strategic management case study of nestle

How Nestlé Became The World's Largest Food Company

Table of contents.

Let’s trace the origins of Nestlé and its exceptional legacy of 150+ years that have led it to become a company with:

• Market cap of $326.07 Billion as of Feb 9, 2023
• Over 2000 brands worldwide
• Monumental presence in 186 countries
• A workforce of nearly 276,000 employees
• Revenue of CHF 87.1 billion in 2021
• 354 factories in 79 countries

Grab a Kit Kat or sit back with a cup of freshly brewed Nescafe, and let’s go back to 1866 , the year it all began.

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A Merger Lays The Foundation Of Nestlé’s Success

The story of Nestlé begins with Henri Nestlé of Vevey, a namesake of the company, and unsurprisingly, its founder. But it is also linked with two brothers, Charles and George Page, who were located far away in America at the time.

While the world of business was not a global village back then, perhaps it was fate, the love for milk, or sheer successful marketing strategy that brought the businesses of the two together to form the Nestlé we see today.

The creation of Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company

Charles Page was a U.S. consul who visited Switzerland and became intrigued by its Swiss cows and beautiful meadows. The country had been a primary milk production center since the 19th century due to its available resources of high-quality cows and attracted people with a passion for milk production from far and wide. 

Page was one such individual with a different aspiration: he wanted to create condensed milk. Easy to store and transport, condensed milk, according to him, was the next big thing in the entrepreneurial world. 

Therefore, with his brother George Page, he created the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company and opened the doors of the first-ever condensed milk factory in Switzerland, in the town of Cham, in 1866.

Henri experiments

Meanwhile, Henri Nestlé was a local pharmacist in Vevey who loved experimenting with anything and everything he could get his hands on. This meant creating incredible food fusions was right up his alley.

During the 1860s, infant mortality rates remained a grave problem in Switzerland. As a man with 13 siblings, Henri understood the woes of infants. Yet, the turning point came when he saw that premature babies faced difficulty in consuming breast milk.

Invoking his creativity, he combined available resources and his scientific knowledge to produce “ Farine Lactee ” in 1867, an infant formula made with cow’s milk, wheat flour, and sugar.

This proved to be a breakthrough, and soon, sales increased to 1000+ cans in 1871 and more than 2000 in 1873. Two years later, Nestlé’s products could be found worldwide, including but not limited to Indonesia, Egypt, and the U.S.

As sales increased exponentially, Henri gave his company a logo symbolizing his family name that meant “Little Nest”. The logo, therefore, contained a bird’s nest.

Today, the logo has been simplified but remains its original idea and charm as an ode to the founder.

A rivalry emerges

In 1875, Henri retired, and the company was led forth by three local businessmen in Vevey. However, simultaneously, the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company expanded to newer markets in Europe, and upon discovering Nestlé’s infant formula and its success, it developed a rival product and floated it into the market.

To Nestlé, this was nothing less than a declaration of industry war, and soon after, Nestlé added a new product to its portfolio: a Farine Lactee condensed milk. Fierce competition developed, followed by price wars and predatory market strategies.

As both companies competed for a greater market share and ROI on their rival products, it did not come as a surprise when both began generating lower revenues and making losses.

The price war lasted roughly for about 30 years until the death of all three – Henri, George, and Charles.

In 1905, the current directors of the companies agreed to halt their rivalry and combine their businesses for greater market share, revenues, and expanded reach over the globe.

As a result, Nestlé and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Co. was founded – that eventually became Nestlé.

Certificate for 100 shares of the Nestlé and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Co., issued 1. November 1918

Key takeaway 1: leave emotion out of strategy

For many years, Henri and the Page brothers went head to head in the milk industry, expanding into European markets, creating substitute rival products, adopting predatory pricing strategies, and undercutting price benchmarks. 

All this only yielded the worst for both businesses in the form of reduced revenues, higher price elasticity of demand, and a confused clientele.

Their saving grace was the strategic decision of the directors to call a truce and join forces – shared winners over lone losers. With the main competition becoming the same company, the focus was brought back to improving operations and opting for practices the business could sustain. Resultantly, the only path now was onwards and upwards.

This means foresight, strategy, and impartial business sense take priority over emotional responses, especially in the business world.

World War I, Government Contracts, & Innovative Strategies

Most companies take a few years to establish themselves in their local markets, minimizing risks. Only once they are comfortably settled and have enough brand appeal and resources to expand do they risk entering the global market.

But Nestle is not like most companies, is it?

Henri Nestle had become a big player in the Western Europe Market, and Page Brothers were leading the way in Britain. Thus, the merger already allowed Nestle to be the go-to condensed milk brand.

From there, it was always going to spread itself and capture as much of the global share as it could, and so it did. Within a decade, this newly merged company had taken its operations around the world, establishing factories in the UK, Europe, the United States, and Asia.

An unexpected opportunity

WWI broke out in 1914, and the scale of disruption around the globe was huge.  Almost every industry was affected. Some thrived and grew, but many collapsed or barely survived.

Nestle also faced an initial period of hardship where it was difficult to maintain its supplies due to severe shortages, and maintaining a smooth distribution network in Europe was near impossible. Hence, most of their supplies ran out of catering to the needs of locals.

However, the war presented a unique opportunity. The demand for milk shot up, and consequently, governments around the world sought contracts with major milk producers and distributors.

Nestle acquired several of these contracts that enabled it to not only come out of the difficult situation it was in but also rapidly expand its operations. It developed most of its factories in the US, where supply and distribution were easier, and recovery began. In fact, by the end of the war, the company had over 40 factories in the world, nearly doubling Nestlé’s overall production.

Moving forward by embracing innovation

Of course, the circumstances around WWI were unusual and worked in favor of Nestle. But it wasn’t the only reason the firm grew at such a pace. Research and innovation had defined the companies that came together to form Nestle. Hence, the same qualities were inherited and ingrained in Nestle. At a time where global infrastructure was going through a phase of transformation, Nestle was at the forefront of it utilizing it and spreading it.

For instance, railways and steamships were the new business logistics, and they became the company’s ticket into established and untapped urban markets overseas. Print media became the main face of modern marketing. Nestle cleverly capitalized on it by projecting its brand through newspapers, magazines, and billboards. The adverts focused on what made the company stand out: quality, taste, nutrition, safety, and affordability – characteristics Nestle still proudly stands by.

All while these advancements were being embraced, Nestle didn’t lose sight of what they were truly about: their products. Hence, as far as production is concerned, they continued to introduce more efficient methods in their factories, expanding their capacity and boosting quality.

Key takeaway 2: growth follows the ambitious

Both World Wars were make-or-break events. From a decrease in demand to a disruption in supply, Nestle faced all sorts of challenges. But Nestle, even before it merged, was always looking for opportunities to grow, and the government contracts gained during the war were essentially the result of it. If Nestle didn’t have its operations worldwide, it would never have captured the governmental radar. It may have survived the shortage; it may not have.

These contracts allowed the company to grow, which worked perfectly with its innovative strategies, such as tapping urban markets and marketing using print media to enhance the brand appeal and create brand affinity. This highlights the importance of being proactive and always looking for potential opportunities, even in challenging times. 

World Wars & Expanding The Product Portfolio

1918 , the year WWI finally ended.

The fighting did stop, but the unstable economic situation the world was in couldn’t be fixed easily. Nestle’s government contracts were up, and it found itself amongst the many companies facing the force of the crisis. To add to their difficulties, consumers that had shifted to condensed milk during the war shifted back to fresh milk as supply resumed.

