Akzo Nobel UK: Managing the brand portfolio
In June 1999, Leif Abildgaard, the Managing Director of Akzo Nobel UK, was faced with a difficult decision: he had to figure out how to revive the company’s Trade business. Akzo Nobel UK had two principal lines of business: the Retail business, which sold paint to the domestic, do-it-yourself market, and the Trade business, which sold paint to professionals using a network of traditional paint merchants, builders merchants, and the company’s own distribution outlets. Abildgaard, along with some his more senior managers, decided in 1999 to reduce the number of brands in the Trade business portfolio. Although Akzo Nobel had successfully reduced the number of brands in its Retail business portfolio, no attempt had ever been made to drop brands from the Trade portfolio. Because the Trade business consisted of professionals who tended to be brand loyal, Abildgaard knew that any decision he made would likely alienate some of his customers. Nevertheless, Abildgaard pressed ahead in his effort and had to decide which brands to discontinue.
1999
Cranfield University
Wharley End Beds MK43 0JR, UK
Tel +44 (0)1234 750903
Email [email protected]
Harvard Business School Publishing
60 Harvard Way, Boston MA 02163, USA
Tel (800) 545-7685 Tel (617)-783-7600
Fax (617) 783-7666
Email [email protected]
NUCB Business School
1-3-1 Nishiki Naka
Nagoya Aichi, Japan 460-0003
Tel +81 52 20 38 111
Email [email protected]
IMD retains all proprietary interests in its case studies and notes. Without prior written permission, IMD cases and notes may not be reproduced, used, translated, included in books or other publications, distributed in any form or by any means, stored in a database or in other retrieval systems. For additional copyright information related to case studies, please contact Case Services.
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
The case study delves into strategic transformation and leadership transitions at Unilever since 2009. Unilever has been an industry leader of business sustainability. Paul Polman was a pioneer who introduced the idea that, by addressing social an...
Many companies overestimate customers’ appetite for sustainable products, flooding the market with offerings that don’t sell. The reality is, social and environmental benefits have less impact on purchasing decisions than basic product attributes ...
The case explores the efforts of Hamilton Mann, Group VP, Global Digital Marketing & Digital Transformation at Thales, to build a sales enablement platform as part of Thales’ larger digital transformation. “ContentFlix” aimed to be a one-stop sale...
in I by IMD
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in I by IMD
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in Harvard Business Review March-April 2024, vol. 102, issue 2, pp. 80-87
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications