Carlsberg Group: On the Road to Become the Fastest Growing Beer Company in the World

Carlsberg Group is the fourth largest brewer in the world. It has 41,000 workers worldwide. Carlsberg is diversified in terms of markets, brands and cultures. Among its largest markets are Asia, Eastern Europe, and Western and Northern Europe.

As a matter of business philosophy, Carlsberg focuses on markets where it exercises significant strength and the right combination of products to secure its position in the industry. Carlsberg did well in its long term projections because early on, the Group has anticipated the variations in markets, growth contributions, and the development and earnings within the Group.

The Group had a simple mission: to be the fastest growing beer company in the world. The parameters to measure Carlsberg’s success include growth in revenues, and operating income within a period of three years.

To cover the markets without a Carlsberg brewery, the Group enters the market through exportation and license agreements. Its four premium brands would stay in their international market positions by way of duty-free shops, export partners and license agreements.

The beer portfolio of Carlsberg has over 500 brands with varying target audience, price and volume. The portfolio carries Carlsberg’s four premium brands Kronenbourgh 1664, Baltika, Tuborg and Calsberg, and some local brands like Wusu (Western China), Lav (Serbia), Feldschlösschen (Switzerland), and Ringnes (Norway).

Baltika,Tuborg and Carlsberg are among the six leading beer brands in Europe, in which Baltika is ranked number one. Kronenbourg is in the tenth position in France.

The Group was established by J.C. Jacobsen in 1847. Jacobsen named his brewing company after his son Carl. The earliest brewing activity happened on November 10, 1847.

In 1875, Jacobsen put up the Carlsberg Laboratory to work on the scientific problems that are related to brewing. Within the Lab are the departments of Physiology and Chemistry. The Lab was able to discover the Saccharomyces carlsbergensis, a species of yeast used to produce pale lager. The Lab also developed the concept of pH and the advances related to protein chemistry. The Lab was renamed Carlsberg Research Center in 1972.

Anadarko: Oil and Natural Gas Explorations that are Vital to the World’s Health and Welfare

Anadarko is an oil and natural gas explorations company with a humble mission: produce energy in a safe and environment friendly manner, thereby promoting public health and supporting communities.

For Anadarko, taking care of the environment is as vital and important as affordable food, clean air and potable water. Because Anadarko takes its responsibility very seriously, it has become a business philosophy to deliver resources by being true to its core values of integrity, trust, servant leadership, commercial focus, people, passion, and open communication.

Anadarko is one of the world’s largest independent oil and natural gas explorations companies. At the end of 2011, Anadarko has proven reserves of 2.54 billion barrels of oil (BBOE). Its volume of sales for 2011 reached 248 million BOE. Its success in offshore exploration hit 80%.

In 2011, Anadarko was the recipient of the Top Workplace award in Houston given by the Houston Chronicle for the second time in a row.

BRF-Brasil Foods: How Buyouts and Takeovers Have Strengthened the Company

BRF-Brasil Foods S.A. is a consumer foods company based in Brazil. The company was founded by the Ponzoni and Brandalise families in 1934 in Santa Catarina state. Its original name was Ponzoni, Brandalise e Cia. The Brandalise family managed the company until September 1994.

Only six years into its operations, BRF-Brasil moved from general trading to foodstuff and its related products, including processed pork in 1940. In the 1950s, the company also engaged in processing of poultry.

The company started exporting its products in Saudi Arabia. Through the next two decades, BRF-Brasil expanded its export markets to include Japan and Europe. Simultaneously, expansions through acquisition of pork and poultry processing businesses were made through the early 1990s.

In 1993, the company experienced a reversal of fortunes due to the global crisis during that time. The costs increased. Investments were at the lowest levels. Opportunities for expansion were limited. Marketing strategies failed. When it was already difficult to sustain the company’s liquidity, the Brandalise family sold 80.68% of their common shares and 65.54% of their preferred shares in 1994. The buyers consist of 8 pension funds.

Following the buyout, a new team of executives were hired to restructure the company. Capital stock was increased. Modernization programs were implemented. The non-essential operations were discontinued.

Further takeovers were consummated in the next few years. Of the eight original pension funds, two survived through the 21^st century: Sadia and Perdigão. They entered into a partnership agreement in May 2009 that created the BRF-Brasil Foods S.A.

