Intercultural marketing: Bongrain SA in the USA

Résumé du document

Some countries are totally different in their food consumption patterns. Therefore, it is an interesting field especially to analyze the strategy of a big French group, which concentrates its attention on the production and sale of French cheeses. It also analyzes the audiences who want and wish to target countries like the United States. Americans are known to eat bad food or junk food such as hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, ice cream, and so on. In the light of this scenario, the buzzing thought is the possibility of the French food processing company to sell its products in this country (USA). However, if it proves positive, what is the manner and method that the company will adopt? To comprehend this phenomenon in a clear manner, we will delve into the specialties in the functioning of the world leader of the cheese making industry, ?Bongrain'. Thereafter, the question on the marketing strategy adopted by the French company Bongrain SA in order to sell cheese in the United States (i.e. the country with a totally different food culture) will be answered. Bongrain SA is a worldwide company, with a wide variety of products especially in a wide range of Cheese. To be more precise, Bongrain SA is the leader of top range cheeses, other dairy products such as technical butters and the dairy proteins which is intended to promote the food, health and nutrition industry. Further, Gastronomy is the award granted for acquiring the first place in the ranking of top range caterers in France, New York, Moscow and Saint-Petersburg.

Extraits

[...] But that does mean Bongrain has an offensive or defensive behaviour. Conclusion Bongrain adopted a particular strategy to reach the American cheese market, which succeed. But its two main French competitors, which are also developed in United States, succeed too with different strategies. However, according to me, Bongrain's strategy is the more reliable for a long-term development of its activities. Indeed, the group decided to use the French touch to improve the quality of its products, but they also adopted them to the local tastes in order to answer to the Americans' needs. [...]

[...] MUY FRESCO For the products, which follow this strategy, all the marketing is adapted to the American market. Moreover, one of them is totally different from what is sold in France: Cheese sauces. Thus, these two different strategies are an adaptation to the local culture and tastes. Promotion Push strategy - Internet Web sites In United States, for the first strategy, there is a Website for each brand. It allows setting up a top-of-range positioning for famous French cheeses. - Press The brand Ile De France receives a reward from Two Culinary Magazines for its Brie and Goat Cheese in October 2006. [...]

[...] II - How does the French company Bongrain adapt its marketing strategy for the sale of its cheeses in United States? Development in United States Bongrain's development in United States Bongrain SA is present in United States thanks to three companies: Advanced Food Products This company is a joint venture between Bongrain and Land'o Lakes, specialized in the production and the sale of long-term foods: cheese, sauce, cup pudding and the energy drinks. Three production's sites belong to the company: one in Pennsylvanie, one in Californie and the last one in Wisconsin. [...]

[...] “American Culinary ChefsBest™ is an independent judging organization dedicated to recognizing and honoring the best products in America.” Adaptation to the American food culture Excepting for the “Café Classic” brand, nothing in the development of these brands and products can bring the idea of a link with France. Cheese sauces do not exist in France. Nothing in products' name or in their packaging are linked to France; Among the products' range, only one product is a cheese: muy fresco Café Classic has a French name and consists in famous French desserts, but it is also adapted to the American habits with desserts, which are easy and quick to do. [...]

[...] They develop the two kinds of brands : Sale of french brands The laughing cow (Vache qui rit) PartyCubes (Apéricube) Port Salut Acquisition of American cheese brands Kaukauna : Cheeses in jars, in balls or in logs covered with almonds (cold pack cheese food) Merkts : Cheeses from Wisconsin (cold pack cheese food) Price's : Grated cheese and sauces from Texas WisPride : Cheese based on grated cheese and milk (cold pack cheese food) The Bel group does not really have the same strategy as Bongrain SA in United States. They also develop two kinds of strategy, but not the same. The first one is to sell the same products as in France, with sometimes the translation in English of the brands. The second one is to buy American brands in order to better target Americans. [...]