Comment une marque niche devient-elle une marque culte ? Quelles sont ces marques dont on admire le parcours ? Celles qui ont réussi le pari de l’image et du chiffre d’affaires ? Y a t-il des étapes à suivre ? Des conseils à respecter ?
Aesop, Diptyque, Odile Lecoin, Frederic Malle, Jo Malone, Miller Harris, Annick Goutal…Nous connaissons tous ces marques de niche. Elles sont devenues de véritables icones, des modèles de réussite. On les reconnait dans le monde entier. On les trouve dans les boutiques les plus exclusives. Les stars internationales ne jurent que par elles.
Pourtant, elles aussi, un jour, ont été marques émergentes (au démarrage), puis marques niches (en distribution très exclusive). Comment ont-elles acquis ce statut de marque culte emblématique ?
Quels sont les signes de réussite ?
Comment passer du statut de marque niche à marque culte en quelques points ?
- D’abord, un produit très qualitatif: des textures, une fragrance, un packaging de haute qualité…
- Un travail de Relations Publiques considérable pour aboutir à des cautions par les rédactrices beauté et les stars internationales les plus exigeantes.
- Un produit photogénique que les journalistes ont plaisir à inclure dans leurs éditoriaux.
- Un remarquable échantillonnage et une distribution de produits gratuits très ciblée.
- La sélection, au démarrage, de points de vente de niche, exclusifs ou innovants ou alternatifs…l’endroit où les leaders d’opinion vont.
- Le lancement régulier et bien organisé de nouveautés pertinentes.
- Un suivi rigoureux sur le terrain en termes de formation et d’animation.
- La présence du créateur ou de la créatrice, son implication à tous les niveaux.
- L’ouverture maîtrisée de la distribution avec une stratégie adaptée par marché.
- Et enfin, un suivi rigoureux des coûts et dépenses afin d’avoir les ressources pour continuer à se développer.
D'après Mission Beauté, mai 2008.
7/15/08
Seventeen major reasons why companies do not achieve explosive marketing results
1. Not agreed upon, published corporate goals.
2. No market research or research poorly done without emotional and analytical Hot Buttons
3. No corporate or product positionning.
4. Unaware of the buying profile, including sales hot buttons of customers and prospective customers.
5. Unclear, incorrect, unknown or no marketing strategy.
6. Lack of coordination between marketing functions.
7. Poor or no measurement of results or performance accountability.
8. Allowing an agency to develop strategies based on services they offer rather than on what a client company needs.
9. Marketing by piecemetal projects rather than by integrated marketing campaign.
10. Using creative rather than response driven marketing pieces...
11. Unaware of all market niches.
12. Reliance on counting "ad impressions" rather than counting new customers gained.
13. Failure to gain new ideas for new products by engaging in customer dialogue.
14. Failure to build customer loyalty by building long term customer relationship.
15. Failure to increase the effectiveness of sales promotions by getting customers and prospects involved with the company.
16. Failure to create word of mouth.
17. Failure to increase sales by expanding multi-channel distribution.
... how can we help you ?
2. No market research or research poorly done without emotional and analytical Hot Buttons
3. No corporate or product positionning.
4. Unaware of the buying profile, including sales hot buttons of customers and prospective customers.
5. Unclear, incorrect, unknown or no marketing strategy.
6. Lack of coordination between marketing functions.
7. Poor or no measurement of results or performance accountability.
8. Allowing an agency to develop strategies based on services they offer rather than on what a client company needs.
9. Marketing by piecemetal projects rather than by integrated marketing campaign.
10. Using creative rather than response driven marketing pieces...
11. Unaware of all market niches.
12. Reliance on counting "ad impressions" rather than counting new customers gained.
13. Failure to gain new ideas for new products by engaging in customer dialogue.
14. Failure to build customer loyalty by building long term customer relationship.
15. Failure to increase the effectiveness of sales promotions by getting customers and prospects involved with the company.
16. Failure to create word of mouth.
17. Failure to increase sales by expanding multi-channel distribution.
... how can we help you ?
6/17/08
Frederique Constant Passion Awards : 2008 winners announced !
During the prize-giving ceremony, the Frédérique Constant brand announced the name of the joint winners of the first Passion Awards : Mrs Laura Cotton, founder of Paint a Smile, a Foundation dedicated to the improvement of hospital environments and Pierre Marcolini, founder and CEO of Pierre Marcolini Chocolatier.
For Peter and Aletta Stas, founder of Frédérique Constant watch company, "Live your passion" remains a fundamental factor in the success of any company. Armed with this conviction, the manufacture decided to encourage achievements of passionate men and women who have been able to develop their ideas, moving quickly from an innovative concept to a fast-expanding company.
