Premium Essay

United Cereal

In:

Submitted By kstearns3
Words 1349
Pages 6
United Cereal has a very concrete corporate strategy and culture which they call “The UC Way”. The United Cereal Way includes valuing their mottos “listen to the customer”, “spot the trend, make the market”, and “honoring the past while embracing the future”. This company structures their organization to follow these mottos while maintaining a focus to “commitment, diligence, and loyalty”. The UC Way can be identified as a strength of the organization in that they have a strong set of values and a clear commitment to their vision which can help to guide their decision making. Another strength of this organization is the involvement of their brand management system in every aspect of building the brand from production to sales allowing for efficient involvement and communication to build their brands the right way. In addition, United Cereal’s structure of appointing country managers to be responsible for their own market is beneficial in ensuring that the company is efficiently responding to the needs and demands of that nation’s market as well as limiting the cultural differences and making a new market entrance smooth.
United Cereal’s European Vice President Lora Brill has structured the organization with new subsidiaries to enter new markets in Europe. Each national subsidiary is led by a country manager who has the authority to decide how to run the business in that country. The country managers are overseen by three regional presidents. This organization has strengths in that the country managers maximize the profit in their respective country and result in a strong penetration into those markets. On the other hand, this organization has some down sides. One of the weaknesses of this organization structure is the high costs associated with it. It also can be problematic to lead a global strategy like this one. Lora Brill, the European Vice President, suggested

Similar Documents

Free Essay

United Cereal

...‘United Cereal: Lora Brill’s Eurobrand Challenge’ case analysis Question 1. As Lora Brill, United Cereal European VP, would you authorize Jean-Luc Michel’s request to launch of Healthy Berry Crunch in France? Be sure to analyze both sides: Launch and Delay Launch (summarize in a table format and then discuss). Question 2. Does United Cereal represent an example of centralized or decentralized international management? Question 3. What do you think of Brill’s Eurobrand proposals? Should she authorize the launch of Healthy Berry Crunch as the Eurobrand? What concerns do you have? How do you resolve them? Be sure to analyze both sides: Launch and Delay Launch (summarize in a table format and then discuss). Question 4.a. How might United Cereal implement your recommendations? 4.b. What do you think of the Eurobrand Team proposal? 4.c. How can you make the Team work? Introduction The case gives a brief idea about the company’s confusion over a new product launch in Europe. United Cereal was first established in the year 1910 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, It also stepped in to the market of other markets such as beverages, frozen food, and baked food. But the breakfast cereal trend soon set in. And it was very necessary for the company to do a full research before launching a new product. The company had strong values and policies, which it needed for its managers to follow. Breakfast cereal market was a potential market and there was only one major competitor, Kellog. With the growing...

Words: 3444 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

United Cereal

...United Cereal: Lora Bill’s Euro brand Challenge Q.1 Should she authorize the launch in France? Ans When analyzing a situation, such as the one presented to us by United Cereal, there are many, many factors to take into account. Lora Brill has been saddled with the decision of whether to make some big changes to a long-term successful company in order to push the growth potential of the company to a whole new level. She has been presented much of the information she needs to make a decision of this magnitude, but with mixed results in past trials of a similar nature, Lora is not sure what to do. The first thing she needs to do before coming to her decision is to really look at the information that is in front of her. Many people make brash financial decisions based on what they feel is right at the time only to later realize their hindsight is 20/20. In other words, people, being imperfect, have a tendency to make illogical decisions based on emotion. They may make a risky investment because they had a good feeling about it, or they may get very excited about a new strategy and let their emotions get the best of them by overlooking obvious logical flaws in that strategy. For Lora, when dealing with a decision of this magnitude, she must make sure that her emotion is not weighing her one way or the other. This can be done by taking a step back and analyzing the data and information that she has and making sure she has not overlooked anything by taking a non-biased approach....

Words: 3191 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

United Cereal

...I. The positioning of United Cereal (UC) a. The vision of United Cereal We accompany you to embrace every delicious and hopeful morning. You inspire us to pursue forever innovative and vigorous winning. ------- United Cereal In a study (James C. Collins, Jerry I. Porras, 1996), James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras proposed that a well-conceived vision consists of two major components: core ideology and envisioned future. Core ideology defines what we stand for and why we exist. The envisioned future is what we aspire to become, to achieve, to create- something that will require significant change and progress to attain. 1. Core ideology Core ideology consists of two distinct parts: core values and core purpose. While the strategies and practices will adapt to the changing environment endlessly, core values and core purposes remain fixed in the companies which enjoy enduring success. As a set of guiding principles, core values are the essential and enduring tenets of companies and have intrinsic value and importance to those inside the organization. UC’s two time-tested values-customer and market oriented, and constant innovation- which can be summarized from the company phrases, are embodied in its vision: ● Customer and market oriented (“You inspire us”): It is customers who lastingly gave UC inspiration to do innovation and led UC to become a pioneer in the use of consumer research and focus group. UC listens to the customer, spots the trend, and holds the high...

