...999A37 BEN & JERRY’S — JAPAN James M. Hagen prepared this case solely to provide material for class discussion. The author does not intend to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The author may have disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality. Ivey Management Services prohibits any form of reproduction, storage or transmittal without its written permission. Reproduction of this material is not covered under authorization by any reproduction rights organization. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, contact Ivey Publishing, Ivey Management Services, c/o Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 3K7; phone (519) 661-3208; fax (519) 661-3882; e-mail cases@ivey.uwo.ca. Copyright © 1999, Ivey Management Services Version: (A) 2010-08-10 On an autumn evening in Tokyo in 1997, Perry Odak, Angelo Pezzani, Bruce Bowman and Riv Hight gratefully accepted the hot steaming oshibori towels that their kimono-bedecked waitress quietly offered. After a full day of meetings with Masahiko Iida and his lieutenants at the Seven-Eleven Japan headquarters, the men from Ben & Jerry’s welcomed the chance to refresh their hands and faces before turning to the business at hand. It had been just over nine months since Odak had committed to resolving the conundrum of whether to introduce Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to the Japan market...
Words: 9509 - Pages: 39
...Ben & Jerry’s Case Study By: Niesha M. Felder February 22, 2014 MRKT 454 1. What do you believe is Ben & Jerry's management orientation and view toward global expansion? Provide evidence from the case to support your opinion. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the forefathers of Ben and Jerry’s, management orientation skills were very unique, promoting a free spirit approach for employees. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield were not the standard corporate managers, instead they were quite bias against traditional business practices because of the short-term interests as well as large profits; most commonly corporate managers are under pressure to produce shareholders’ demands. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield did not place emphasis or value, on cash, equipment and inventory; the “tangible assets” of the firm. Instead, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield focused on “intangible assets” such as social concerns, quality of life, charity, and reputation, but in their minds the “intangible assets” were just am important if not more important. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield business values were based on growth, shareholder value, and the overall care/quality of employees. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield were intentionally slow to embrace the foreign market (Kursh, Lant, Majeske, Olver, Plant, 2014). Ben Cohen was quite reluctant to embark on global expansion because he felt that it did not coincide with the mission of Ben & Jerry’s. On the other hand, Jerry Greenfield...
Words: 1375 - Pages: 6
...that Ben & Jerry's committed to entering the Japanese market. Answer the following questions: a. Should they join with Seven-Eleven or Mr. Yamada? Why? Giving the facts presented in the Ben & Jerry’s Japan Case study and assuming that Ben and Jerry’s did decide to ultimately enter the Japanese Market, I suggest that they do so with Yamada. After reading and evaluating the case study and learning some back ground information about Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc., the reasons that I would suggest that Ben & Jerry’s enter the market with Yamada are because Yamada provides Ben and Jerry with the expertise needed to penetrate foreign markets. Also, by giving Yamada full control of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc., the company would no longer have to address issues involved in putting together an entry strategy. Yamada understands the frozen food market and possesses the entrepreneurial spirit and the marketing expertise, as seen with the development of Domino’s Pizza brand in Japan. These qualities all bode well for Ben and Jerry’s because after several unsuccessful attempts to penetrate markets in Canada, Israel, Russia, United Kingdom, France and Benelux I feel that Ben & Jerry’s lacks the managerial skill to put together marketing campaign for entering foreign markets. The down side of deciding to move forward with Yamada is that they would have to relinquish full control of marketing and sales and Yamada would have exclusive rights to sell Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream in Japan. Deciding...
Words: 841 - Pages: 4
...before class Kary A. Company analysis. Write a brief history of Ben and Jerry's, especially in their efforts to expand internationally. Mika B. Customer analysis. Write a customer analysis for Japan. Included in this should be a segmentation analysis. Identify possible segments that Ben and Jerry's should target. Kary C. Competitor analysis. mika D. Marketing environment. Discuss anything else in the Japanese environment that may impact Ben and Jerry's marketing efforts in Japan, including the supply chain for ice cream. Lehi E. SWOT analysis. Finish the situation analysis with a SWOT analysis. II. Overall Marketing Strategy. A. Targeting strategy. In the customer analysis, you identified segments that Ben and Jerry's may consider targeting. In this section, give a final recommendation on which segment(s) they should target, then write a vivid profile of their target segment(s). B. Positioning strategy. How should Ben and Jerry's position its brand relative to competing brands? What should the Ben and Jerry's brand stand for in the minds of Japanese customers? C. Value Proposition. Write a powerful, one-sentence value proposition targeted at Ben and Jerry's target customers. D. Goals and Objectives for the first three years of Ben and Jerry's entry into Japan. III. Marketing Mix Strategy. A. Product. What products should Ben and Jerry's offer in Japan? How should they package their product? What sizes of packages should...
