The Valio Company in the Russian Market: Will Processed Cheese Viola Hold a Winning Position?

The case is based on the analysis of a range of problems associated with the Viola brand long-term strategy development in the Russian processed cheese market by the Finnish company Valio. The Valio company was one of the first companies which started branding in the Russian processed cheese market. By using the 'first step' advantage, Valio won a steady position in that market. However, recently, the competition in the Russian market sharpened, the appearance of strong players fostered Valio to lose its leading position. The attack of competitors made the company take new effective decisions in marketing and branding to fasten its position. The case is recommended for discussion on the following programs: MIB (International Marketing); in the course Marketing Management and Brand Management when studying the topics: Branding; Brand Portfolio Management; Company Brand Strategy; Company’s International Market Entry Strategies