1. Discuss and suggest segmentation criteria for the Nivea Sun Care business. Hamburg-based Beiersdorf AG can trace its origins back to a patent received for medical plasters in 1882 by the pharmacist Paul C. Beiersdorf. The business did not remain focused on this area alone: the first Labello lipcare stick was sold almost 100 years ago. In 1911, Nivea Creme (which literally means ‘snow white’) – the first stable, oil-and-water-based cream – was created. From early on, the company was looking abroad. Already by 1913 the company generated 42 per cent of its sales abroad.

The 1990s saw the start of Nivea’s systematic expansion into an umbrella brand. Today, the process is regarded internationally as a classic example of successful brand development. Brand trust has been extended to a wide range of products: men’s care, hair care, body care, face care, hand care, sun protection, bath and shower care, deodorants and make-up. Thanks to Nivea Sun, Beiersdorf is not just the European market leader for sun-care products; it was also the catalyst for the introduction of a sun protection factor as a new global standard.