At the time, Mallory was being hit hard by competition from Energizer and Panasonic. Kidder had joined Dart as vice-president of Planning and Development and made the recommendation that Dart acquire Mallory in order to add more consumer business to Dart. After gaining control over Mallory, Dart divested several of Mallory's subsidiaries but kept and promoted Duracell. Shortly thereafter, Kidder joined Duracell as a vice-president based in Europe, where company growth was slower.
Kidder would be credited with the forward-looking strategy of creating the "cordless Duracell home" of cellular phones and pocket computers and, most importantly, recognizing the need to capture this market. This market shift pointed to the unique, and perennial, technological parameters of a profitable battery business—companies could not just invent new battery products without an established application for their use. Thus, Duracell's success would be highly dependent on energy technologies, especially in the s and s, built into cellular telephones, camcorders, pocket computers, and other innovations.
By the company was again on the market, this time as part of a deal between Kraft Inc. Kraft, which was owned by Phillip Morris at the time, merged with Dart, owner of Duracell. This marriage would last until , when Dart and Kraft split, with Kraft keeping Duracell.
The battery business, meanwhile, kept with its long-held tradition of introducing value-added features. Duracell began placing "freshness dating" on alkaline battery packaging in —the first consumer battery producer to do so.
In , Duracell was taken over by the investment banking firm of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts KKR in what would be one of the largest leveraged buyouts of the s. The central players, Jerome Kohlberg, Jr. Kravis, and George R. Kidder and the management team that organized the buyout from Kraft became 30 percent owners, Kidder was named president and CEO of Duracell, and the new Kidder team devised a particular marketing and restructuring strategy for the newly independent firm.
At the time, the KKR buyout was viewed as very successful in that, compared to other LBOs, there were no assets sold and no large layoffs. Increased research and development spending, prudent debt management, and cost-cutting measures led to an increased market position for the KKR-controlled Duracell.
Of course Duracell also benefited from the increase in battery demand in the United States as well. Another key factor in the success of the LBO was the fact that most of the growth of the business had shifted to long-lasting alkalines from zinc batteries so that alkalines accounted for 80 percent of Duracell's revenues in In addition, the new marketing strategy for the streamlined company emphasized marketing the Duracell brand around the world, including such new products as Lithium Manganese Dioxide batteries and the Copper Top Tester, a package that allowed consumers to test the power of batteries.
These marketing commitments were part of the buyout agreement. The commitment to the fierce mass marketing campaign paid dividends as Duracell distribution became vast.
Through the Duracell Technology Center, comprised of scientists and engineers from around the globe, the company continues to invest in ways to enhance the performance of its alkaline and specialty batteries.
From its long history of innovation and its focus on best serving the needs of the consumer, Duracell continues to set the standard for portable power. The LBO firm KKR had a reputation for piling on debt as part of its takeovers, and the future of Duracell was uncertain in spite of its strong marketing position. To maintain a healthy cash flow, and as part of the takeover agreement, they sold two plants.
KKR still controlled 61 percent of the company's stock while institutions held some 36 percent. Back in the battery market, Duracell was closing the gap on market leader Eveready Battery; Eveready held 60 percent of sales in , but by Eveready's share had fallen to 42 percent and Duracell made a significant gain, to a 36 percent share.
Whereas previous Duracell ads focused on the toy market, these television spots showed people, for example, at a bridal shower, unable to capture the event on film or operate any appliances because their batteries were dead. Of course, had they purchased the Duracell's Tester, they would have known beforehand that the batteries were dead.
Promoted as "another Tester-monial," the spots used nonactors in everyday situations where batteries are essential. The spots were very successful. Each year, as part of its marketing strategy, Duracell's higher spending on advertising continued to pay off.
Gopalbari, Jaipur No. Jaipur Sirsi Road, Jaipur - , Dist. Jaipur Lal Kothi, Jaipur - , Dist. Have a requirement? Get Best Price. View by: Product Supplier. Location Near Me. Popular Duracell Alkaline Batteries Products.
Duracell Alkaline Batteries, 1. Fixerr Solutions. Chakratech Services Private Limited. Shaswat Enterprises. Prakash Electronic.
Ruben came to the P. Mallory Company seeking a piece of equipment he needed for an experiment. Their partnership, which would last until Mallory's death in , was the bedrock of Duracell International. These new generation batteries are specifically designed for and supplied to Kodak to help feed its energy hungry Instamatic camera with built-in flash.
In , Duracell brand name is introduced along with a push for consumer-driven programs and products. Batteries are directly supplied to Agfa, Kodak and Polaroid, producers of a new generation of portable consumer devices such as tape recorders and walkie-talkies.
In , Duracell is part of the Apollo 11 mission and becomes the first battery on the moon. No other battery lasts like it. Over the years, the Bunny character has evolved from a simple toy into a playful and well-loved brand icon who adds warmth and personality to the Duracell brand. Duracell Batteries are constructed, to deliver maximum performance and reliable starting every single day, and in all conditions.
It was this cooperation that laid the foundations for the creation of Duracell International. For example, during World War II he developed the mercury cell battery, which stored increased capacity in more compact dimensions. This was ideally suited to the tough conditions prevailing in the North African and South Pacific operational theatres.
Mallory produced millions of these innovative batteries for war use and founded the Mallory Battery Company. In the s, Samuel Ruben improved the alkaline manganese battery.
0コメント