In this report we will be looking at Walkers smiths’ long standing market leadership in UK’s crisp industry and the reasons behind their successful marketing strategies in recent years especially after their acquisition by PepsiCo; a global food giant.
This report should trace walkers’ strategies on corporate and business level by following a world class performance framework by employing world class manufacturing processes and market research and promotional strategies, working at the same time on their core competencies, internal resources and capabilities by scanning, monitoring and assessing various external environmental factors. Also to what extent their manufacturing strategies and response to a fast growing food and snack industry all around the world and in particular in our chosen Uk market (part of bigger European market) under the constant environmental threats and equally important opportunities to attain a competitive advantage over their competitors and rivals by a sustained competitive advantage over a long period of time. Focus of this report is in particular on their performance over last few years.
History and background
The glamorous multimillion crisp industries in UK weren’t always like that. Walkers and Smiths Company had a humble start in 1896 by Samwarth brother’s name as a midlands butcher which in later years expanded itself into pasties and in 1948 into crisp making business.
Crisp industry started as a post war snack industry in most parts of Europe and America. First people fried potato crisps in small fryers and they were simply sold as a non glamorous substitute product at the time of meat and flour rationing.
This industry has picked up in 1950’s and later in 1960’s through media advertisement and a growing awareness among the modern post modern generation about popular foods. Crisps did have their start into the generation of hip and popular food and drinks’ emerging market. No one could have foreseen the
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