Case Example - Church and Dwight.Doc
Church & Dwight: Time to Rethink the Portfolio
A case report prepared for
MG 495 Business Policy
(Fall II 2012)
(Andrew Smith)
(11 November 2012)
Church & Dwight: Time to Rethink the Portfolio
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Executive Summary
1. Summary statement of the problem: Church & Dwight was founded over 160 years ago. A decade ago Church & Dwight was pulling in less than $1 Billion in annual sales while remaining a largely household domestic products company with only one iconic brand. Over the past decade Church & Dwight has made many successful changes in their company to create rapid growth fueled by a string of acquisitions and creating a diversified portfolio. While growing the business, Church & Dwight has come across some potential issues. One of the issues that the Church & Dwight Company is facing is the ability to remain competitive within the volatile retail market where other major competitors are fighting for shelf space and retailers are looking to rationalize their breadth of product offerings. Another issue that is visible is the ability to achieve a balancing act based on finding growth through more uses of sodium bicarbonate while integrating their consumer products into the international market. Church & Dwight wants to move into the international market but have been met with limited success. Two possible reasons for this are 1) lack of name recognition and 2) transportation costs.
2. Summary statement of the recommended solution: The issues that the Church & Dwight Company faces are issues that are very real and need to be addressed as quickly as possible. Church & Dwight needs to make their name more known through international advertising. Focus on large cities and push their brands into those international marketplaces. Put out advertisements via TV, radio, billboards, or magazines. Through effective advertisement and their quality product success will come.
A case report prepared for
MG 495 Business Policy
(Fall II 2012)
(Andrew Smith)
(11 November 2012)
Church & Dwight: Time to Rethink the Portfolio
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Executive Summary
1. Summary statement of the problem: Church & Dwight was founded over 160 years ago. A decade ago Church & Dwight was pulling in less than $1 Billion in annual sales while remaining a largely household domestic products company with only one iconic brand. Over the past decade Church & Dwight has made many successful changes in their company to create rapid growth fueled by a string of acquisitions and creating a diversified portfolio. While growing the business, Church & Dwight has come across some potential issues. One of the issues that the Church & Dwight Company is facing is the ability to remain competitive within the volatile retail market where other major competitors are fighting for shelf space and retailers are looking to rationalize their breadth of product offerings. Another issue that is visible is the ability to achieve a balancing act based on finding growth through more uses of sodium bicarbonate while integrating their consumer products into the international market. Church & Dwight wants to move into the international market but have been met with limited success. Two possible reasons for this are 1) lack of name recognition and 2) transportation costs.
2. Summary statement of the recommended solution: The issues that the Church & Dwight Company faces are issues that are very real and need to be addressed as quickly as possible. Church & Dwight needs to make their name more known through international advertising. Focus on large cities and push their brands into those international marketplaces. Put out advertisements via TV, radio, billboards, or magazines. Through effective advertisement and their quality product success will come.
References: Biography for Walt Disney. Turner Classic Movies, Retrieved August 22, 2009, from http://www.tcmdb.com/participant.jsp?participantId=50875 The Walt Disney Corporation. The Walt Disney Company Corporate Strategy. Wheelen, T.L., & Hunger J.D. (2008) Strategic Management and Business Policy. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson-Prentice Hall. http://www.churchdwight.com/company/who-we-are/history.aspx NOTE: More references should have been used (should be used) for your case analysis efforts in Section IIA.