Churchill Ice Cream has to date made two unsuccessful attempts to become an international

Question

Churchill Ice Cream has to date made two unsuccessful attempts to become an international company.

(d) What reasons would you suggest to explain this failure of Churchill Ice Cream to become an international

company? (5 marks)

Answer 1

正确答案：
(d) The two international strategies pursued to date are through organic growth (the stores in North America) and acquisition (the
companies in Germany and Italy). Neither seems to have worked. Here there seem to be some contradictions while global
tastes and lifestyles are argued to have developed – convergence of consumer tastes lies at the heart of this – but this does
not seem to have benefited Churchill. One questions the learning that these two unfortunate experiences have created. Of the
three core methods of achieving growth, namely organic, acquisition and joint venture, only joint venture remains to be tried.
The reasons for the international failures are clearly complex but one could argue that the strategy has been curiously na?ve.
Certainly, it has pursued a high-risk strategy. Exporting, perhaps through identifying a suitable partner, might create the
learning to lead to a more significant market entry. There is a need to understand local tastes; indeed the whole of the
marketing mix in the chosen market(s), and decide on appropriate strategy. A strategy based upon the acquisition of
companies and their consequent development represents a large investment of capital and requires considerable managerial
attention and expertise. Equally, the attempt to use the Churchill domestic format of opening its own stores creates both a
major financial commitment and the need to manage a radically different operation. One must seriously question whether
Churchill has these capabilities within a family-owned business. Clearly there are differences between the ice cream markets
in various countries, though the emergence of global brands suggests some convergence of tastes. Such differences reflect
differing cultures, tastes and competitive behaviour in each country. The lesson from Churchill’s international initiatives is that
national differences need to be carefully understood. There is little evidence that Churchill has understood these differencesor indeed learnt from them.