published on 17/08/09
Cadbury is one of Britain’s best loved brands – it’s up there with PG Tips, Marmite and Jacob’s Cream Crackers. It is adored by consumers and admired by its peers (MT named it Britain’s Most Admired Company in 2004). Yet this kind of heritage can be as much a burden to a business as a boon. ‘It’s a wonderful responsibility,’ says CEO Todd Stitzer, ‘but a challenging one. The Cadbury family owned the company, so they could do whatever they wanted to further what they believed in. I’m afraid it’s a little different today.’ The last Cadbury to work for the firm was Sir Dominic, who left as chairman in 2000. Richard and George Cadbury, sons of the founder, started work on their revolutionary factory village in 1879, building housing, baths, gardens, a library, a football pitch (where Aston Villa FC used to practice) and churches – but, being religious, no pubs. They named the place after the Bourn brook, which the revamped old dining room overlooks. Bournville – ‘the factory in a garden’ – is said to be the oldest UK heritage site still in operation as a mainstream factory, although the company has no control over the village anymore. Emerging markets like Brazil, Russia, India and Mexico now play a key role in Cadbury’s strategy for growth, and the Brazilian business is held up as a poster child for the group. The global confectionery market is worth $141bn – developed markets are growing at 3%, developing markets at 10%. So what does Stitzer think the founders would make of the Cadbury 2008? ‘I think they would recognise the products, the spirit of the place, the tough decisions that have to be made,’ he says, ‘ That the business makes a profit, is strong and vibrant means that it can be a good neighbour. That was part and parcel of the ethos of the Cadbury family when they founded the business, and it’s the way that we would want it to be.’ One thing, however, for sure: the purple reign is far from over.


Read the full article at Management Today