The company went into a loss for the first time in 1921 .

Timely response

At that point, sales were down, and production costs were high for Nestle. Its operations needed an overhaul to reach sustainability. For this purpose, Swiss banker Louis Dapples was handed the task of reorganizing the company.

Not only was he able to match production and sales, but the move also helped Nestle clear its outstanding debt. Thereafter, the company spent a good part of the decade staying afloat and focusing on sustaining its operations.

More than a milk company

First milk, and then condensed milk; despite having a global reach, Nestle hadn’t really made an effort to expand its product portfolio.

Perhaps, till the 1920s , it had never felt the need to. It had been growing at a rapid pace and adding several countries to its customer base. Now, as growth stagnated and consumer demand shifted to fresh milk, something different had to be done.

Thus, they made a series of acquisitions that opened their doors to new industries, the most notable of which was the Kohler Swiss Chocolate company in the mid-1920s . Consequently, chocolate became the second most important product of Nestle.

‍ Nestlé buys Switzerland's largest chocolate company Peter-Cailler-Kohler

Alongside chocolate, the company also introduced malted milk, a powdered beverage named Milo, and powdered buttermilk for small children.

Malted chocolate drink Milo launches in Australia

The Nescafe revolution

The chocolate business was going well for Nestle, but they were yet to launch the product that would change the company’s future forever.

In 1930 , the Brazilian Coffee Institute approached the company with a unique problem. Brazil had a huge surplus of coffee, but there was no real demand or use at the time. Nestle spent the next 8 years researching and experimenting with products to develop from this coffee.

While the Brazilians suggested coffee cubes, Nestle had a better idea instead.

Voila, in 1938 , Nestle launched “Nescafe” an instant soluble coffee solution, the first of its kind and one of the most popular Nestle products to date. This was later followed by Nestea, another incredibly popular product that continues to drive the tastes of many across the globe today.

Nestlé launches NESCAFÉ in Switzerland on 1 April 1938

The USA again becomes the helping hand

There was immense potential in Nescafe, but at the same time, Nestle began to experience the severe impacts of WWII even before it broke into a worldwide conflict. The company’s revenues nosedived from $20 million in 1938 to $6 million in 1939 .

Although Switzerland remained neutral in both world wars, the situation in Europe was highly volatile, and business could not be conducted normally. Again, Nestle looked towards America by shifting its base of operations to Connecticut, far away from the conflict.

Their previous experience during WWI had allowed the company to form healthy relationships with the states, which helped them settle in. Unfortunately, the USA could not stay away from the war for too long and joined the allies in 1941 .

For Nestle, it was a complete blessing; Nescafe became a staple food for the US military as it was easily preservable, and the taste has already become a hit. Hence, without having to spend a fortune on advertisements, the coffee product penetrated worldwide, and funnily, its first brand ambassadors were allied soldiers.

Nestle sent tons and tons of Nescafe to the frontlines and managed to turn around their sales completely. From making $100 million in 1938 to reaching up to $225 million in 1945 .

Key takeaway 3: diversify and innovate

The end of WWI and the economic depression brought by it made life difficult for almost every business, including Nestle. Plus, the fact that customers preferred fresh milk instead of condensed milk meant that Nestle found it difficult to sustain its business. 

Customers’ demands and preferences, as well as the market scenarios, can change drastically over time. Nestle learned that they needed to be flexible enough to adapt and bold enough to take risks. Otherwise, they will be left with no choice but to shut up shop. 

This is when the milk company gradually began expanding by introducing new products and exploring new markets. It, in turn, allowed the company to grow despite the difficult situation.

Hence, companies should never rest on their laurels and try to improve consistently, be it by innovating, branching out, and increasing the quality and quantity of products or services they offer.

Growth Through Acquisitions and Diversification

The end of the world war had set the perfect stage for Nestle to take its business to the next level. Sales were at an all-time high, Nescafe and Nestea were making waves, and through military and government supports, the company had opened up new markets for its products.

On top of it, the world did not go into a similar depression like WWI. Instead, it marked a period of stability and peace, one which firms everywhere looked to capitalize on. Likewise, Nestle did not waste any time in getting in on the action and making some very key and monumental moves. In fact, these post-war years are often termed as the most dynamic period in the company's history!

Seasoned Maggi Soups and Broadein Food Products

As the world recovered from the war, Nestle followed an aggressive acquisition policy acquiring multiple brands worldwide. The most significant name it added to its portfolio was fellow Swiss company, Maggi.

The journey for this soup and noodles company started somewhat around the same time as that of Henri Nestle. Its founder, Julius Maggi shared the same vision of serving nutritious yet convenient foods to the public.

After the war, in 1947 , Maggi went through a number of restructurings and changes in leadership. Resultantly, the best way for the company to move forward was to join hands with Nestle. Their established factories in numerous countries introduced the Maggi brand to the world, and it became a sensation. In fact, in many Asian regions, Maggi is synonymous with instant noodles.

The Magic of Maggi

Following Maggi’s acquisition, Nestle took over several other firms in the food industry, including:

• 1960 : Crosse & Blackwell, a British can and preserved food manufacturer
• 1963 : Findus, a Swedish frozen food company
• 1971: American fruit juices company Libby
• 1973: Stouffer, a frozen and prepared foods brand

With these moves, Nestle extended its product range and established a stronghold in the preserved foods industry.

Developing new & improving existing “convenience” products

While Nestle spread its wings by bringing other brands under its umbrella, it did not lose sight of the products it developed itself.

For instance, the Nescafe coffee, which had been a huge success during the war, continued its astonishing path upwards. From 1950 to 1959 , its sales almost tripled, and with the development of an anti-freeze version in 1966 , its sales quadrupled in the next decade.

Simultaneously, Nestle also worked on launching new products. In 1948 , it further embedded itself in American households with Nesquik, a chocolate powder that would instantly mix in cold milk. 

Owing to the product’s success, they even introduced the Nesquik Bunny to win over both adults and children.

During the same time, Nestle rebranded its infant cereals as Cerelac while launching an extensive range of canned foods under Maggi.

Diversifying beyond the food industry

By the 1970s , Nestle had well and truly occupied a dominant position in the food industry. It was now time to step out of the comfort zone and venture into new industries.

The big break came in 1974 when Nestle made a move for a Parisian hair care company, L'Oréal. Established in 1909 , this company had gone from making hair dyes to a full range of cosmetic care products. It has also formed a loyal customer base in France.

With big plans, Nestle offered the family owners of L'Oréal a 3% stake in Nestle in return for a 50% share. The offer was too attractive to refuse, and the two companies entered into a new partnership. This merger reaped multifold returns for both parties, and by the 1980s , the brand was the leader in its industry.

The cosmetic arena wasn’t the only one Nestle aimed to capture. There was an economic slowdown and general volatility between the French and Swiss markets. The price of cocoa and coffee went up more than three times. Nestle decided to take a risk and leap into waters it had never been in before.

In 1977 , it also became the owner of the American pharmaceutical company, Alcon. This, too, was a success with the brand operating in 75+ countries and being sold more than twice that number.

Merger to remember & the future of coffee

Nestle never looked to slow down despite its numerous acquisitions and diverse brand offerings.

In 1984 , it offered a mind-blowing $3 billion to buy out the food company, Carnation. Many believe this to be one of the largest acquisitions outside the oil industry – at least at the time. The scale of the deal was such that it took a year for it to be approved and finalized.