It was in the presence of the ten finalists and in front of an audience of 800 handpicked guests, that the second Passion Awards prize-giving ceremony took place Thursday June12th. During a very passionate concert by the Chamber Orchestra of Geneva, Peter and Aletta Stas, both passionate about watch-making and kind-hearted entrepreneurs of the Frédérique Constant brand, honoured two prize-winners chosen from among the ten international candidates in contention for the Passion Awards:
Laura Cotton is the founder of Paint a Smile, a Foundation dedicated to the improvement of hospital environments. After a tragic accident in her family, she decided to dedicate her life to the improvement of the hospital environment. Paint a Smile's mission is to reduce the anxiety and de-dramatize a stay in hospital by permanently transforming the cold and impersonal environment into a colorful and welcoming world. Today, Laura Cotton is the passionate President of the Foundation.
Pierre Marcolini is the founder and CEO of Pierre Marcolini Chocolatier. Belgian by nationality, Italian by origin, Pierre Marcolini Chocolatier is the known producer of « Haute Couture » chocolate. Created in 1995, the company now counts over 15 flagship stores around the world. A meteoric success that is the result of excellence, audacity, and a passion for all things gourmet.
5/30/08
How green are luxury companies ?
By Fiona Harvey, Environment Correspondent, FT.
Luxury companies must do more to justify their value in an increasingly resource-constrained and unequal world.” That was the conclusion of a report by WWF, the conservation charity, into the environmental sustainability of luxury products, published last November. The report found that “despite strong commercial drivers for greater sustainability, luxury brands have been slow to recognise their responsibilities and opportunities”.
When WWF graded some of the best-known luxury brands according to their environmental performance, none received higher than a C plus. L’Oréal, buyer of the Body Shop, topped the list, scoring more than 60 points out of a possible 100 on various green and social sustainability criteria. Close behind came Hermès and LVMH, then Coach. Tiffany scored a D plus to rank fifth, but Bulgari and Tod’s merited only an F.
None of the companies were available for comment at the time of going to press.
Why is it that environmental concerns have been so low on the agenda for luxury groups? Other companies have shown much more interest in going green, partly out of growing consumer concern. Havas, the advertising company, recently conducted a big survey of green concerns of more than 12,000 people in several countries. It found that about three quarters would prefer to buy from a greener company.
“It’s very surprising that companies that are supposed to be so quick to pick up on fashions have been so slow to come to the table,” says Solitaire Townsend, chief executive of Futerra Sustainability Communications, who has worked with brands such as L’Oréal and Estée Lauder on improving their green credentials.
She says consumer brands much lower down the scale have picked up on green concerns much sooner: “You get more of a sense of the environment movement if you walk into Tesco than into Bergdorf Goodman.”
Part of the reason for this reluctance to embrace a green agenda may be that in the past the environment and luxury would have made uneasy bedfellows – environmentalists have traditionally had a dowdy image, preferring home-grown and home-made goods to brands.
Another reason may be that it is hard for luxury brands to adopt green principles – Ms Townsend notes, for example, that high-end cosmetics companies tend to differentiate themselves by using elaborate packaging. That plainly contravenes the principles of environmental economy – to use as little resource and create as little waste as possible.
Conspicuous consumption can also mitigate against environmental good citizenship. Paris Hilton’s favourite drink is said to be Bling Water, in glass bottles covered in small crystals, for an eye-watering $40 a pop. The bottles may be advertised as reusable, but the materials and the cost of transportation still take a toll in terms of carbon footprint. It also contrasts sharply with the desire of environmentalists to wean people off bottled water.
Yet there are reasons why luxury brands can identify with environmental goals. Luxury brands increasingly seek to connect with consumers’ desire for authenticity and there is little more authentic than natural materials. Being environmentally-friendly can be a luxurious form of consumption – bespoke pieces crafted from natural materials command a premium price.
Roy Tam makes eco-furniture in Dorset. Wood, he points out, is environmentally sound as it contains carbon absorbed from the air as the trees grew. He uses young wood that has not been dried in a kiln from local, small trees. His corporate customers “are almost all eco-minded” now, he says, while domestic customers are looking for good designs first but are attracted by eco-credentials.
There is even a practical side to environmental goods in a luxury setting. Yachts and plush homes are among the highest status symbols available and both could benefit from being greener. Stephen Voller, chief executive of the fuel cell company Voller Energy, says many of his customers are owners of mid-size sailing yachts in the 40ft-55ft class, costing from about £250,000 ($494,000) to £500,000.
These are usually equipped with lead acid batteries for power while sailing. But changing them is “every skipper’s nightmare”, says Mr Voller. The usual option is to run the engine or a generator. “Both are noisy, cause significant vibration within the boat and produce unpleasant smells. They are also fuel inefficient when used this way,” he says. For these reasons, an environmentally-friendly fuel cell is a greener and cleaner luxury option.