Words: 541 - Pages: 3
...BUSINESS 439 Part 3 Closing Cases Ben & Jerry’s—Japan On an autumn evening in Tokyo in 1997, Perry Odak, Angelo Pezzani, Bruce Bowman, and Riv Hight gratefully accepted the hot steaming oshibori towels their kimonobedecked waitress quietly offered. It had been just over nine months since Odak had committed to resolving the conundrum of whether to introduce Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to the Japanese market and, if so, how. The next morning would be their last chance to hammer out the details for a market entry through 7-Eleven’s 7,000 stores in Japan or to give the goahead to Ken Yamada, a prospective licensee who would manage the Japanese market for Ben & Jerry’s. Any delay in reaching a decision would mean missing the summer 1998 ice cream season, but with Japan’s economy continuing to contract, perhaps passing on the Japanese market would not be a bad idea. Perry Odak was just entering his eleventh month as CEO of the famous ice cream company named for its offbeat founders. He knew the 7-Eleven deal could represent a sudden boost in the company’s flagging sales of the past several years. He also knew that a company with the tremendous brand recognition Ben & Jerry’s enjoyed needed to approach new market opportunities from a strategic, not an opportunistic, perspective. imported ice cream, and expectations of falling tariffs on dairy products suggested new opportunities for ice cream imports from abroad. Although prices were attractive in Japan, about $6 per pint, it was unclear...
Words: 4834 - Pages: 20
...believe is Ben & Jerry's management orientation and view toward global expansion? Provide evidence from the case to support your opinion. Ben and Jerry’s management orientation would be an ethnocentric one. It had been previously stated that Cohen had not wanted to expand into foreign markets purely for growth’s sake. As such, the few international ventures the company did partake in only amounted to $6 million in sales in 1997. The United Kingdom venture was also taken due to a promise to donate 1% or profits to charity, which was in keeping with their current marketing strategy. The greatest factor supporting my opinion would be that Ben and Jerry’s rarely implemented marketing strategies for this foreign ventures. This meant that currently implemented domestic strategies were applied to very different international markets. There was no consideration was given on culture, habits, and buying power of cosumers. Therefore, a market dependent marketing plan and distribution strategies were missing. 2) Which of the environmental factors do you think are the two most important to the decision whether or not to expand into Japan? Discuss at least two at length, providing evidence from the case narrative, and what the implications of the environments are with respect to the pending decision. The economic environment is surely one of the largest factors influencing the decision to any company and therefore, serves as a major factor to expand into the Japanese market for Ben & Jerry...
Words: 573 - Pages: 3
...Motivations for forging strategic alliance Despite the inherent risks, it is often necessary for firms, because of their lack of necessary resources, to forge strategic alliances with other firms for acquiring complementary skills. Before establishing a formal relationship with other enterprises, an enterprise must realize its motivations and priorities. four motivations with different orientations: 1. Strategy-oriented. Enterprises forge alliance for strategic objectives such as maximizing the profit and possible cooperation. Tactic practices are increasing the market share, stepping up the pace of employee exchange, shortening the time for technological development and new products to enter market, and preventing vicious competition from competitors. 2. Cost-oriented. Another motivation behind forging an alliance is to reduce cost. To share the cost for developing a technology and avoid duplicating investment, to reduce the cost for searching the necessary information, to reduce the risk of R&D, and to cooperate with governmental organizations for tax policy are the common considerations for this motivation. 3. Resource-oriented. The availability of critical resources is the third motivation for establishing an alliance. To exchange the critical equipment and technologies with the alliance partner for reducing the risk of R&D, and to make use of the marketing channels of the partner will bring benefits to the participants of the alliance. 4. Learning-oriented...