Words: 4862 - Pages: 20

Premium Essay

United Cereal Case Analysis

...From: Maduka Elekwachi To: Lora Brill (United Cereal Vice-President) Subj; Eurobrand Team enhancement For United cereal to progress in the Euro brand they will need to gather information on the current brand development in Europe and who the major rivals would be in each and every country. There should be collaboration of every member of country managers to relate progress information on market details to fellow European countries. As we have seen “Ready-to-eat cereals sales proved the most lucrative for the European breakfast cereals market in 2010, generating total revenues of $6.8 billion, equivalent to 87.3% of the market's overall value”(research & market). So insist that UC keeps the Euro brand team and work with more demographics and look at the costs of acquiring the raw materials for the cereal production and government regulations surrounding them in some countries in Europe the acquisition of the raw materials would cost less than it did some other countries. Because of the cost to be incurred from this operation it would not hurt to cut corners in production costs. They should also consider joining cereal international organizations that can influence the choices of consumers in the European countries; some of these organizations are helping to relate to European states the necessity of having breakfast and what nutritional value is gotten from having HBC cereal for breakfast. To sum it up we would need to strengthen the operations of the established European...

Words: 317 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

United Cereal Case

...United Cereal Case: Brill’s Eurobrand Challenge | 1.a,b) United Cereal (UC) initially entered European markets by acquiring an established baked goods company (1952). By directly investing in other established companies, UC saved costs by using established distribution lines and were better able to brand their products using well-known subsidiaries. UC’s strong shared values influenced their strategies by ensuring the company did extensive market testing to maximize customer value and innovate to prevent stagnation. Furthermore, by proactively1 entering European markets, the company was able to increase its global market share and decrease its cost through economies of scale. UC’s shared values of innovations led UC to use a brand management matrix structure, allowing UC to succeed in the European climate, second only to Kellogg’s. The structure allowed for trans-nationalization, by combining brand managers with country managers and functional units. Such focus gained local market shares by understanding the CAGE barriers. By treating brands as profit centers, UC created internal competition, promoting efficiency and cutting costs. The matrix structure has also led to R&D supremacy, with UC owning more product and process patents than any competitor. UC’s next strategy established national subsidiaries,“mini UCs ”, through a multi-domestic strategy. This allowed CMs to customize and tailor products and processes to locally maximize profit. This strategy adopted...

Words: 2797 - Pages: 12

Free Essay

Oats and Benefits

...grain and straw in which is grown in weather not subjected to prolonged extreme conditions of hot or cold weather. In the United States our major oat-growing states of the Midwestern (Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) the crop is raised for grain, whereas in the Southern states (Texas, Oklahoma, and Georgia) it is used for pasture or a combination of pasture and grain. A good 90 percent of oat growing is used to feed our animals and only ten percent of it is used to produce human foods. You can consume oats in many products, such as the most common is cereals. Cereal brands such as honey bunches of oats, Honey nut O’s, Oatmeal, granola bars, porridge etc and other tasty treats such as oatcakes and oatmeal cookies. General mills produces cheerios in which are made with oats. When General mills market their cheerios product, they use a cartoon image such as the bee to promote its honey nut cheerios. They also use bright colors that represent the cheerios flavoring. For example Apple cinnamon cheerios green box, banana nut cheerios is in a bright yellow box, bright blue box for the frost cheerios. So not only do the bright colors attract your eye but associate with you choice of flavor. One of My favorite products in which you can find oats in is General Mills cereal products. Cascadian farms cereal which is an organic cereal is my favorite brand they distribute. The Cascadian farms are located in Rockport, WA. On there 28-arce farm they grow...

Words: 612 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Kelloggs Special K

...Introduction of the Product: Special K Special K is a lightly toasted breakfast cereal manufactured by the Kellogg Company. The cereal was introduced to the United States in 1956. It is made primarily from rice and wheat. The core target for Special K is usually women from 25 to 49 years. First and foremost the brand is supposed to speak to weight conscious women, who desire to attain a slimmer shape either for a healthy lifestyle or for an occasion. It is marketed primarily as a low-fat cereal that can be eaten to help one lose weight. It frequently has give-away offers for various health and fitness products or contains dieting information on the back of the box. It is also generally targeted at adults, rather than children. It is a multigrain cereal of oats, corn and wheat and flakes balanced with natural carbohydrates and vitamins, which enriches the daily diet with protein and fiber. The Special K line was introduced as a weight management product that helps reducing weight in an easy and faster way. The Special K line is available in these eight main flavors in Spain: * Special K Classic * Special K Chocolate Negro * Special K Chocolate con Leche * Special K Frutas Rojas * Special K Avena Integral con Miel Special K comes in 360g and 630g packs. All items in the product line are labeled according to Kellogg’s and ‘Special K’s corporate designs. Hence it is easy to recognize in-store and by this the shopping process is eased The diet that Special K advocates...