Environmentally-friendly homes – with options such as green roofs, water recycling and renewable heat and power – are also a hit in the luxury home market, says Julian Brooks, managing director of GreenMoves, an estate agent website. “There are more high-end eco homes than mid-range or low-range homes,” he says. It is easier for property developers to target the high end of the market with eco features, he adds.
WWF concludes that luxury and the green agenda can be reconciled, and that high-end brands can adhere to environmental principles while selling high-value goods – and indeed must do so in order to satisfy people’s increasingly green consciousness. “Luxury is about being and having the very best. Products that cause misery or environmental damage, now or in the future, are no longer considered by affluent consumers to be best in class. Such products do not feel luxurious to the more ethically and environmentally concerned consumers of today.”
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
Luxury companies must do more to justify their value in an increasingly resource-constrained and unequal world.” That was the conclusion of a report by WWF, the conservation charity, into the environmental sustainability of luxury products, published last November. The report found that “despite strong commercial drivers for greater sustainability, luxury brands have been slow to recognise their responsibilities and opportunities”.
When WWF graded some of the best-known luxury brands according to their environmental performance, none received higher than a C plus. L’Oréal, buyer of the Body Shop, topped the list, scoring more than 60 points out of a possible 100 on various green and social sustainability criteria. Close behind came Hermès and LVMH, then Coach. Tiffany scored a D plus to rank fifth, but Bulgari and Tod’s merited only an F.
None of the companies were available for comment at the time of going to press.
Why is it that environmental concerns have been so low on the agenda for luxury groups? Other companies have shown much more interest in going green, partly out of growing consumer concern. Havas, the advertising company, recently conducted a big survey of green concerns of more than 12,000 people in several countries. It found that about three quarters would prefer to buy from a greener company.
“It’s very surprising that companies that are supposed to be so quick to pick up on fashions have been so slow to come to the table,” says Solitaire Townsend, chief executive of Futerra Sustainability Communications, who has worked with brands such as L’Oréal and Estée Lauder on improving their green credentials.
She says consumer brands much lower down the scale have picked up on green concerns much sooner: “You get more of a sense of the environment movement if you walk into Tesco than into Bergdorf Goodman.”
Part of the reason for this reluctance to embrace a green agenda may be that in the past the environment and luxury would have made uneasy bedfellows – environmentalists have traditionally had a dowdy image, preferring home-grown and home-made goods to brands.
Another reason may be that it is hard for luxury brands to adopt green principles – Ms Townsend notes, for example, that high-end cosmetics companies tend to differentiate themselves by using elaborate packaging. That plainly contravenes the principles of environmental economy – to use as little resource and create as little waste as possible.
Conspicuous consumption can also mitigate against environmental good citizenship. Paris Hilton’s favourite drink is said to be Bling Water, in glass bottles covered in small crystals, for an eye-watering $40 a pop. The bottles may be advertised as reusable, but the materials and the cost of transportation still take a toll in terms of carbon footprint. It also contrasts sharply with the desire of environmentalists to wean people off bottled water.
Yet there are reasons why luxury brands can identify with environmental goals. Luxury brands increasingly seek to connect with consumers’ desire for authenticity and there is little more authentic than natural materials. Being environmentally-friendly can be a luxurious form of consumption – bespoke pieces crafted from natural materials command a premium price.
Roy Tam makes eco-furniture in Dorset. Wood, he points out, is environmentally sound as it contains carbon absorbed from the air as the trees grew. He uses young wood that has not been dried in a kiln from local, small trees. His corporate customers “are almost all eco-minded” now, he says, while domestic customers are looking for good designs first but are attracted by eco-credentials.
There is even a practical side to environmental goods in a luxury setting. Yachts and plush homes are among the highest status symbols available and both could benefit from being greener. Stephen Voller, chief executive of the fuel cell company Voller Energy, says many of his customers are owners of mid-size sailing yachts in the 40ft-55ft class, costing from about £250,000 ($494,000) to £500,000.
These are usually equipped with lead acid batteries for power while sailing. But changing them is “every skipper’s nightmare”, says Mr Voller. The usual option is to run the engine or a generator. “Both are noisy, cause significant vibration within the boat and produce unpleasant smells. They are also fuel inefficient when used this way,” he says. For these reasons, an environmentally-friendly fuel cell is a greener and cleaner luxury option.
Environmentally-friendly homes – with options such as green roofs, water recycling and renewable heat and power – are also a hit in the luxury home market, says Julian Brooks, managing director of GreenMoves, an estate agent website. “There are more high-end eco homes than mid-range or low-range homes,” he says. It is easier for property developers to target the high end of the market with eco features, he adds.
