Hindustan Unilever witnessed large scale disruption in supply and the movement of goods from factory to retail shelves in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent nationwide lockdown in India. Panic buying by consumers created unruly scenes at retail outlets with unprecedented hoarding of stock, leading to large-scale shortages of goods. With most migrant laborers choosing to return to their villages, there was a shortage of manpower in the transport sector and a large-scale disruption in the movement of goods. E-commerce platforms too ran out of stocks, managing to supply only a limited number of goods.
With only 20 percent of retail outlets operational, retail businesses were witnessing daily losses in Mumbai. The mass-scale disruption of supply chains led to Hindustan Unilever (HUL) downgrading its business outlook in the months of the lockdown. The HUL sales and customer development teams were looking for a solution to reach stranded consumers locked in the confines of their homes with no access to essential goods.
Essentials on Wheels (EOW), a contactless Direct2Home distribution channel, was devised for Hindustan Unilever to help consumers access HUL Products despite the restrictions. HUL converted a challenge into an opportunity through a home essentials delivery service. This service offered consumers locked in the confines of their homes an opportunity to order from the entire HUL product portfolio through the convenience of a mobile based application, with orders being delivered directly to the doorstep through a mobile delivery service.
Objective and Context:
Essentials on Wheel (EOW) addressed the fear of infection that had gripped people's minds, with most people hesitant to even visit their local grocers for daily supplies. Disruption of supply lines due to the lockdown created shortages in essential goods at retail and even on e-commerce platforms.
Target Audience:
Hindustan Unilever witnessed a large scale disruption in supply and the movement of goods from factory to retail shelves in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown. Panic buying by consumers created unruly scenes at retail outlets with unprecedented hoarding of stock, leading to large-scale shortages of goods.
With most migrant laborers choosing to return to their villages, there was a shortage of manpower in the transport sector and a large-scale disruption in the movement of goods. E-commerce platforms too ran out of stocks, managing to supply only a limited number of goods. The mass-scale disruption led to Hindustan Unilever downgrading its business outlook in the months of the lockdown. A solution was needed.
HUL converted a challenge into an opportunity through a service that offered consumers locked in the confines of their homes an opportunity to order from the entire HUL product portfolio through the convenience of a mobile-based application, with orders being delivered directly to the doorstep by a mobile delivery service.
Creative Strategy:
The campaign was a Direct2Home model in which consumers could place orders for home essentials directly with HUL through a simple mobile application and get their goods delivered directly to their doorstep. The campaign largely focused on offering a convenient and safe way for consumers to buy the entire range of HUL Products from the safety of their homes.
Overall Campaign Execution:
The project was implemented in multiple suburbs of Mumbai though two main steps:
Mobile Execution:
The EOW App was synced with the Unilever supply-chain system that directed orders to designated distributors to fulfill. A real-time stock management system synced with product availability and updated the product gallery. Order fulfillment was managed by a trained mobile delivery team that managed stock pick-up from the distributor and delivery to residents daily. All COVID-19 sanitation protocols were adhered to, ensuring contactless deliveries.
EOW offered a safe and easy way for consumers to buy from the entire range of products directly from HUL through a mobile application, with deliveries being made Direct2Home by a well-trained mobile delivery team.
