In January $2015,$ when CEO Paul Polman announced Unilever's financial results for $2014,$ it was hardly a celebration$-$ the company's $2\mathrm{.}9\%$ sales growth was its lowest in a decade. He was ready to challenge much of the conventional wisdom$-$ Shaking the tree: challenging the culture, changing the team. To shake up a culture he saw as "internally focused and self$-$serving," Polman froze salaries and cut overseas travel. He then initiated a management shakeup, replacing the CFO, the CMO, and the Global Head of Foods, Home, and Personal Care. In the span of a week, he replaced numerous top positions and assembled his own C$-$teams. While he was tightening operations and making structural and personnel changes, Polman was also preparing a transformational strategy driven by the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan $($USLP$).$ Simultaneously, an intensive communication campaign began. Internally, the new CEO and his management team held meetings, hosted forums, and visited operations to outline the vision, answer questions, and celebrate early achievements. Externally, Polman gave interviews to the media, met with analysts, and spoke at meetings from UN conferences to the World Economic Forum at Davos. He announced a "Compass Vision" that aimed to double the size of Unilever's business while simultaneously reducing its environmental footprint and increasing its positive social impact. The boldness of the commitment took many by surprise. Polman understood that it was one thing to create a bold vision, and quite another to implement it$-$particularly as an outsider upsetting the comfortable status quo. Polman knew he would need a lot more support to implement the change. He created the Unilever Leadership Executive $($ULE$),$ combining the role of Chief Marketing Officer $($CMO$)$ with responsihility for the leadership of both Communications and Sustainability.

Simultaneously, an intensive communication campaign began. Internally, the new CEO and his managemert team held meetings, hosted forums, and visited operations to outline the vision, answer questions, and celebrate early achievements. Externally, Polman gave interviews to the media, met with analysts, and spoke at meetings from UN conferences to the World Economic Forum at Davos.

What is the subsequent step according to Kotler's $8-$step process that he should take?

Empowering employees for broad$-$based action

Generating short$-$term wins

Creating the guiding coalition

Consolidating gains and producing more change