It wasn’t just being in the same industry that sparked Nestle’s interest; it was also the fact that Carnation had a diverse portfolio, including a profitable pet food brand, Friskies, and Contadino tomato products.

Nestle also added UK confectionery company Rowntree Mackintosh to its list of acquisitions in 1988 , giving it ownership of popular chocolates, Kitkat and Smarties. In the same year, it also included Buitoni-Perugina, a major Italian pasta and confectionery company to its mix.

Alongside the mergers, Nestle was also actively working on making a comeback with its coffee products. Thus, in 1986 , it rolled out Nespresso, a premium version of its coffee, different from the previous freeze-dried budget version. The idea behind it was simple: present a DIY system for any person who wanted to enjoy luxury coffee.

Key takeaway 4: seek opportunities in both new and existing industries

Many firms that plan to diversify their portfolios lose grip on their main industry. Nestle wasn’t one of them. Its initial strategy for growth post-WWII was to cement its hold in the food industry with a series of acquisitions and new product offerings. Then, it made its move in other industries while still improving on its basic offerings of food, coffee, and chocolate-related products.

Nestle grew exponentially by tactfully merging and acquiring companies it thought would add value to its brand. This paid off handsomely and turned Nestle into a force to be reckoned with. It highlights the need for brands to enhance their value offerings, using whatever means they have at their disposal, right from diversifying to collaborating with others.

International Force - Nestle's Global Strategy

With the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, markets in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as China opened up. Trade barriers disintegrated, liberalization picked up the pace, and economic markets around the globe started to integrate well.

This proved to be quite beneficial for Nestle. There were new diverse markets to expand to and favorable policies that encouraged them – not that they needed any second invitation. 

Onwards & upwards with tactful acquisitions

From the late 1990s to the late 2000s, Nestle went on an aggressive acquisition spree and acquired the following companies:

• San Pellegrino group , the leading Italian mineral water business, in 1998 paved the way for Nestle to launch Nestle Pure Life and lead in Europe while making a way into developing countries worldwide.
• Spillers Petfoods in 1998 enabled Nestle to cement its position as a key player in the pet food business around the globe and Europe in particular.
• Ralston Purina , U.S.'s pet food business, in 2002 and merged with Nestlé Friskies Petcare, creating a market leader in the pet care industry, Nestlé Purina Petcare.
• The U.S. ice cream business merged with Dreyer's in 2002, establishing Nestle as the leader in the U.S., the world's largest ice cream market. 
• Movenpick Ice Cream in 2003 to complement Nestle's super-premium ice cream brands portfolio in North America and Italy.
• Delta Ice Cream in 2005 as Nestle's realized that the ice cream business was a profitable opportunity and the company could make inroad in the growing Greek and Balkans ice cream market.
• Chef America Inc in 2002 as Nestle continued with its horizontal integration and expanded into the frozen foods market, which was growing.
• Jenny Craig and Uncle Toby's in 2006 as Nestle wanted to stay true to its commitment to nutrition, health, and wellness and reinforce its presence in the U.S., the world's largest nutrition and weight management market.
• Medical Nutrition division of Novartis Pharmaceutical in 2007 as it was complementary to Nestle's Healthcare Nutrition Business and enhanced Nestle's capabilities to cater to the needs of its customers with special nutritional requirements.
• Henniez in 2007 to augment its position in the competitive Swiss bottled water market, leveraging the solid industrial capacity and distribution network of the company.
• Gerber , the iconic U.S. baby food brand, in 2007 became the number 1 player in the U.S., the world's largest baby food market, transforming Nestle Nutrition into a global leader.

A number of other partnerships were also made, such as the one with Belgian chocolatier Pierre Marcolini , helping Nestle augment its position in the food and nutrition industry while allowing it to diversify in health, wellness, and beauty.

Now, why did Nestle do that?

The answer is to remain attuned to the changing consumer tastes and remains ahead in a market that never stays still.

Sure, continuous innovation is essential, but Nestle didn't just rely on that and continued to acquire businesses and benefit from synergies to become the undisputed leader in the business world.

All this while, Nestle has remained true to its roots and continued to delight its customers worldwide.

Realizing that with expanding its global footprint, there was bound to be an array of issues that it needed to deal with effectively, Nestle launched a Group-wide initiative called GLOBE (Global Business Excellence) .

The primary purpose behind this initiative was to harmonize and simplify business processes and empower Nestle to make the most of its competitive advantage while alleviating the risks and drawbacks.

Key takeaway 5: growth & diversification through acquisition

From San Pellegrino in 1997 to Henniez and Gerber in 2007, Nestle's relentless strategy to acquire an array of businesses in different markets, ranging from pet care and baby food to ice cream and bottled water, strengthened its overall position and breathed new life into the company.

Nestle not only wanted to expand to new product lines but also become the market leader in all of them, in different parts of the world. The fastest and most effective way to do just that was through strategic acquisitions. 

In an ever-evolving market, staying still or focusing solely on a select few activities is risky for large businesses. The key, at times, to grow is to embrace an external growth strategy by acquisitions in different industries with distinctive lines of business.

Commitment To Innovation

Nestle stays firmly committed to its goals of helping people, families, and pets around the globe live happier and healthier lives. From meeting the ever-evolving needs of the modern consumer to providing safe and premium-quality of food on-demand, Nestle does it all.

However, it understands that dramatic shifts are happening in the market with consumer demands dynamically changing, new entrants offering endless choices, and people living and shopping in ways never seen before.

Winning in such an environment requires disruption and a hybrid-growth model. No one understands that better than Nestle, and here’s how it is driving value from its base portfolio while embracing new ventures to scale up.

Nestle: 150-year-old start-up innovating from within

Unlike other business entities that outsource the innovation part and fail to prepare for the future, Nestle has strategically decided to combine its scale and capabilities with the mentality and speed of a start-up.

InGenius , Nestlé's employee innovation accelerator, is the ultimate platform that encourages intrapreneurship within the company. Internal start-ups within the company are launched , and employees are encouraged to think big and creatively.

Moreover, Nestle’s global R&D accelerator program brings together scientists, students, and employees, empowering them to come up with new innovative products.

Lean designs, fast prototyping, quick testing, continuous hustling, and room for big risks make the incubator program a success. The goal of the internal start-ups is to help promptly develop new product lines from scratch within 9 months, paving the way for the future of food.

What’s more is that employees are given challenges to solve, ranging from improving the quality of food to helping achieve the net-zero target. On top of this, Nestle also helps young social entrepreneurs, outside its fold, by offering them holistic support, mentorship, and access to its R&D and innovation experts by partnering up with Ashoka – an organization that identifies and supports social entrepreneurs.

Rethinking & reinventing

To better tap into today’s consumer trends, Nestle goes the extra mile to revive the brands with modern innovation.

It does this by introducing new varieties of products and adding unique flavors to attract new customers and retain existing ones. For instance, in 2017 alone, Nestle launched 1000 new products. Yes, that’s right!

From bringing in new flavors of juices and milk to launching frozen organic meals and non-dairy desserts, among others, it tries its best to exceed its customers’ expectations.

Enhancing capabilities

Fueling growth through innovation and improving operational efficiency are two key components of Nestle’s value creation model.

While innovation is considered everyone’s job at Nestle , increasing operational efficiency is also stressed.

Each and every aspect of the business, be it hiring people, using data analytics to make decisions based on logic, optimizing supply chains, or deploying manufacturing solutions, is reviewed and revamped to increase efficiency and deliver desired business outcomes.

