Course : Master of Science (M.S.

) in Management

Subject : Marketing Management

Assignment : Group case 3 (Nestlé)

Due Date : 13 March, 2011

Submitted by: Submitted to:

 Contents

Instructions for case study ……………………………………………

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Introduction ……………………………………
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An analysis of Nestlé case issues …….………….……………………………………………

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Alternatives in solving these issues ……………………………………………………………………………………

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Choosing the best alternative …………………………………………

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Discussion questions

1. What have been the key success factors for Nestlé ? …………………………………
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……………….. 10

2. Where is Nestlé vulnerable? What should it watch

w atch out for? ………………………………………. 10

3. What recommendations would you make to senior marketing executives going

forward? What should the company be s ure to do with i ts marketing? ……………………… 11

Bibliography and References …………………………………………

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 Introduction

Nestlé began in Switzerland in 1867 when Henri Nestlé, a pharmacist launched his product Farine

Lactée Nestlé, a nutritious gruel for children. Nestlé, which means ’little nest’, is used in both the company

name and the logotype and symbolizes security, family and nourishment. Nestlé is today the world's

biggest food and beverage company and employs roughly 280,000 people in over 86 countries and have

factories or operations in nearly every country in the world. The Nestlé family has grown to produce

products that include chocolates, soups, coffee, cereals, frozen products, yoghurts, mineral water and

other food products. Nestlé has continued to expand its product portfolio in the early 70’s to include pet

foods, pharmaceutical products and cosmetics.

Nestlé's strategy is directed by several fundamental principles such as innovation and renovation

which ensures that the existing products grow and maintain a balance in geographic activities and product

lines. Long-term potential is never sacrificed for short-term performance or profit. The Company's priority

is to bring the best and most relevant products to people, wherever they are, whatever their needs,

throughout their lives.

The company’s   business principles are vital to its framework for corporate responsibility. This

framework also enables it to create shared value with suppliers, partners, customers and consumers across

the world. Nestlé ’s  corporate responsibility involves more than what the regulations and laws require,

ensuring greater trust from individuals and organizations that does business with them.

Nestlé’s main business principle is based on decentralization, meaning headquarters sets the overall

strategy and ensures that it is carried out by each country but they are responsible for the running of its

business. This approach is best summed up as: 'centralize what you must, decentralize what you can'.

Nestlé believes that they should think about their organizations globally but they deal with people by

interacting with them locally. “Thinking globally - acting locally”

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 An Analysis of Nestle Case Issues

SWOT analysis of Nestlé

Strengths:

1. Nestlé is recognized as one of the largest and most powerful food producer globally, having factories in

nearly every country over the world and employ over 280,000.

2. Nestlé are low cost operators and produces low cost products that ensure them having the upper hand

on competition and benefits the consumer by providing affordable products.

3. Nestlé has a powerful brand positioning in the consumers mind and its product portfolio contains

roughly 6,000 brands and is ranked as the largest bottled water corporation that operates in an

environmental friendly manner.

4. Globally, Nestlé is the biggest ice-cream producer, having a market share of approximately 17.5%

(2006).

5. The business strategy of CEO, Peter Brabeck stresses the importance of internal growth by increasing

sales volume by renovating existing products and innovating new products. His explanation of

renovation is that “to just keep pace in the industry, you need to change at least as fast as consumer

expectations.” Brabeck explains that, “to maintain a leadership position, you also need to leapfrog, to

move faster and go beyond what consumers will tell you.” this strategy has led Nestlé achieving their

internal growth targets.

6. The joint venture of Nestlé and General Mills benefitted both parties due to the experience and brand

recognition of General Mills. General Mills products are widely distributed and have the leading brand

of yoghurt in the U.S. The trust consumers have for General Mills brand and Nestlé joining them has

made Nestlé a force to be reckoned with in the nutritional food market. It has also established joint

ventures with giants like Coca Cola, and L’Oreal that are useful in providing knowledge on different

technological aspects.