Words: 1107 - Pages: 5
...Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc. – B: Facing Acquisition Abstract In December 1999 Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenberg confronted three offers for their 17-year-old firm. Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc. had grown from $2M in 1983 to $237M as the year ended. Growth rates had significantly dampened, however, a result of changing U.S. consumer preferences for lower cholesterol foods and competition. Jerry Greenberg had stepped out of day-to-day management of the firm some years before. Ben Cohen stepped back in 1994 when the firm incurred its first ever loss. He turned the helm over to Robert Holland, the first African-American to head a major U.S. firm. Holland came to the Ben & Jerry’s CEO position after a national search. His background as a McKinsey consultant and turnaround artist stood the firm in good stead. His moves concentrated on improving profitability, turning around a new plant that more than doubled the company’s manufacturing capacity, strengthening the depth of management experience in the top team, and responding to the demand for low-cholesterol with the introduction of a sorbet line. However Holland stepped out of the firm after almost 18 months with observers suggesting that he had felt uncomfortable with the founders’ “clowning and campaigning.” Perry Odak, Ben & Jerry’s next CEO, came with extensive consumer marketing experience in companies such as Armour-Dial. However, he had also been COO of U.S. Repeating Arms. Given the founder’s strong emphasis...
Words: 8593 - Pages: 35
...EDUCATOR INSIGHTS: BEN & JERRY'S -- JAPAN: STRATEGIC DECISION BY AN EMERGENT GLOBAL MARKETER By: Hagen, James M., Journal of International Marketing, ISSN 1069-031X, 2000, Vol. 8, Issue 2 THE JAPAN ENTRY DECISION It was fall of 1997, and Perry Odak was just entering his tenth month as chief executive officer (CEO) of the famous ice cream company named for its offbeat founders, Ben & Jerry's. Far from company headquarters in Vermont, he was setting down his chopsticks in a quiet Tokyo restaurant to give full attention to the staff he had brought with him: the company's newly appointed head of international, the head of production, and a trusted expert on Japan. The question on the table for this group was whether to enter the Japanese market by granting a countrywide license to an enterprising Japanese-American, to enter the market by giving a convenience store chain exclusive rights to carry Ben & Jerry's products in all of its 7000 stores, or to pass on trying to enter the Japanese market for the upcoming summer 1998 season. The decision was not isolated; rather, those involved had to consider the very history and mission of this well-known company. Company Background Brooklyn schoolmates Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield started their ice cream company in a defunct gas station in Burlington, Vt., in 1978, when both were in their mid-20s. The combination of their anticorporate style, the high fat content of their ice cream, the addition of chunky ingredients, and catchy flavor...
Words: 724 - Pages: 3
...Introduction • Founded by two Brooklyn school mates Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in Vermont, 1978. • Combination of high fat content, chunky ingredients and catchy flavor names helped to create its own demand. • Sales grew with time and the company went public in 1984. • Besides being a fun company, it was determined to be socially responsible with an objective of caring capitalism. • By 1994, sales exceeded $150million and the company had 600 employees with a global distribution network. • However, 1994 actually brought loss and net income suffered. • In 1995, the company’s sales started to increase with a substantial rise in net income. • By 1997, Ben and Jerry’s was doing well but slow growth and retreating market share was an issue. • Japan was being considered for future expansion. Current Strategy • Focused Differentiation - To make, distribute and sell the finest quality, all natural ice cream. - Socially responsible company known for its caring capitalism. Problem Statement Given that the company has declining profits and is losing its market share in both total ice cream market and super premium market……… • Should Ben and Jerry’s enter the Japan market in summer 2008? • If yes, then how should they perform the market entry, through Seven-Eleven Japan or collaboration with Ken Yamada? External Analysis Industry Structure • Ice cream industry is categorized...
Words: 1438 - Pages: 6
...General comments on Burt’s Bee (BB) case Burt's Bees is an American personal care products company that describes itself as an "Earth friendly, Natural Personal Care Company" making products for personal care, health, beauty, and personal hygiene. Burt's Bees originated in Maine as a candle making partnership between Roxanne Quimby and Burt Shavitz in 1984. As of 2007, they manufactured over 197 products for facial and body skin care, lip care, hair care, baby care, men's grooming, and outdoor remedies distributed in nearly 30,000 retail outlets including grocery stores and drug store chains across the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Hong Kong, and Taiwan from their headquarters in Durham, North Carolina. In late 2007, the Clorox Company acquired Burt's Bees for the reported sum of USD 925 mil. Not bad at all! It started out as a life style business to become a high potential venture, far exceeding original expectations and forecasts. The case is thought provoking as the business becomes highly successful, and raises new conflicts and decisions for Roxanne. It also poses the harvest issue, collisions with personal goals and values, and the like Performing SWOT and a bit of TOWS (formulating strategies) includes general environment (PESTL), Porter’s 5 Forces of Competition (P5F) and competitor’s analyses. Weak or “pass” answers merely describe obvious strengths, weaknesses and opportunities are... and do not contain assessments of these and/or of the industry...
