Even the mightiest global marketers had to learn new tricks in Central Europe. Marketing missteps and heavy competition led the company to amass losses of more than 30 million francs through 1996.
People are willing to spend money on pets.
That's why the company is building a new factory in Hungary to produce dry and wet pet food, including its Friskies and local brands, for Hungary and export to all of Central Europe. The numbers look compelling. In Hungary alone, Nestle estimates, there are three million pets, or about one per household. In the past, most Hungarians made pet food themselves from scraps. Now, with more disposable income and less free time, consumers look for the can opener instead.