Strategic Planning in the Small Business

Unit 1
HO 1-5 (continued)

Chapter 1 The Strategic Management Process 11

SARA LEE CORPORATION:

MISSION, OBJECTIVES,

AND STRATEGY

In a recent annual report,

the management of Sara Lee

Corporation set

forth

the company's mission, objectives,

and strategy:

Mission

Sara Lee

Corporation's mission is to be

the leading brand-name food

and

consumer

packaged goods company

with major market share positions

in

key

consumer markets worldwide.

W" manufacture and market

high-quality, marketing-sensitive

prod­

ucts with growth

potential. These products, which

are sold through com­

mon distribution

channels, include

* Packaged food

products,

* Food

products and services for the

foodservice industry,

* Consumer personal

products, and

* Household and personal

care products.

Objectives

Size alone-that

is, being the largest by some

quantitative measure­

does not

define leadership. We aspire

to be a larger company only

to

the

extent that size and scale

contribute to achieving more

important

measures of pre-eminence.

First, and above all,

the leading company must

be an outstanding

financial

performer for its stockholders.

We must produce dependable

and consistent financial

returns which rank high in

absolute terms as

well as relative to

our peer compedtors.

Second, our product

positons must be very

high quality, compete

in significant market

segments, and command

exceptionally strong mar­

ket

shares.

Third, our management

people and processes must

be of the high­

est caliber and appropriate

to the times.

And fourth, we must

be recognized as a corporation

with an es­

pecially high sense of

responsibility to our employees

and public con­

stituencies.

(continued)

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