Further reorganization and restructuring were implemented which included the disposal and discontinuation of some brands and product lines. The revamp yielded revenues of R$1.7 billion while the suspension of Sadia and Perdigão brands yielded revenues of R$1.2 billion.

An asset exchange agreement was entered into by BRF-Brasil and Quickfood S.A. (of Argentina) in December 2011. BRF-Brasil will take over the entire shareholding of Quickfood which is equivalent to 90.05% of the capital stock on top of cash payment amounting to R$350 million.

Possible and Profitable: the Re-imagination of Marketing

In the late seventies, one brand emerged and seized the attention of the American consumer—and continues to keep it. Nike, which premiered with an iconic ad and the tagline “There is no finish line,” now stands the top global provider of athletic shoes and apparel. Headquartered in the Pacific Northwest, Nike holds the loyalty of millions around the world for its products as well as its unique, ever-expanding relationship with the customer.

Forever remembered for the “Swoosh” symbol, Nike is also responsible for numerous other branding and marketing campaigns that made significant impressions. Over the past ten years, Nike embraced modernity and architected a host of campaigns that thrived worldwide. Behind a host of these successes was Davide Grasso, an employee of Nike since the early 1990s and a regarded creative branding professional. In 2010, he redefined the marketing world with the “Write the Future” project, which integrated social media with traditional modes of advertising and effectively rendered the campaign an ongoing conversation. The primary video received over 10 million views and garnered two Cannes Gold Lions. Grasso also bridged the gap between tradition and innovation in 2008, when he secured LeBron James to appear in the “Just Do It” commemorative program at the Beijing Olympics. Formerly involved with the administration of all six Nike regions and all six departments, Davide Grasso now serves as Vice President of Global Brand Marketing. He and others continue to shape Nike, proving that the evolution of long-beloved brands is not just possible, but profitable.

Technip: 50 Years of Engineering Excellence

Technip leads the world in construction, engineering and project management in the energy sector. The company is engaged in gas and oil development, and onshore and offshore infrastructure. Its 32,000 skilled workers offer the best solutions to meet the challenges of the energy industry.

For more than half a century, Technip has shown that it has the ability to expect and adapt to changes in market trends. Through global expansions and constant development of knowledge and expertise, Technip is known throughout the world with its world-class and first rate engineering technologies. At present, Technip is operating in 48 countries.

The company started in 1958 with only 100 workers. In two years, it started completing projects in Asia and Africa. Its first offshore office was established in Rome in the early 1970s, making Technip an international company. By the end of the 1980s, Technip has truly become global company, with the opening of operations in Malaysia, UAE, Brazil and the UK.

Technip is a public company. Its shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the Euronext Paris Exchange.

Rakuten Group: Striving to be the Leading Internet Services Company Worldwide

Rakuten Group has launched Rakuten Ichiba as an online shopping mall that pioneered the B2B2C marketplace. It is a virtual marketplace where retailers can offer their products and consumers can place orders. Since its founding in 1997, Rakuten Group has strived to empower people and be the leading internet services company in the world.

At the time of Rakuten’s founding, online retailers looked like web catalogs. Few people believed that consumers would purchase their stuff online. Rakuten believed otherwise. In spite of the negative opinions about internet shopping sites, Rakuten Ichiba was launched to provide a platform for ordinary people who are skilled with retailing to open their own internet shopping sites. This platform is user-friendly and devoid far from being a savvy online shopping platform. The traffic and expertise provided by the platform is empowering small scale online retailers to become successful in their businesses.

Rakuten had a noble mission: to let consumers experience the “joy of discovery” by way of online shopping. That’s why Rakuten created an environment where personal, informative, exciting and engaging interaction similar to the real life marketplace can happen between retailers and consumers.

Aside from Rakuten Ichiba which is the Group’s flagship e-commerce business, expansions to diverse businesses were also undertaken such as pro sports, online marketing, portal media, e-money, credit cards, securities, banking, travel, and e-Books and e-Reading. These businesses are integrated through the Group’s loyalty membership programs.

Rakuten Group is also going global with its Rakuten Ecosystem. The Group’s travel, e-Books and e-Reading, and e-commerce businesses are entering the marketplaces of Asia, Europe, Oceania and Americas. With its entrance in the global markets, Rakuten Group holds on to its business philosophy of empowering people through the internet so that Rakuten Group would indeed become the leading internet services company in the world and realize the dream of a global Rakuten Ecosystem.