Future of food

Nestle, together with Swiss academic and industrial partners such as ETH Zurich, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), and companies Bühler and Givaudan, announced a joint research program, Future of Food , that will help develop nutritious, tasty, sustainable, and trendy food and beverage products.

It's just another example of Nestle leveraging innovation and partnerships to move forward. Plus, it highlights Nestle’s commitment to providing healthy food while doing right by the environment.

The future is healthy, sustainable, and personalized

Nestle is actively working on providing healthier diets to people worldwide. It's even reformulating its popular products such as Kit Kat and Maggi, among others, to reduce the sugar, salt, and saturated fat in them while also transitioning its brands towards organic.

In addition to this, it is actively working towards ensuring its supply chains have zero environmental impact and reducing its carbon footprint by changing its plastic packaging.

Nestle has announced that it will phase out all packaging that’s not recyclable by 2025 and ensure the packaging it uses is eco-friendly.

Last but not least, Nestle, in its quest to stand out and scale, is emphasizing the need to please customers in every way possible. It aims to do that by delivering customers exactly what they want, how they want it, and in the taste, and shape they want it.

Meeting the needs of consumers on an individual level, according to Nestle will make all the difference. Hence, it is investing in it. Nestle acquired a start-up in UK, Tails.com, which provides tailored diets to dogs on a monthly basis based on age, breed, and weight among other factors.

Key takeaway 6: innovate, innovate, and innovate

Ascending to the top is one thing, but remaining at the top is the real challenge. Nestle’s strategy of launching incubators, experimenting with products, enhancing capabilities, and thinking ahead to create a new future highlights the importance the company places on innovation.

Nestle never hesitates to be bold and go out of its way to innovate to accelerate its growth and achieve scale. It realizes the value that can be derived from innovation and hence, leaves no stone unturned in thinking out of the box and putting its money where its mouth is.  More than anything else, this fundamental strategy has helped the company dominate and remain a customer favorite.

Nestle In The New Normal

Nestle: the multi-national company that adapts

A vital company in the challenging times of Covid-19, Nestle made many changes in its processing and manufacturing processes to continue supplying good food. As supply chain challenges intensified, Nestle focused its efforts on streamlining the supply chain end-to-end, from sourcing supplies to logistics. 

Nestle had 8.1% organic growth in the first half of its fiscal year 2022.

Nestle: the best employer

Making the health and safety of its employees a priority, Nestle implemented enhanced safety measures on and off its premises, including factories, distribution centers, labs, and offices.

Nestle responded to Covid-19 effectively and made sure its employees are protected and motivated by:

• Allowing working from home 
• Restricting travel and exposure to the virus
• Introducing the best hygiene practices
• Implementing effective social distancing measures
• Giving a special 14-day COVID-19 leave
• Offering financial support in the form of loans

Nestle: the company that gives back to the community

Nestle extended a helping hand to those in need in the crisis. It provided holistic support to medical institutions, food banks, food delivery organizations, and relief organizations in the local communities who are on the frontline. 

Not only did Nestle donate essentials such as food and bottled water but also money. Nestle joined forced with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and donated  CHF 10 million . Plus, in order to speed up the vaccination and ensure fair distribution of vaccines, it partnered up with COVAX and donated  CHF 2 million. 

Key takeaway 7: stay resilient 

There’s no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the global markets and adversely impacted Nestle in ways more than one. However, Nestle managed to survive and thrive by continuously adapting, being proactive, and striving to do right by the people and the communities it served, as evident from its increased market share and growth during the period.

Nestle in a nutshell

Nestle products are recognized, consumed, and valued in all corners of the world. It is a company that has ingrained itself in the day-to-day life of people and continues to raise the bar higher. From innovation, people management, and a long-term strategic approach to the quality of products and services, social responsibility, and competitiveness, Nestle ticks all the boxes.

Here are the four main lessons derived from the growth of Nestle from a relatively small Swiss-based company established in 1866 to one of the most successful, admired, and profitable multinational companies in the world:

Key takeaway 1: globalize but also localize

A company as big as Nestle, which operates in almost all countries worldwide, has achieved success by localizing its offerings and catering to the needs of each individual market.

Sure, it could have made generalized global strategies and campaigns, but it took the difficult path by localizing everything from sourcing, product planning, production, marketing, and even its brand strategy.

It highlights the importance of being customer-centric regardless of who you are as a company and where you operate.

Key takeaway 2: innovate – change is an opportunity

Whether it be changing consumer demands, the evolving marketplace, or crisis situations, Nestle has never stopped innovating. Sure, it has paid the price of a few campaigns gone wrong, but one thing that it has been relentless at is continuing to strive to be a step ahead.

Nestle does it all, from committing to sustainability to coming up with new creative ways of providing more value to all stakeholders. It serves as a lesson for brands in this modern digital age. You can only survive and succeed if you innovate. Period.

Key takeaway 3: grow through acquisitions

Nestle has over 2000 brands. Yes, that’s right. Nestle has rapidly grown, gained a competitive advantage, increased its market share, achieved synergies, and enhanced efficiency in its business by acquiring companies.

It actively looks for potential acquisition opportunities and doesn’t hesitate to take risks. This showcases that if you want to grow as a company, you need to broaden your horizons and partner up with others. Foresight, strategic decisions, and impartial business sense are critical - now more than ever. 

The external growth strategy has worked wonders for Nestle by allowing it to expand into new industries and distinctive production lines - all of which have contributed immensely to its growth over the years. Simply put, if you can’t beat them, just join them, or well, in Nestle’s case, buy them.

Key takeaway 4: importance of brand & values

As a company, your values are bigger than your revenue. If you truly focus on and stick to your values, you can attract consumers and scale your company. Nestle has done just that by not only saying but becoming the “Good food, Good Life” company.

It firmly abides by its core principles of “ Unlocking the power of food to enhance the quality of life for everyone, today and for generations to come .”

Every decision that is made, every product that is launched, every customer that is served, is served to shape a better and healthier world. No wonder Nestle has become a global icon from a local favorite.

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Strategic Management Analysis - case study of nestle

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Corporate strategy, the overall plan for a diversified company, is both the darling and the stepchild of contemporary management practice—the darling because CEOs have been obsessed with diversification since the early 1960s, the stepchild because almost no consensus exists about what corporate strategy is, much less about how a company should formulate it. A diversified company has two levels of strategy: business unit strategy and corporate strategy. Competitive strategy concerns how to create competitive advantage in each of the businesses in which a company competes. Corporate strategy concerns two different questions: what businesses the corporation should be in and how the corporate office should manage the array of business units. Corporate strategy is what makes the corporate whole add up to more than the sum of its business unit parts. The track record of corporate strategies has been dismal. I studied the diversification records of 33 large, prestigious U.S. companies over the 1950-1986 period and found that most of them had divested many more acquisitions than they had kept. The corporate strategies of most companies have dissipated instead of created shareholder value. The need to rethink corporate strategy could hardly be more urgent. By taking over companies and breaking them up, corporate raiders thrive on failed corporate strategy. Fueled by junk bond financing and growing acceptability, raiders can expose any company to takeover, no matter how large or blue chip. Recognizing past diversification mistakes, some companies have initiated large-scale restructuring programs. Others have done nothing at all. Whatever the response, the strategic questions persist. Those who have restructured must decide what to do next to avoid repeating the past; those who have done nothing must awake to their vulnerability. To survive, companies must understand what good corporate strategy is. Concepts of Corporate Strategy My study has helped me identify four concepts of corporate strategy that have been put into practice-portfolio management, restructuring, transferring skills, and sharing activities. While the concepts are not always mutually exclusive, each rests on a different mechanism by which the corporation creates shareholder value and each requires the diversified company to manage and organize itself in a different way. The first two require no connections among business units; the second two depend on them. While all four concepts of strategy have succeeded under the right circumstances, today some make more sense than others. Ignoring any of the concepts is perhaps the quickest road to failure. PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT The concept of corporate strategy most in use is portfolio management, which is based primarily on diversification through acquisition. The corporation acquires sound, attractive companies with competent managers who agree to stay on. While acquired units do not have to be in the same industries as existing units, the best portfolio managers generally limit their range of businesses in some way, in part to limit the specific expertise needed by top management. The acquired units are autonomous, and the teams that run them are compensated according to unit results. The corporation supplies capital and works with each to infuse it with professional management techniques. At the same time, top management provides objective and dispassionate