7. Nestlé uses two forms of research, qualitative and quantitative so as to understand consumer opinions

and trends.

 Qualitative research involves setting up small focus groups of consumers who express their

ideas and opinions about their needs and views on different products.

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  Quantitative research involves professional market researchers interviewing thousands of

people.

Market research helps the company to keep in touch with an ever changing environment in which

social attitudes and buying patterns are continually shifting.

Weakness:

1. Nestlé’s timing in launching their product line in France was a big setback in gaining the market in the

region especially for the dairy line. Danone beat them to the punch and has profited greatly from this.

For the U.S Nestlé entered a mature market a nd could not achieve satisfactory sales.

2. The lack of product information has caused misconceptions of some of their product ingredients,

especially with the launch of LC-1, a healthy yoghurt drink which was withdrawn from some countries

due to low sales.

3. The joint venture of Nestlé and General Mills has restricted Nestlé to be innovative, the success

General Mills has experienced in the yoghurt market made them reluctant to expand their product line

and so given competition an opportunity to exploit possible markets that Nestlé could have provided.

4. A boycott against Nestlé that started 1977 until today was prompted by the company's promotion

of breast milk substitutes (infant formula) and has been accused of unethical methods of promoting

infant formula over breast-milk to poor mothers in developing countries. This has put Nestlé in a

precarious position on their ethical values as a company.

5. The tainted Nestlé formula scandal has caused inoperable damage to the company’s image. The

contamination of Nestlé’s baby formulas In China caused the death of 3 children and more than 6,000

fell ill after consuming the contaminated milk. Many health departments all over the world recalled

most of the company’s top -selling infant milk formulas after the products tested positive for high levels

of melamine a chemical that causes severe ki dney damage.

6. Nestle product brand recognition is associated with displaying health benefits on their products but

Regulators like FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and AMA (American Medical Association) are

urging Nestlé on removing such advertising displays after research proved that some products has no

such attributes like low cholesterol and low fat properties. Parents have also reported a diabetic

epidemic due to the consumption of such goods.

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7. The enormous diversification portfolio of the firm makes it impossible to run every division smoothly,

logistics cost is fairly high and the supply chain is of a complex stature.

Opportunities:

1. Due to the increase of the health awareness in the society, more health based products are required.

2. There is a huge market for anti-allergy products or a product for Lactose intolerant consumers.

3. Providing incentives to the retailers can i ncrease sales volume.

4. Asian consumers are mostly price conscious rather than health conscious. Nestlé has an opportunity to

have extensive strategies implemented

implemented to gain the market in those countries.

5. Most countries are recovering from the global recession, and now is the time to increase production

rates to meet consumer demands.

Threats:

1. Slack quality control can cause contamination of products and stricter control should be implemented

The FDA has been a continuous threat for the growth of Nestlé through bad publicity.

2. The rise of inflation especially during and after the recession can hold two major threats:

 To maintain affordable product prices causes a decrease in profit margins.

 The increase of product prices can lessen the financial loss but can decrease the sales.

3. Package shrinking has cut cost for Nestlé but has also caused dissatisfaction for consumers as they pay

more for a lesser product.

4. For some products the market has matured or has been saturated which makes it even harder for

Nestlé to introduce or maintain new or existing products.

5. Malnutrition in developing countries and obesity in first world countries creates a logistics problem and

product development becomes a complicated issue.

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 Alternatives in solving these issues

Product Solution:

Consumers are becoming more health conscious, and realize people are looking to adopt healthier

lifestyles. Governments have supported this and have promoted the benefits of healthier living; this has

created a market for healthy and nutritious food. Consumers want to buy good tasting foods that can allow

them to have healthier diets. Nestlé is keen to capture a greater share of this growing market.