Words: 396 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Geo509 - Major Paper

...Introduction The purpose of this report is to analyze and illustrate the geographical origins of eragrostis tef along with details of its global dispersion. The common name of the crop in Ethiopia is tef. It was chosen for its cultural significance and it’s importance Background In Ethiopia, about 4.9 million acres of land is devoted to its production every year. From 2003-2005 production statistics indicated that tef accounted for about 29% of the land and 20% of the gross grain production of all major cereal cultivation in the country (National Research Council). Eragrostis tef belongs to the grass family Poaceae, and is species of Eragrostis. It contains about 350 species and tef is the only cultivated cereal (Seyfu). Its name tef is originated from the Amharic word yate-tef-ah, which means, “lost”. Since the grains are so small they are easily misplaced (Kloman). It is the world’s smallest food grain and is as small as a grain of sand. It also has quite similar traits to other grains such as quinoa and millet. Tef grows anywhere from 30 to 120 cm in height, with slim stems and long, narrow, smooth leaves. It is a loose or compact panicle. The really small grains are 1.5 mm long, and there are about 2,700 seeds in a gram (Seyfu). The plant uses a Carbon 4 photosynthesis, which uses light efficiently while having low moisture demands. This gives the plant the ability to stand high heat and bright lighting therefore...

Words: 2893 - Pages: 12

Free Essay

Narative Report

...Republic of the Philippines NUEVA ECIJA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Cabanatuan City College of Information and Communication Technology A NARRATIVE REPORT ON On the Job Training National Food Authority (Nueva Ecija Branch Office) In Partial Fulfillment for the Requirements of the Course of Bachelor of Science of Information Technology Presented to: RHOEL ANTHONY G. TORRES CICT, OJT-1 Coordinator Presented by: Hazel Anne P. Bago Alice L. Cino BSIT 2-O Donna Mae A. Pascual BSIT 2-K TABLE OF CONTENTS * Approval Sheet * Acknowledgement * Dedication I. INTRODUCTION a. Objectives of OJT b. Industrial Linkages & Coordination Office (Philosophy, Mission & Goals) II. The Training Agency / Company Profile a. Company Philosophy (Mission, Vision, Goals & Mandate) b. History (Company Background) III. Company Organization a. Organizational Structure b. Profiles of the Company c. Function of the Company d. Programs & Initiatives e. Expected Benefits IV. Experience Evaluation a. OJT Experience b. Insights Problems Encountered Suggestions & Recommendation V. APPENDICES a. Daily Time Record ...

Words: 3084 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Health Eating Plan

...Healthy Eating Plan Siobhan N. Xavier SCI/241 September 18, 2011 Mr. David West Healthy Eating Plan Eating a well-balanced and nutrition-rich meal on a daily basis is just as important as maintaining the proper body weight and maintaining the proper personal care and hygiene on a daily basis. I believe that I live by a fairly healthy lifestyle and I exercise and eat the proper foods. However, upon completing my prior required assignment “Three Day Diet Analysis” and comparing my results to the recommended serving size and amount based on mypyramidtracker.gov website, I was shocked to find that my eating habits were not all that great despite the fact that I work-out five times a week, doing various physical activities such as, yoga, P90X, hip-hop abs, playing basketball, and running. Within this assignment, I will create a healthy eating plan for myself, implementing my personal recommendations from choosemyplate.gov website and my recommendations from mypyramidtracker.gov website. Furthermore, I will discuss my current eating habits and ways on how I plan to implement my healthy eating plan into my daily lifestyle. On any given day, I consume on average 2-3 8oz cups of Spanish espresso, way over the recommended daily amount, along with 1 12 oz. regular mountain dew. However, other than that I drink 1 full glass of 2% milk, 4-5 12 oz. bottles of water, 1-2 serving of fruits and vegetables, 4-6 serving of meats and beans and to be honest an unknown amount of fats...

Words: 1688 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Logistic

...Review of Warehouse Receipt System and Inventory Credit Initiatives in Eastern & Southern Africa Final report commissioned by UNCTAD under the All ACP Agricultural Commodities Programme (AAACP) *The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations September 2009 CONTENTS CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .....................................................................................................................iii GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................. iv GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................. iv SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................ 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 Observations on the different approaches ......................................................................... 1 Policy conclusions and recommendations ........................................................................ 3 Specific proposals .....................................................................

