Executive Summary This paper provides a case analysis and case solution to a Harvard Business School strategic management case study on Swiss-based Nestle, the world’s largest food and beverage company with 2007 sales exceeding CHF100 billion or about US$112 billion(Bell & Shelman, 2009, p. 1). While extensive background information dating to Nestle’s 1867 founding is provided, the primary time setting for the case is April 2008, shortly after 29-year Nestle veteran Paul Bulcke advances to the position of CEO, replacing Brabeck, who retired after a highly successful 12 year reign as CEO. The case focuses on Bulcke’s efforts to formulate plans for advancing his strategic vision at Nestle. Nestle is a
Economic. Demand for basic food supplies persists even in times of economic downturn. However, the patterns of eating and drinking changes, with full meals more likely to be prepared and consumed at home. With operations around the globe, Nestle had to make adjustments for variations in demand fluctuations and price sensitivities in different countries and geographic regions. Although Nestle was based in Switzerland and most of its key leaders were from the United States and the European continent, one third of 2007 sales came from the developing world and analysts projected that by 2010, 90% of the world’s population would live in developing and emerging countries. Social. As a food and beverage company operating with the global food industry, Nestle was well aware of the fact that patterns of food and beverage consumption tend to be culturally-bound or at least culturally linked. Technological. Throughout the industry, technologies are vital to defining recipes, producing food and beverages, locating and purifying water (Nestle is one of the world’s biggest bottled water companies). As the company’s own GLOBE initiative demonstrates, internal technologies are vital to coordinating