Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • December 2011 (Revised June 2013)
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

Bananas (A)

By: Eric Van den Steen
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:12
ShareBar

Abstract

As owner and CEO, Wim Van der Borght had grown Bananas in 8 years from a 4.5 million euro company into a 40 million euro group of companies with a range of field marketing activities in Belgium and the Netherlands. The core of the group consisted of two companies — Bananas and Demonstrate — which were operationally completely independent and acted as competitors in the market. The two companies had different strengths and different cultures. In August 2008, Wim needed to decide on the right degree of interaction or integration of Bananas and Demonstrate. He also wanted to expand the companies' activities to a more comprehensive marketing offering and needed to consider international expansion opportunities.

Keywords

Sustainable Competitive Advantage; Growth Strategy; Strategic Analysis; PVA; Culture As Commitment; Competitive Advantage; Organizational Culture; Growth and Development Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Mergers and Acquisitions; Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Belgium

Citation

Van den Steen, Eric. "Bananas (A)." Harvard Business School Case 712-451, December 2011. (Revised June 2013.)
  • Educators
  • Purchase

About The Author

Eric J. Van den Steen

Strategy
→More Publications

Related Work

    • June 2013 (Revised March 2014)
    • Faculty Research

    Bananas (A) and (B)

    By: Eric Van den Steen
    • December 2011 (Revised June 2013)
    • Faculty Research

    Bananas (B)

    By: Eric Van den Steen
    • December 2011 (Revised June 2013)
    • Faculty Research

    Bananas (A)

    By: Eric Van den Steen
Related Work
  • Bananas (A) and (B) By: Eric Van den Steen
  • Bananas (B) By: Eric Van den Steen
  • Bananas (A) By: Eric Van den Steen
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College