Nestlé: a Brief History of the Marketing Strategies of the First Multinational Company in the Ottoman Empire
Nestlé: A Brief History of the Marketing Strategies of the First Multinational Company in the Ottoman Empire
Abstract
It can be argued that private companies accelerated the integration of the late Ottoman Empire with the capitalist world economy. Western companies shaped not only the Ottoman economy but also its social and cultural environments. Modern marketing was one of the most important instruments in this process. This article investigates—via a brief historical survey of the marketing activities of Nestlé in the Ottoman Empire between the years 1870 and 1921—the interaction between Western firms and consumers. The article explores how Nestlé gained access to the urban Ottoman market and the methods it used for attracting the Ottoman consumer. Nestlé’s sales efforts show that it had to adjust its strategies to local realities through a process of learning, adapting, and using the specific characteristics of its host society to be successful.
Strategy
Nestlé describes itself as a food, nutrition, health, and wellness company. Recently they created Nestlé Nutrition, a global business organization designed to strengthen the focus on their core nutrition business. They believe strengthening their leadership in this market is the key element of their corporate strategy. This market is characterized as one in which the consumer’s primary motivation for a purchase is the claims made by the product based on nutritional content.
In order to reinforce their competitive advantage in this area, Nestlé created Nestlé Nutrition as an autonomous global business unit within the organization, and charged it with the operational and profit and loss responsibility for the claim-based business of Infant Nutrition, HealthCare Nutrition, and Performance Nutrition. This unit aims to deliver superior business performance by offering consumers trusted, science based nutrition products and services.
The Corporate Wellness Unit was designed to integrate nutritional
Abstract
It can be argued that private companies accelerated the integration of the late Ottoman Empire with the capitalist world economy. Western companies shaped not only the Ottoman economy but also its social and cultural environments. Modern marketing was one of the most important instruments in this process. This article investigates—via a brief historical survey of the marketing activities of Nestlé in the Ottoman Empire between the years 1870 and 1921—the interaction between Western firms and consumers. The article explores how Nestlé gained access to the urban Ottoman market and the methods it used for attracting the Ottoman consumer. Nestlé’s sales efforts show that it had to adjust its strategies to local realities through a process of learning, adapting, and using the specific characteristics of its host society to be successful.
Strategy
Nestlé describes itself as a food, nutrition, health, and wellness company. Recently they created Nestlé Nutrition, a global business organization designed to strengthen the focus on their core nutrition business. They believe strengthening their leadership in this market is the key element of their corporate strategy. This market is characterized as one in which the consumer’s primary motivation for a purchase is the claims made by the product based on nutritional content.
In order to reinforce their competitive advantage in this area, Nestlé created Nestlé Nutrition as an autonomous global business unit within the organization, and charged it with the operational and profit and loss responsibility for the claim-based business of Infant Nutrition, HealthCare Nutrition, and Performance Nutrition. This unit aims to deliver superior business performance by offering consumers trusted, science based nutrition products and services.
The Corporate Wellness Unit was designed to integrate nutritional