Product details

The case covers the history of Marimekko, a Finnish textile and clothing design house, starting in 1951 when Armi Ratia, a Finnish textile designer, founded the company. Amer Corporation, an international conglomerate known for brands such as Wilson and Atomic took over the company in February 1985 and the Amer period lasted until the autumn of 1991 when Kirsti Paakkanen acquired Marimekko. She then implemented strategy and organisational changes. The case ends in December 1995 when Kirsti Paakkanen is evaluating the new strategic options for Marimekko in an increasingly competitive environment: The European Union membership in the beginning of 1994 has brought new competitors to the Nordic markets, while at the same time the recession in Finland has eroded the purchasing power of Marimekko''s traditional target market: women over 30 years old. The information in the case is meant to illustrate the role of leadership and management in a company that is operating in an increasingly competitive environment. Thus, additional information in the form of extra reading might be needed for analysing the industry.