Wiley Encyclopedia of Management

Tanya Sammut-Bonnici

As editors of the Wiley Encyclopedia of Management 3e, Vol. 12 Strategic Management, we aim to provide business practitioners, academics, and students of the field with a comprehensive reference relating to strategy concepts, methods, and techniques to reflect the dynamism of industry practice and academic knowledge. The juxtaposition of concepts, methods and techniques reflects the need for clarity in strategic thought as well as practicality in strategy implementation. As an encyclopedia, this volume provides a broad coverage of the field and an accessible framework for investigating its subject matter. The Strategic Management volume has been compiled through a collaborative network of over 50 professors and industry leaders from universities, business schools, and business organizations from all parts of the globe. The result is a contemporary, dynamic, and global view of strategy, which represents cutting edge thinking in the world of corporate and societal management. The text is designed to be accessible to readers from different backgrounds who contribute to the design, implementation, and use of strategy at various levels in their organizations. The ease of access to the wealth of information embodied in the encyclopedia is made possible through the modular nature of the publication whereby each strategy concept can be searched online and retrieved separately. We developed a comprehensive list of contemporary strategy topics for the third edition by looking at research published over the past decade in top academic journals, reputable industry publications, and the dominant logic of the frameworks of strategy in academic textbooks.We then organized these topics into distinct strategy themes to enable individual topics to be related to broader streams of strategic thought. The result was a significantly updated list of topics from previous editions, made up of 210 topics, 36 of which are new additions with most of the remainder being heavily revised. The new entries come mainly from the rapidly evolving nature of strategy as reflected in the content of popular textbooks on strategy and new approaches to strategic leadership advocated in business schools. There are three distinct fields that are attracting more attention in the field of strategy, which may not constitute a new core but will certainly enrich the way we think about strategy. The new themes revolve around three areas: complex behavior in organizations and industries, the psychological foundations of strategy, and strategic innovation as an area that focuses on the renewal of managerial cognition and on the responses of organizations and industries to contentious and difficult environments. Another area that has gained more citations and more interest from academics and executives in the past few years is cooperation and collaboration, which is being linked to our understanding of complex adaptive behavior. The evolution of the key terms and concepts in the encyclopedia reflects a move toward organizational strategies and resource-based views that have emerged in response to competition, regulation, social trends, and technological innovation. Our approach to building this compendium of strategic management is both conceptual and practical. Strategic management is a performance-driven discipline, with an ingrained competitive stance, that sets out to condition long-term futures. With this mindset in place, one of the major shifts in strategic thinking has been to recognize the centrality of resources and capabilities as the foundation of long-term superior results and the need to create and execute strategic plans that utilize these resources. Therefore, the resource-based view has a much more significant influence in the field of strategy. The practicalities of how the resource-based view can be captured into workable core competences and later on into dynamic capabilities that outpace the competition, will be on center stage in the foreseeable future. The nature of dynamic capabilities links back to complex adaptive behavior, a field that is yet to evolve into a robust practical toolbox for strategic decision makers. The third edition is being published in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, a crisis that has shattered many comfortable illusions about the stability of the global economy and the health and resilience of many important parts of it. The year 2014 also marks a point at which the long period of globalization and intensive technological change can be observed in new structures and strategies around the world, both political and corporate. Thus the context of the field of strategy has changed immensely and we ought to ask if it has changed the nature of strategic thinking itself. The most obvious observation to make is that the nature and importance of competition has been clearly intensified. Falling real incomes have created more demand for low price offerings and differentiated offerings have to show their value proposition more clearly. Everything we know about competition is in many senses reinforced with an override that observes that time horizons have become more compressed, strategies need to pay off earlier, and value propositions will have to be readjusted more frequently. This raises a more complex point. The tension between short-term and long-term thinking has been greatly exacerbated. The 2008 crisis pointed toward rapid financial readjustments, the primacy of cost-driven survival strategies and simultaneously the need for longer term repositioning so as to be able to create the resources and flexibility for strategies to be more reactive, more adaptive and yet more durable. Are we to see more trade-offs toward the short term or do we take from 2008 that more importance should be given to long-term durability? Part of the long-term thinking of corporations is investment and technological change. The invasion of consumer buying habits by innovations such as social networks is provoking fundamental changes in retailing and in consumer goods marketing with consequent implications for investment back down the supply chain. The pace of technical change and consumer buying habits shows no sign of diminishing. As further fuel to these changes, the significance of emerging markets has been very evident in the aftermath of 2008 with considerable visibility of China’s development into a world economic superpower (or is it going to run into bottleneck constraints and revert to more normal growth). Alongside this strand of thinking is a rethinking of globalization as a strategy. The emphasis is now on regional power coupled with increasing free trade. This is a more intricate paradigm than global standardization requiring correspondingly more complex patterns of internationalization. So change is even more positively on the agenda and the capacity to interpret and respond to contextual shifts and rapidly evolving new competitors will become a requisite core competence. Fundamentally, strategic advantage in any and all contexts is driven and fueled by the resources and capabilities of firms. The resource-based view is gaining more attention and will gain more traction in reality as firms begin to work out how to define, measure, and create core competences. The resource based view is a theory waiting for major practical advancement. Without core competences, firms are destined to be price competitors or at best rapid imitators. Long-term superior performance will accrue to those who know what are their strategic assets. The principle focus of strategy regarding the creation of wealth will continue to dominate and will remain critical to the competitive survival of firms. However, the definition of wealth in the economic literature is starting to shift toward a more holistic view that integrates financial and societal well being – a reflection probably of broader public opinion. The effect on the field of strategy is an increase in importance of areas such as corporate social responsibility as well as providing ammunition for the need for organizations to take an even longer view in spite of current short-term financial pressures. The implementation of strategy is an area that requires more attention in terms of providing a working framework of how to execute the wide variety of strategic models available in the literature. Implementation remains a minefield of mobilising financial, human, organizational and social capital, in the form of industry networks. Strategic Management Vol. 12 is a rich collection of the latest thinking on strategic management. We are indebted to our colleagues in international business schools and corporations across the globe, who have contributed with their ideas, opinions, best practices, and latest research finding. It has been a privilege to be part of this great network of strategic minds that have created this comprehensive collection of strategic management concepts.

