Mark Ritson: Starbucks and Nestlé must focus on three key areas to avoid a bitter brew

Starbucks has partnered with Nestlé to help it sell coffee. At first sight, that sentence appears a little odd. Like selling coals to Newcastle or ice to Eskimos, why on earth would Starbucks need any help selling coffee?
The answer comes from two very different places. To understand why Starbucks needs Nestlé you have to grasp two of the more established theories of management thinking – core competency and competitive strategy – and then appreciate one of the most vil