Marketing Strategy in Family Business: Graeter’s

Corporate evolution is absolutely indispensable in adjusting to the dynamic working environments and changing the customers’ preferences. Graeter’s, a family-operated company, is now run by the founders’ grandchildren. They are now implementing a business strategy into new markets. This paper is an analysis of Graeter’s marketing strategy, as well as its structures. Strong and weak sides. Amongst the firm’s main advantages is its long expertise in their sphere, about 130 years. Connecting outside consultants to improve the company’s tactics and the people in management decision-making are additional strengths. An agreement in decision making is needed among the three relatives that share the management of the company. This is a weakness as delayed strategic decision-making may be very costly to the business.
Departmentalization of the Organization Culture
The decision making of the company is only vested in its three corporate managers who are fourth generation descendants of the founders. Despite the growth of the business over the years, the corporate decision-making has been maintained within the family of the founders. This makes the structure a centralized one. This is especially considering consultants and external managers only assist the three corporate managers to develop strategic decisions of the business. No strategic management decision-making powers have been delegated to non-family members despite its growth and expansion into new markets. This may lead to delayed corporate decisions with the growth of the business.
Implications for Graeter’s Strategy and Its Operational Planning
Ice cream and the other primary products of the business have seasonal consumption patterns. The fact that its facilities produce more that is currently needed is to ensure that during the peak seasons the supply is met comfortably from internal production. The operational planning of the company will be adjusted to adapt to the seasonal demand for its products in all the markets.

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Conclusion
Graeter’s growth strategy is disadvantaged by its main weakness – the organization structure. The strategic decision making of the company should be devolved to lower levels of management. Also, the consensus among the three family representatives in the strategic decision making should be replaced by a more robust model.