Words: 56151 - Pages: 225

Free Essay

Fiber Research

...examples fiber helps to protect against breast cancer, and colon cancer. Fiber lowers cholesterol, stabilizes blood sugar, and helps to prevent obesity by making a person feel like they are full longer and as a result, eat less. There are two kinds of fibers; soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel – like substance that swells. Soluble fiber helps to keep blood glucose levels where they should be and lowers ones cholesterol. Examples of soluble fibers are oats, beans, peas, apples, and berries. The other type of fiber is insoluble fiber; this type of fiber does not dissolve. Insoluble fibers increase the movement of material through ones digestive tract. Examples of insoluble fiber are whole wheat breads, wheat cereals, cabbage, beets, carrots, Brussels sprouts, and apple skins. It is important that an adult who consumes a diet that consists of two thousand calories daily should eat six to eight servings of grains each day and a total of twenty five grams of fiber daily. It is recommended that children follow the rule for ages five plus. An example would be a seven year old should be eating thirteen grams of fiber daily. When looking for information on the amount of fiber an adult should be consuming daily one can easily find it on the internet. Reference American Heart Association (2010). Heart and stroke, fiber. Retrieved from...

Words: 313 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Case One

...currently in their development phase. The problems they may face at time of launch are whether or not the pump would be gentle enough not to rupture blood cells. The uncertainties that exist are whether or not the magnetic levitation heart pump would meet the long term industry standard. World Heart can use today’s micro tech ology to exist in managing any uncertainties. Ch. 03 - New Product Strategy at Kellogg. Smores grain bars. PIC (Product Innovation charter) Background develops a good tasting yet healthy snack bar. The guidelines are to be the first ones to hit the market with a great tasting snack bar. The goal is to market dominance and a 25% market share the first year. Kellogg’s PIC has brought them from #2 back to #1 in the cereal market and the focus is to stay there. Various new products such as collaboration with Reese’s and Girl Scout cookies offer a new taste everyone will love. Ch. 03 - New Product Strategy at Kellogg. Smores grain bars. PIC (Product Innovation charter) Background develops a good tasting yet healthy snack bar. The guidelines are to be the first...

Words: 503 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Fiber Research

...other nutritional benefits that benefit other parts of the body such as with the gastrointestinal digestive system. Some of the differences between soluble and insoluble fiber would be the capacity of water they are able to hold; for example “soluble” fibers have a high water-holding capacity. Soluble fiber has been associated with increased diet quality and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Foods high in soluble fiber include oat bran, oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, citrus fruits, strawberries and apple pulp. Insoluble fiber has been associated with decreased cardiovascular risk and slower progression of cardiovascular disease in high-risk individuals. Foods high in insoluble fiber include whole-wheat breads, wheat cereals, wheat bran, rye, rice, barley, most other grains, cabbage, beets, carrots, Brussels sprouts, turnips, cauliflower and apple skin. According to the article, part of the recommendations for children and fiber are that children consume the amount of energy intake needed and as they grow into an adult with an adult caloric intake; approximately 1500 or more. When determining the amount of fiber to be in taken by a child the “age plus five” rule is mentioned. A good way to explain it would be to take the child’s age plus five and that would be the number of grams of fiber per day recommended; verses an adult recommendation of 25 to 30 grams per day. Fiber impacts Coronary Heart Disease by reducing your risk of developing a heart attack...

Words: 353 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Natural Cereals Case

...Natural Cereals Case Questions Question 1: After strongly reviewing this situation over and over again, I have realized how difficult and important this decision really is to our company. I believe my co-workers Sally Thompson and Joe Bradley have done an exceptional job so far, and have definitely pointed our marketing department in the right direction. After our company implemented Sally’s proposal, our market share increased three points, which she definitely deserves credit for. However, her proposal has led to some active criticism from the public which has left our group manager Tom Miller displeased because of how valuable this proposal is to our Natural Cereals division. Sally’s proposal included a limited health message to the high fiber content in our bran cereals. She indicated in a very cautious way that food high in fiber has been associated with studies to lower rates of some forms of cancer; however, she did not go about saying that our bran cereals had more bran than other competing bran cereals. She also went about featuring our new “Re-sealable Pack,” which allows the inside bag to be resealed for freshness, and included a 35 cent coupon toward the next purchase of a product of Natural Cereal. Although she believed her proposal avoided deception to our consumers, one key criticism we have received for Sally’s efforts is that we jumped on the company bandwagon that makes often misleading or incomplete health claims. Tom believes we cannot afford...

Words: 1331 - Pages: 6