Portfolio Analysis
Explain portfolio-analysis aims by identifying products to grow, support, reposition or withdraw, linking product mix, resources, risk and strategy.
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2019
- Course
- Business XBS11/YBS11
- Level
- A2
Explain portfolio-analysis aims by identifying products to grow, support, reposition or withdraw, linking product mix, resources, risk and strategy.
Extract A Kellogg's Corporate Strategy Founded in 1906 by W.K. Kellogg, Kellogg's started to produce breakfast cereals such as Kellogg's Corn Flakes but has since ventured into other food products. Its product portfolio today includes convenience foods such as snacks, biscuits, waffles, pastries, cookies and crackers. Kellogg's vision is simply to 'Enrich and delight the world through foods and brands that matter'. Its strategy ranges from being the best provider of breakfast products and global provider of snacks to doubling sales in emerging markets. Kellogg's spends more than 8\% of its revenue building its brand that is helping the business to become a powerful name in some of the developing markets in the world. Kellogg's uses a mix of demographic, geographic and psychographic segmentation to market its 1,600 food products that are produced in 21 countries and sold in more than 180 countries. It reinvests profits to produce more innovative food products and to improve its product mix.
Extract B Kellogg's in 2017

Sales Revenue (\$m) per region

Main Products by sector (\%)
Extract C Kellogg's to run summer hours scheme for Manchester-based staff Kellogg's is running a summer hours scheme for its Manchester-based staff. The scheme, now in its 15th year, lets all 420 employees based at its headquarters in the UK finish work at 12.00 on a Friday provided they have done a full week's work. The summer hours scheme is designed to boost productivity and give employees greater flexibility so they enjoy long weekends, pursue hobbies and spend extra time with friends and family. The UK HR Director at Kellogg's, said: "Flexible working is something we take very seriously at Kellogg's. Research shows people who feel they have a good work-life balance work 21\% harder than those who do not."
Extract D Kellogg's cuts sugar levels in Coco Pops by 40\% - and says they taste better Kellogg's says it has improved Coco Pops by reducing the amount of sugar in the cereal by 40\% and adding more chocolate powder. The changed recipe, which also has 10\% less salt, now has 17g of sugar per 100g rather than 30g.

Bridget Briggs, of Kellogg's, said: "We have listened to people who buy Coco Pops. We have reduced the total sugar content of the cereal without affecting its great chocolatey taste." UK health campaigners urged other companies to follow Kellogg's as nearly two-thirds of adults and a third of children are overweight. Professor Graham MacGregor, Chair of Action on Sugar, said: "We hope Kellogg's will change all of its cereals and set an example for all other food manufacturers. We need compulsory sugar-reduction targets with strict penalties for those who do not comply."
Extract E Kellogg's statement of comprehensive income for the year ending 31st December 2017

Explain one aim of portfolio analysis for Kellogg's.
Knowledge 1, Application 2, Analysis 1
Knowledge
1 mark for identifying one aim, eg:
- Identifies new product areas to be
targeted/identifies products which need to be
withdrawn from the market (1)
Application
Up to 2 marks for contextualised answers, eg:
- Kellogg's has a large portfolio with over 1,600
products (1)
- Kellogg's operate in different market sectors
including breakfast and snack markets (1)
Analysis
1 mark for developing the reason, eg:
- Kellogg's will be able to make strategic decisions
as to which products need support/which food
areas need innovation or new products (1)