Article:
http://www.economist.com/editorial/justforyou/20000226/index_business.html

Case connection:
"Organizational Change at Unilever" in Chapter 13 (pp.424-425).