Nestlé's ongoing strategy is to develop a 'Wellness' approach that builds on its tradition of producing

nutritional products. Nestlé introduced and developed

developed its Sveltesse
Sveltesse ('slimness' in French) range. The range

began with yoghurts and dairy products and globally now includes bottled water, ice cream, cereal bars and

frozen prepared meals. For Nestlé to fill this market gap they need to use the EVR (Environment, Value and

Resources) business tool to decide whether this strategy is appropriate. The strategy the business chooses

must match these three elements. Nestlé's Wellness strategy must:

 E - (Environment)  Match the strategy to the Environment in which the business operates. For

Nestlé, it is a social environment, where consumers need nutritional products for a healthier

lifestyle.

 V - (Values) Ensure the strategy is consistent with the organization's Values. Nestlé key principle is

that of meeting consumers' needs for nutritio n, enjoyment and quality they can trust.

 R - (Resources) Ensure the company has the necessary Resources to support the strategy. With its

science and technology base, Nestlé is well funded and equipped to develop the required science-

based improvements to existing products.

After developing an appropriate strategy Nestlé has to look to ensure all its products maintain the standard

and provide better nutritional benefits. This involves:

 Keeping certain product lines even if it has a low profit margin to ensure customer choice variety.

 Reformulate products to have more nutritional value by reducing sugar, fat and salt quantity in the

products.

 Launching new products with scientifically proven nutritional benefits.

 The company needs to educate consumers about healthy lifestyles and proper nutrition .

 Ensuring all products show nutritional facts and what health benefits the product can offer.

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 Nestlé Nutrition aims to deliver better business performance by offering consumers trusted, science

based nutrition products and services. They believe reinforcing leadership in this market is the key element

of their corporate strategy. This market is considered that the consumer’s main motivation for purchasing

Nestlé products is based on nutritional value.

Public Relations Solution:

Nestlé’s policies on eco -efficiency, sustainability and the policy towards the use of water have

projected the company’s desire to ensure a better life for all. Nestlé still means to go forward, developing

new policies and initiatives on eco-efficiency, responsible business practice and sustainability. Nestlé will

also work with national and international bodies to improve sustainability.

Joint Ventures Solution:

General Mills operates internationally mainly through joint ventures, but also through purchasing

existing companies. General Mills has a fifty-fifty joint venture with Nestlé in the cereal division; their

products are available in more than 130 countries. The successful joint ventures have allowed the

companies to share their resources and capabilities to gain a l ucrative competitive advantage. General
General Mills

functions horizontally using the acquisitions, mergers, and alliance technique. This allows the company as a

whole to gain more market power and coverage throughout the world. Nestlé would gain considerable

control of the market through joint ventures or purchasing existing companies.

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 Choosing the best alternative

The best alternative is not by implementing one solution but a list of solution according to their

category or division. The following categories need to be addressed in order to provide the best possible

solution:

Product:

 Meeting consumer expectations

 Ensuring an affordable yet healthy product

 Maintain a consistent standard

 Improve quality control

Marketing:

 Invest more in advertising

 Invest more in public relations especially for bad publicity

 Should become more actively involved in fund raiser s and charitable institutions

 Be more transparent with product values

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 Discussion questions

What have been the key success factors for Nestlé?

1. Global brand strategy:  Nestlé has products that resonate all over the world under a unified brand.

These brands have the reputation of a “global food company” and the products have their own

specific attributes.

2. Best quality at the lowest cost: The quality standard of Nestlé made it a differentiator. Nestlé goes to great

lengths to enhance their relevance to consumers when considering the taste, appearance and price of

their products. Nestlé's existing products grow and succeed through renovation while maintaining a

balance of quality in geographic activities and product lines.

3. Highly developed HR (Human Resource) department:  Nestlé regards its personnel as its most valuable

asset. The HR department of Nestlé takes great care and precaution when hiring personnel.

Management of Nestlé believes in open door policy and highly discourages bureaucracy in the

operational process and believes that a happy employee is a productive employee.