R & D Management

Sheila Wright

Ada Mirela Tomescu

John Clippinger

Journal of Product & Brand Management

Deborah Delong

Madeeha Kanwal

Strategy is about the most crucial and key issues for the future of organizations. Strategy is also important to explore several strategic options, investigating each one carefully before making strategic choices. The study incorporates a rigorous and systematic effort to uncover the strategies and its impact on the company's performance by analysing case studies, articles and the annual report of Nike Inc. and Adidas Inc. The study attempts to find out the relevance of the strategies adopted by these companies, which are globally successful athletic apparel companies in the context of Bahrain. The findings of the study highlight Nike's strategies which focus on innovation and emphasis on its research and development department, provision of premium pricing for its customers, broad differentiation strategy, market Segmentation Strategy and Closed-Loop strategy. The Adidas strategies focus on the broad differentiation, innovation, trying to produce new products, services and processes in order to cope up with the competition. It embraces a multi-brand strategy, emphasis on expanding activities in the emerging markets, continuously improving infrastructure, processes and systems, foster a culture of challenging convention and embracing change, foster a corporate culture of performance, passion, integrity and diversity. These strategies coupled with its resources and unique capabilities form the basis of sustainable competitive advantage for both the companies. INTRODUCTION: The strategy is a path towards achieving the optimum goals of individuals, groups and organizations. In addition, it leads to a best use of companies' available resources and it also guides the company to stay in a business successfully and continuous improvements for its processes. The definition of strategy could be differ from one author to another, but the most common definition is that the strategy is long term plans and approaches towards the intended visions and objectives. It is a general framework that specified the organizations' plans, policies and approaches to meets its objectives, goals and end results. The way an organization used to shape its strategies could be differentiate from other organizations in order to make its products unique and remarkable. Globally, companies formulate their strategies based on their visions and reaching the satisfaction of customer's needs, requirements and expectations. Subsequently, they use those strategies as a baseline to compare their actual performance with planned ones, to evaluate the end results and ensuring the continuing organizational excellence. There are many kinds of strategies that are pursued by the companies; Such as cost leadership, differentiation and the focus strategies (Porter, 1985), services strategies, growth strategies. Based on the goals, the companies form those strategies and they rank them upon the priorities. It is more than important for any organization to put strategies and not any strategies; the correct strategies which are formulated after a long time of studying and after numerous number of brainstorming among the top management members. Therefore, those strategies then to be implemented by converting the organization's plans and policies into real actions through the best use of available resources such as: human resources, budgets and technological advance; in order to enhance the organization's performance, productivity and sustainability.

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Home » Management Case Studies » Case Study: Nestle’s Growth Strategy

Case Study: Nestle’s Growth Strategy

Nestle is one of the oldest of all multinational businesses. The company was founded in Switzerland in 1866 by Heinrich Nestle, who established Nestle to distribute “milk food,” a type of infant food he had invented that was made from powdered milk, baked food, and sugar. From its very early days, the company looked to other countries for growth opportunities, establishing its first foreign offices in London in 1868. In 1905, the company merged with the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk, thereby broadening the company’s product line to include both condensed milk and infant formulas. Forced by Switzer ­land’s small size to look outside’ its borders for growth opportunities, Nestle established condensed milk and infant food processing plants in the United States and Britain in the late 19th century and in Australia, South America, Africa, and Asia in the first three decades of the 20th century. In 1929, Nestle moved into the chocolate business when it acquired a Swiss chocolate maker. This was fol ­lowed in 1938 by the development of Nestle’s most rev ­olutionary product, Nescafe, the world’s first soluble coffee drink. After World War 11, Nestle continued to expand into other areas of the food business, primarily through a series of acquisitions that included Maggi (1947), Cross & Blackwell (1960), Findus (1962), Libby’s (1970), Stouffer’s (1973), Carnation (1985), Rowntree (1988), and Perrier (1992). By the late 1990s, Nestle had 500 factories in 76 countries and sold its products in a staggering 193 nations-almost every country in the world. In 1998, the company generated sales of close to SWF 72 billion ($51 billion), only 1 percent of which occurred in its home country. Similarly, only 3 percent of its- 210,000 employees were located in Switzerland. Nestle was the world’s biggest maker of infant formula, powdered milk, chocolates, instant coffee, soups, and mineral waters. It was number two in ice cream, breakfast cereals, and pet food. Roughly 38 percent of its food sales were made in Europe, 32 percent in the Americas, and 20 percent in Africa and Asia.

Management Structure

Nestle is a decentralized organization .   Responsibility for operating decisions is pushed down to local units, which typically enjoy a high degree of autonomy with regard to decisions involving pricing, distribution, marketing, human resources, and so on.   At the same time, the company is organized into seven worldwide strategic business units (SBUs) that have responsibility for high-level strategic decisions and business development.   For example, a strategic business unit focuses on coffee and beverages.   Another one focuses on confectionery and ice cream.   These SBUs engage in overall strategy development, including acquisitions and market entry strategy.   In recent years, two-thirds of Nestle’s growth has come from acquisitions, so this is a critical function.   Running in parallel to this structure is a regional organization that divides the world into five major geographical zones, such as Europe, North America and Asia.   The regional organizations assist in the overall strategy development process and are responsible for developing regional strategies (an example would be Nestle’s strategy in the Middle East, which was discussed earlier).   Neither the SBU nor regional managers, however, get involved in local operating or strategic decisions on anything other than an exceptional basis.

Although Nestle makes intensive use of local managers to knit its diverse worldwide operations together, the company relies on its “expatriate army.”   This consists of about 700 managers who spend the bulk of their careers on foreign assignments , moving from one country to the next.   Selected primarily on the basis of their ability, drive and willingness to live a quasi-nomadic lifestyle, these individuals often work in half-a-dozen nations during their careers.   Nestle also uses management development programs as a strategic tool for creating an esprit de corps among managers.   At Rive-Reine, the company’s international training center in Switzerland, the company brings together, managers from around the world, at different stages in their careers, for specially targetted development programs of two to three weeks’ duration.   The objective of these programs is to give the managers a better understanding of Nestle’s culture and strategy, and to give them access to the company’s top management.

The research and development operation has a special place within Nestle, which is not surprising for a company that was established to commercialize innovative food stuffs.   The R&D function comprises 18 different groups that operate in 11 countries throughout the world.   Nestle spends approximately 1 percent of its annual sales revenue on R&D and has 3,100 employees dedicated to the function.   Around 70 percent of the R&D budget is spent on development initiatives.   These initiatives focus on developing products and processes that fulfill market needs, as identified by the SBUs, in concert with regional and local managers.   For example, Nestle instant noodle products were originally developed by the R&D group in response to the perceived needs of local operating companies through the Asian region. The company also has longer-term development projects that focus on developing new technological platforms, such as non-animal protein sources or agricultural biotechnology products.

A Growth Strategy for the 21 st Century

Despite its undisputed success, Nestle realized by the early 1990s, that it faced significant challenges in maintaining its growth rate. The large Western European and North American markets were mature.   In several countries, population growth had stagnated and in some, there had been a small decline in food consumption. The retail environment in many Western nations had become increasingly challenging and the balance of power was shifting away from the large-scale manufacturers of branded foods and beverages, and toward nationwide supermarket and discount chains. Increasingly, retailers found themselves in the unfamiliar position of playing off against each other – manufacturers of branded foods, thus bargaining down prices. Particularly in Europe, this trend was enhanced by the successful introduction of private-label brands by several of Europe’s leading supermarket chains.   The results included increased price competition in several key segments of the food and beverage market, such as cereals, coffee and soft drinks.

