Is the culture at Ben & Jerry's likely to clash with Unilever's culture? What problems will Unilever be likely to encounter with its Ben & Jerry's acquisition? How would you like to be Yves Couette, the person Unilever chose to be Ben & Jerry's new CEO?.
Much of the success of the Ben & Jerry's brand is based on its connections to basic human values. .
The match up of Unilever and Ben & Jerry's made good business sense, giving Ben & Jerry's access to Unilever's worldwide distribution system.
Unilever is in an ideal position to bring the Ben & Jerry's brand, values and socially conscious message to consumers worldwide. If they continue with social concerns, product quality and profits there should be no problems in the acquisition.
www.abcnews.go.com/sections/business/unilever.
4. Did Unilever pay too much to acquire Best Foods? Why or why not? What is your assessment of Best Foods' recent performance and business portfolio? Is Best Foods a good strategic fit?.
I don't think they paid too much, because they are selling it off a piece at a time. .
Since the Best Foods acquisition, the unit has been winnowing brands in line with parent Unilever's plan to narrow its roster of 1,600 brands to 400. The food division has divested nine brands so far, including Gorton's seafood and Entenmann's baked goods. Mazola oil is on the block, and the fates of another six brands-including Skippy peanut butter, Lawry's spices and marinades, and Promise, Imperial, Take Control and Brummel & Brown spreads-are being evaluated. The goal is to cut the Unilever Best foods North America lineup to a maximum of 12 brands, from 26. .
The additional marketing investment for the top brands will be funded by proceeds from the sale of non-core brands and cost savings from the acquisition. Attention will be given to the unit's top four ``powerhouse'' brands, which deliver 60% of its $4.5 billion in sales, as well as four ``jewel'' brands that deliver a combined 23%.