4. Localization amidst globalization:  Nestlé has successfully achieved localization in the increasingly

globalized food industry. (Product planning, production, marketing and services form a strategy of

localization)

Where is Nestlé vulnerable? What should it watch out for?

Most U.S. cities implemented a new policy to banish all bottled water from municipal buildings. Unlike

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo - two of the big-four international bottled water companies - Nestlé’s beverage

division is almost completely dependent on bottled water.

Nestlé got into the bottled water business when it bought Perrier in 1992. For over a decade Nestlé

bought a large number of small regional bottled water companies around the world. Today Nestlé owns

over 70 brands worldwide. The majority of these products are non-flavored still bottled water. Producing

mainly regular bottled water has left Nestlé vulnerable to the rapid downturn in sales of bottled water.

Nestlé reported a 1.6% drop in bottled water sales in 2008; as a result the company would cut investment

in its bottled water division.

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What recommendations would you make to senior marketing executives going

forward? What should the company be sure to do with its marketing?

1. Pricing strategy: A key benefit of maintaining a strong brand image in a competitive market is being

flexible in the pricing strategy.

2. Promotional strategy: Nestlé has used a wide range of promotional tactics, with the increase of

internet users more emphasis should be done on on-line promotions

3. Distribution strategy: Sales of confectionery depend heavily on its availability, with market research

showing that well over 60% of all purchases are made on impulse. Joint ventures with distribution

companies should be considered.

4. Point of sale merchandising: Instantly recognizable packaging also helps to tempt

tempt customers in buying

the product, some product packaging should be redesigned.

5. Focus on Foreign Direct Investment:   Being a global organization Nestlé should focus more on their

international strategy.

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 Bibliography and References

http://thebovine.wordpress.com/2008/11/27/nestle-ordered-to-recall-melamine-tainted-baby-formula-in-

south-africa/

http://www.nestle-baby.ca/en/products/formula/starter/goodstart_probiotic.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestl%C3%A9_boycott

http://www.scribd.com/doc/13826325/Nestle-Marketing

http://www.scribd.com/doc/21544545/Introduction-Nestle-Was-Founded-in-1866-by-Henri-Nestle-And

http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/case-study--sustainability-water--7-122-5.php

http://kylelacy.com/does-negative-social-media-and-pr-really-hurt-a-brand/

http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Nestle-s-3-Key-Success-Factors/436484

http://www.polarisinstitute.org/nestl%C3%A9%E2%80%99s_sinking_division

http://www.wikiswot.com/SWOT/3_Consumer_Packaged_Goods_(CPGs)/Nestle.html

http://www.freeswotanalysis.com/consumer-goods-swot/125-nestle-swot-analysis.html

http://www.nestle.com/AllAbout/AtGlance/Introduction/Introduction.htm

http://www.nestle.com/Resource.axd?Id=C6C11013-FF1A-40F4-994D-7BAFFC270218

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/mostadmired/2010/full_list/

http://www.allbusiness.com/trade-development/economic-development/5518413-1.html

http://www.equalizerpost.com/2010/01/nestles-swot-analysis.html

http://articles.castelarhost.com/nestle_background.htm

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/12163694/Nestle-Marketing-Mix

http://www.coursework.info/University/Business_and_Administrative_stu
http://www.coursework.info/University/Business_and_Administrative_studies/Marketing/Nestle_
dies/Marketing/Nestle_is_the_w
is_the_w

orld_biggest_known_brand_L92630.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/22274938/Swot-n-Pest-Analysis-of-Nestle-and-Coca-Cola

http://remorph.blogspot.com/2008/09/swot-nestle.html

http://free-pdf-ebook.com/2010/10/08/nestle-and-coca-cola-a-swot-analysis/

http://www.freeswotanalysis.com/consumer-goods-swot/125-nestle-swot-analysis.html

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