Abstract
In this essay we will try to analyze the environment in which DANONE is competing. We will discover the strategic choices that the company has made since its creation, and the way in which it has grown to became a world leader. After presenting a quick history of the group, we will carry out a study of its strengths and weaknesses, and the opportunities offered by the market. We will consider the place of DANONE's products in the market and base our analysis on the figures that emerge. We will then take a closer look at the biscuit market which is going to be the focus of this essay. Subsequently, the strategy and the choices adopted by DANONE to accomplish the takeover of the Russian company BOLSHEVIK (in 1993). The situation of DANONE and the point of view of BOLSHEVIK will be analyzed, and the cultural differences between these two distinct kinds of organization will be studied. We will discuss the implications of this take over, and analyze how long it will take to import a new management into the company.