At Nestle, one response has been to look toward emerging markets in Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America for growth possibilities.   The logic is simple and obvious – a combination of economic and population growth, when coupled with the widespread adoption of market-oriented economic policies by the governments of many developing nations, makes for attractive business opportunities.   Many of these countries are still relatively poor, but their economies are growing rapidly.   For example, if current economic growth forecasts occur, by 2010, there will be 700 million people in China and India that have income levels approaching those of Spain in the mid-1990s.   As income levels rise, it is increasingly likely that consumers in these nations will start to substitute branded food products for basic foodstuffs, creating a large market opportunity for companies such as Nestle.

In general,  Nestle’s growth strategy had been to enter emerging markets early – before competitors – and build a substantial position by selling basic food items that appeal to the local population base, such as infant formula, condensed milk, noodles and tofu. By narrowing its initial market focus to just a handful of strategic brands, Nestle claims it can simplify life, reduce risk, and concentrate its marketing resources and managerial effort on a limited number of key niches.   The goal is to build a commanding market position in each of these niches.   By pursuing such a strategy, Nestle has taken as much as 85 percent of the market for instant coffee in Mexico, 66 percent of the market for powdered milk in the Philippines, and 70 percent of the markets for soups in Chile.   As income levels rise, the company progressively moves out from these niches, introducing more upscale items, such as mineral water, chocolate, cookies, and prepared foodstuffs.

Although the company is known worldwide for several key brands, such as Nescafe, it uses local brands in many markets.   The company owns 8,500 brands, but only 750 of them are registered in more than one country, and only 80 are registered in more than 10 countries.   While the company will use the same “global brands” in multiple developed markets, in the developing world it focuses on trying to optimize ingredients and processing technology to local conditions and then using a brand name that resonates locally. Customization rather than globalization is the key to the Nestle’s growth strategy  in emerging markets.

Executing the Strategy

Successful execution of the strategy for developing markets requires a degree of flexibility, an ability to adapt in often unforeseen ways to local conditions, and a long-term perspective that puts building a sustainable business before short-term profitability.   In Nigeria, for example, a crumbling road system, aging trucks, and the danger of violence forced the company to re-think its traditional distribution methods.   Instead of operating a central warehouse, as is its preference in most nations, the country.   For safety reasons, trucks carrying Nestle goods are allowed to travel only during the day and frequently under-armed guard.   Marketing also poses challenges in Nigeria.   With little opportunity for typical Western-style advertising on television of billboards, the company hired local singers to go to towns and villages offering a mix of entertainment and product demonstrations.

China provides another interesting example of local adaptation and long-term focus.   After 13 years of talks, Nestle was formally invited into China in 1987, by the Government of Heilongjiang province.   Nestle opened a plant to produce powdered milk and infant formula there in 1990, but quickly realized that the local rail and road infrastructure was inadequate and inhibited the collection of milk and delivery of finished products.   Rather than make do with the local infrastructure, Nestle embarked on an ambitious plan to establish its own distribution network, known as milk roads, between 27 villages in the region and factory collection points, called chilling centres.   Farmers brought their milk – often on bicycles or carts – to the centres where it was weighed and analysed.   Unlike the government, Nestle paid the farmers promptly.   Suddenly the farmers had an incentive to produce milk and many bought a second cow, increasing the cow population in the district by 3,000 to 9,000 in 18 months.   Area managers then organized a delivery system that used dedicated vans to deliver the milk to Nestle’s factory.

Although at first glance this might seem to be a very costly solution, Nestle calculated that the long-term benefits would be substantial.   Nestle’s strategy is similar to that undertaken by many European and American companies during the first waves of industrialization in those countries.   Companies often had to invest in infrastructure that we now take for granted to get production off the ground.   Once the infrastructure was in place, in China, Nestle’s production took off.   In 1990, 316 tons of powdered milk and infant formula were produced.   By 1994, output exceeded 10,000 tons and the company decided to triple capacity.   Based on this experience, Nestle decided to build another two powdered milk factories in China and was aiming to generate sales of $700 million by 2000.

Nestle is pursuing a similar long-term bet in the Middle East, an area in which most multinational food companies have little presence.   Collectively, the Middle East accounts for only about 2 percent of Nestle’s worldwide sales and the individual markets are very small.   However, Nestle’s long-term strategy is based on the assumption that regional conflicts will subside and intra-regional trade will expand as trade barriers between countries in the region come down.   Once that happens, Nestle’s factories in the Middle East should be able to sell throughout the region, thereby realizing scale economies.   In anticipation of this development, Nestle has established a network of factories in five countries, in the hope that each will, someday, supply the entire region with different products.   The company, currently makes ice-cream in Dubai, soups and cereals in Saudi Arabia, yogurt and bouillon in Egypt, chocolate in Turkey, and ketchup and instant noodles in Syria.   For the present, Nestle can survive in these markets by using local materials and focusing on local demand.   The Syrian factory, for example, relies on products that use tomatoes, a major local agricultural product.   Syria also produces wheat, which is the main ingredient in instant noodles. Even if trade barriers don’t come down soon, Nestle has indicated it will remain committed to the region. By using local inputs and focussing on local consumer needs, it has earned a good rate of return in the region, even though the individual markets are small.

Despite its successes in places such as China and parts of the Middle East, not all of Nestle’s moves have worked out so well.   Like several other Western companies, Nestle has had its problems in Japan, where a failure to adapt its coffee brand to local conditions meant the loss of a significant market opportunity to another Western company, Coca Cola.   For years, Nestle’s instant coffee brand was the dominant coffee product in Japan.   In the 1960s, cold canned coffee (which can be purchased from soda vending machines) started to gain a following in Japan. Nestle dismissed the product as just a coffee-flavoured drink rather than the real thing and declined to enter the market.   Nestle’s local partner at the time, Kirin Beer, was so incensed at Nestle’s refusal to enter the canned coffee market that it broke off its relationship with the company. In contrast, Coca Cola entered the market with Georgia, a product developed specifically for this segment of the Japanese market.   By leveraging its existing distribution channel, Coca Cola captured a 40 percent share of the $4 billion a year, market for canned coffee in Japan.   Nestle, which failed to enter the market until the 1980s, has only a 4 percent share.

While Nestle has built businesses from the ground up, in many emerging markets, such as Nigeria and China, in others it will purchase local companies if suitable candidates can be found.   The company pursued such a strategy in Poland, which it entered in 1994, by purchasing Goplana, the country’s second largest chocolate manufacturer. With the collapse of communism and the opening of the Polish market, income levels in Poland have started to rise and so has chocolate consumption.   Once a scarce item, the market grew by 8 percent a year, throughout the 1990s.   To take advantage of this opportunity, Nestle has pursued a strategy of evolution, rather than revolution.   It has kept the top management of the company staffed with locals – as it does in most of its operations around the world – and carefully adjusted Goplana’s product line to better match local opportunities.   At the same time, it has pumped money into Goplana’s marketing, which has enabled the unit to gain share from several other chocolate makers in the country.   Still, competition in the market is intense.   Eight companies, including several foreign-owned enterprises, such as the market leader, Wedel, which is owned by PepsiCo , are vying for market share, and this has depressed prices and profit margins, despite the healthy volume growth.