Words: 1262 - Pages: 6
...Technology and business are very important !! I remember seeing Ben & Jerry's ice cream cups in 7-Eleven next to Haagen Dazs products. They did not stand out in the crowd, which I'm sure is not a good sign when you want to establish a brand in that market. The product was missing a story and its identity, which is a shame because it has such a unique history and a character. And so they were, out from the shelves in months. I hope when they do decide to come back to Japan, as many foreign food manufactures do (e.g. Burger King), they would consider opening a scoop shop in the heart of Tokyo, and perhaps learn from the Krispy Kreme example of word-of-mouth approach. As a biggest fan, I feel unease when Japanese around me don't even know they were in the market at one time. It is like they have never set a foot in the market. Shaded Area Does Not Operate on Sundays. *Does Not operate Saturdays during IU Semester Breaks * On IU Football Saturdays Call Bloomington Transit at 336-RIDE for Information on Possible Detours on this Route. Shaded Area Does Not Operate on Sundays. *Does Not operate Saturdays during IU Semester Breaks * On IU Football Saturdays Call Bloomington Transit at 336-RIDE for Information on Possible Detours on this Route. Shaded Area Does Not Operate on Sundays. *Does Not operate Saturdays during IU Semester Breaks * On IU Football Saturdays Call Bloomington Transit at 336-RIDE for Information on Possible Detours on this...
Words: 262 - Pages: 2
... | |Status |Completed | |Score |19 out of 22 points | |Time Elapsed |20 minutes out of 5 hours. | |Instructions | | • Question 1 1 out of 1 points | | | |[pic] |Refer to Figure 3-2. Ben has a comparative advantage in | | | | | | | | | | | |Figure 3-2 | | | | | |...
Words: 1767 - Pages: 8
...Overview of Financial Management SOURCE: Courtesy BEN & JERRY’S HOMEMADE, INC. www.benjerry.com STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE $ BEN & JERRY'S F or many companies, the decision would have been an easy “yes.” However, Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc. has always taken pride in doing things make money. For example, in a recent article in Fortune magazine, Alex Taylor III commented that, “Operating a business is tough enough. Once you add social goals to the demands of serving customers, making a profit, and returning value to shareholders, you tie yourself up in knots.” Ben & Jerry’s financial performance has had its ups and downs. While the company’s stock grew by leaps and bounds through the early 1990s, problems began to arise in 1993. These problems included increased competition in the premium ice cream market, along with a leveling off of sales in that market, plus their own inefficiencies and sloppy, haphazard product development strategy. The company lost money for the first time in 1994, and as a result, Ben Cohen stepped down as CEO. Bob Holland, a former consultant for McKinsey & Co. with a reputation as a turnaround specialist, was tapped as Cohen’s replacement. The company’s stock price rebounded in 1995, as the market responded positively to the steps made by Holland to right the company. The stock price, however, floundered toward the end of 1996, following Holland’s resignation. Over the last few years, Ben & Jerry’s has had a new resurgence. Holland’s replacement...
Words: 16738 - Pages: 67
...International Marketing The Scope and Challenge of International Marketing Chapter 1 1 Thursday, 27 February 14 What Should You Learn? • LO1: The benefits of international markets • LO2: The changing face of U.S. business • LO3: The scope of the international marketing task • LO4: The importance of the self-reference criterion (SRC) in international marketing • LO5: The increasing importance of global awareness • LO6: The progression of becoming a global marketer 2 Thursday, 27 February 14 LO1 Global Perspective: Global Commerce Causes Peace • Global commerce during peace time – Commercial aircraft and space vehicle industries – Mobile phone industry – Individuals and small companies • International markets are ultimately unpredictable – Flexibility means survival 3 Thursday, 27 February 14 LO1 Global Perspective: Global Commerce Causes Peace Basil pesto from Israel + raw materials and glass jars from Arab partner = Moshe & Ali’s Gourmet Foods http://www.peaceworks.com/press/libraryArticleMakingPeaceByMakingPastaSauces.html COOPERATION NEVER TASTED SO GOOD!™ 4 Thursday, 27 February 14 LO1 Events and Trends Affecting Global Business • The rapid growth of the World Trade Organisation and regional free trade areas • The trend toward the acceptance of the free market system among developing countries in Latin America, Asia, and Eastern Europe • The burgeoning impact of the Internet, mobile phones, and other global media on the dissolution of national borders • The...
Words: 1573 - Pages: 7