Discussions:

• Does it make sense for Nestle to focus its growth efforts on emerging markets? Why?
• What is the company’s strategy with regard to business development in emerging markets? Does this strategy make sense? From an organizational perspective, what is required for this strategy to work effectively?
• Through your own research on NESTLE, identify appropriate performance indicators. Once you have gathered relevant data on these, undertake a performance analysis of the company over the last five years. What does the analysis tell you about the success or otherwise of the strategy adopted by the company?
• How would you describe Nestle’s strategic posture at the corporate level; is it pursuing a global strategy, a multidomestic strategy an international strategy or a transnational strategy?
• Does this overall strategic posture make sense given the markets and countries that Nestle participates in? Why?
• Is Nestle’s management structure and philosophy aligned with its overall strategic posture?

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Nestle's Creating Shared Value Strategy

By: Michael E. Porter, Mark R. Kramer, Kerry Herman, Sarah McAra

This case considers Nestlé's creating shared value (CSV) strategy, which focused on the three categories of nutrition, water, and rural development. In the packaged food and beverage industry,…

• Length: 23 page(s)
• Publication Date: Nov 29, 2015
• Discipline: Strategy
• Product #: 716422-PDF-ENG

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This case considers Nestlé's creating shared value (CSV) strategy, which focused on the three categories of nutrition, water, and rural development. In the packaged food and beverage industry, pressure had mounted since the 1990s to improve supply chain sustainability and provide healthier, more natural foods, leading to consolidation and causing sales to decline in the 2010s. With 150 years' experience in the industry, Nestlé had transformed into a nutrition, health, and wellness company and made its CSV strategy explicit in the early 21st century. By 2014, Nestlé CEO Paul Bulcke considered how best to fully embed the company's CSV strategy and to communicate it to shareholders and external stakeholders.

Learning Objectives

Provide participants with an opportunity to discuss the approaches to implementing and communicating shared value.

Nov 29, 2015 (Revised: Oct 15, 2017)

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Switzerland

Harvard Business School

716422-PDF-ENG

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Please note you do not have access to teaching notes, nestlé south africa: leading multi-stakeholder partnership response in the covid-19 context.

Publication date: 7 August 2020

Teaching notes

Learning outcomes.

The learning outcomes are as follows: identifying and prioritising of stakeholders’ needs during crises; gaining insight into applying contextual intelligence in leaders’ decision-making on philanthropic investments; and evaluating initiatives by differentiating between creating shared value and corporate social responsibility.

Case overview/synopsis

On 15 March 2020, Bruno Olierhoek, Chairman and MD, Nestlé East and Southern Africa considers his dilemma of where to focus his community support initiatives during COVID-19, which could reflect their company’s purpose of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future in their response to the crisis? Also, creating shared value (CSV) was in their DNA as a company, and they wanted to do more than philanthropic gestures; therefore, they had to decide carefully about leveraging their strategic partnerships in the relief effort. The case highlights existing community involvement projects, pre-COVID-19, which illustrate multi-stakeholder collaboration. These existing trust relationships and partnerships are then leveraged during the COVID-19 pandemic. The case highlights unintended consequences of Nestlé’s gesture of donating food products to the 5,000 frontline health-care workers for specific stakeholder groups, such as the positive emotional responses of Nestlé’s own employees. These events in the case relate to existing theoretical frameworks, such as corporate citizenship which elicits pro-organisational behaviour in stakeholder groups.

Complexity academic level

Postgraduate programmes MBA or MPhil.

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Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS: 7 Management Science

• Sustainability
• Multinationals
• Stakeholder management
• Strategic management/planning

Pillay, R. and Scheepers, C.B. (2020), "Nestlé South Africa: leading multi-stakeholder partnership response in the COVID-19 context", , Vol. 10 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/EEMCS-05-2020-0167

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Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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2024 Nestlé Health Science Long Term Business Strategy Internship (Remote)

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At Nestlé Health Science, we believe that nutrition, science, and wellness must merge, not collide. Here, we embrace the intrinsic connections of these three pillars, harnessing their collective strength to empower healthier lives. Our broad product portfolio includes renowned brands like Garden of Life®, Nature’s Bounty®, Vital Proteins®, Orgain®, Nuun®, BOOST®, Carnation Breakfast Essentials®, Peptamen®, Compleat Organic Blends®, and more. We also have extensive pharmaceutical expertise, offering innovative medicines that aim to prevent, manage, and treat gastrointestinal and metabolic-related diseases.

At Nestlé Health Science, we bring our best for better lives. Our people are challenged to bring fresh, diverse views and make bold moves to empower healthier lives through nutrition. We know brilliant ideas can come from anyone, anywhere. Here we embrace the entrepreneurial spirit and collaborate with teams that champion focused and forward thinking. We are committed to fostering professional growth and celebrating the achievements of our people along the way. We offer dynamic career paths, robust development, opportunities to learn from talented colleagues around the globe, and benefits that support physical, financial, and emotional wellbeing.

Join us to innovate for impact and reimagine the future of health and nutrition for patients and consumers.

Position Summary:

This role contributes to the success of the organization by focusing on change management and communications activities tied to strategic transformation initiatives for the U.S. businesses at the direction of the Manager of Long-Term Business Strategy. Initiatives could include but not limited to Systems Integrations, Business Development Initiatives, Process Changes, and Strategic Planning. This position will be remote with potential to travel into the Hoboken, NJ office.

Key Responsibilities:

• Identify, implement, and drive activities to further Nestlé Health Science’s strategic priorities and long-term business strategy.
• Develop and execute change management and communications strategies and activities to mobilize and engage stakeholders and enable strategic initiatives across the organization.
• Engage with stakeholders across multiple functions for assigned transformation or integration projects, and work with them to integrate change management activities into the overall project plan.
• Create and manage measurement systems to track adoption, utilization, and proficiency of changes.
• Collaborate with the business and guide them in developing process or ways of working documentation needed to support the change.
• Assure coordination and management of relevant stakeholder groups across transformation projects; drive the project mission and case for change forward.
• Identify, resolve, and elevate issues and assure alignment of key stakeholders for assigned projects.
• Provide ongoing program management with key stakeholders to collect and communicate status of initiatives for consolidated presentations.
• Self-starter who is results-oriented, innovative, intellectually curious and takes initiative and risks.
• Ability to learn quickly, embrace change, and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication (both written and verbal) and stakeholder management skills; excels in a team environment.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, including the ability to routinely interface with varying levels of the organization quickly and interchangeably.

Areas of Study/Majors:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree with focus on business administration, learning and development, organizational development, communications or other relevant field with a graduation year of 2025.

The approximate pay rate for this position is $25-27 per hour. Please note that the pay rate provided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Final compensation may vary based on factors including but not limited to knowledge, skills and abilities as well as geographic location.

It is our business imperative to remain a very inclusive workplace.

To our veterans and separated service members, you’re at the forefront of our minds as we recruit top talent to join Nestlé. The skills you’ve gained while serving our country, such as flexibility, agility, and leadership, are much like the skills that will make you successful in this role. In addition, with our commitment to an inclusive work environment, we recognize the exceptional engagement and innovation displayed by individuals with disabilities. Nestlé seeks such skilled and qualified individuals to share our mission where you’ll join a cohort of others who have chosen to call Nestlé home.

The Nestlé Companies are an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer seeking diversity in qualified applicants for employment. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, gender, gender identity, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, perceived disability, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other protected status, as defined by applicable law. Prior to the next step in the recruiting process, we welcome you to inform us confidentially if you may require any special accommodations in order to participate fully in our recruitment experience. Contact us at [email protected] or please dial 711 and provide this number to the operator: 1-800-321-6467.

This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.

Review our applicant privacy notice before applying at https://www.nestlejobs.com/privacy