WWF concludes that luxury and the green agenda can be reconciled, and that high-end brands can adhere to environmental principles while selling high-value goods – and indeed must do so in order to satisfy people’s increasingly green consciousness. “Luxury is about being and having the very best. Products that cause misery or environmental damage, now or in the future, are no longer considered by affluent consumers to be best in class. Such products do not feel luxurious to the more ethically and environmentally concerned consumers of today.”
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
JAPANESE CONSUMERS : SHRINKING CONCERN FOR LABELS
By Jonathan Soble, Financial Time.
Guillaume Brochard knew he was right to bet on the Japanese market when the diamond-encrusted pandas sold out in a day. The five sparkling figurines – 6cm high and sporting 15 carats of diamonds and a €19,000 ($29,963) price tag – were made exclusively for sale in Japan by Qeelin, the Franco-Chinese jeweller founded five years ago by Mr Brochard and his Hong Kong-based designer, Dennis Chan.
Its baubles – mostly pendants shaped like bears, bells and lotus roots – have been a hit in Japan, where they are available at a single boutique in Tokyo’s Roppongi district. One woman bought 27 smaller and (slightly) lower-priced panda pendants “to give out to friends”, Mr Brochard says.
Qeelin does not advertise and came to Japan with next to no name recognition and none of the history or sales infrastructure enjoyed by big rivals such as Cartier and Bulgari. But that is less of a handicap than it would have been a few years ago, Mr Brochard says, particularly for producers targeting the top end of the market.
“There is an elite of Japanese that is distancing itself from the traditional ‘mass luxury’,” he says. “They are now more eager to embrace true luxury, which means exclusivity.”
Rich Japanese, in other words, are seeking out products that will be recognised and appreciated by their rich and cultivated friends, even if no one else knows who made them. That is a big shift in what has been a notoriously label-conscious market, and marks Japan out from its up-and-coming neighbour, China. “The Chinese haven’t reached this level yet,” Mr Brochard says. “They still like brands you can recognise from 100 metres.”
Back in the 1980s, Japan led the world in the so-called democratisation of luxury, as middle-class consumers splurged on designer handbags and jewellery. But “lux-aholic behaviour” has waned, say researchers at the Japan Market Resource Network, a consultancy. Although many people drew down their savings to feed brand addictions through the 1990s economic slump, others decided that the mass-produced joys of Uniqlo and Muji suited them just fine. “Today it is socially acceptable to buy off-price or from discount stores,” JMRN says.
As a result, sales of high-end brands have stagnated – pricey pandas notwithstanding. Antoine Belge, analyst at HSBC, says Japan is the world’s most mature market for luxury goods, and predicts that most brands will register “low single-digit” sales growth in the country “for the foreseeable future”.
Yet the stakes remain high in a country that generates some 14 per cent of sales for European luxury companies (and more for the bigger names). Weak overall growth also hides gaps between winners and losers. The migration of demand to the high and low ends of the market has benefited “accessible luxury” brands such as Coach – which now has 147 locations amid double-digit sales growth – as well as ultra-exclusive labels such as Bottega Vaneta – a brand as pricey as it is logo-light.
At the same time, “brands like Polo and Prada, which both have high levels of brand awareness and market penetration, are losing momentum,” says JMRN, as buyers feel “they are not worth their premium prices”.
Big luxury groups are responding to market shifts by offering limited-edition goods even as they cash in at the lower end. Some established brands are also going incognito to increase exclusivity: Kanebo, the Japanese cosmetics maker, has generated its strongest domestic sales growth with its RMK and Suqqu lines, neither of which trade under the Kanebo brand.
Many foreign brands are taking the opposite tack, boosting visibility with flashy new flagship stores, some of which offer more than clothes and jewels. At Armani’s 12-story, 6,000sq metre flagship store in Ginza, customers can spend Y65,000 ($627) for a three-hour spa treatment or dine on Japanese beef with celery root flan at the Armani Ristorante. Armani sank $20m into the new space last year, its biggest-ever investment in a single store.
Such investments are designed to knit brands more tightly into their customers’ social lives. They also generate new revenue streams without diluting the value of luxury groups’ core offerings – a big risk with more conventional brand expansions.
Looking ahead, luxury companies will have to deal with Japan’s shifting demographics – the number of working women aged 30-44 has increased by 15 per cent since 1997 and created a new class of high-earning female consumer. The country’s low birth rate, meanwhile, means the number of young first-time buyers will shrink.
In another switch, many “Japanese” luxury buyers may not be Japanese at all, as tourists from China and even Russia increasingly pick up the slack from domestic consumers. “Wealthy Chinese travel to Japan to get things they can’t get in China,” says Richard Collase, head of Chanel in Japan.
Chinese signs abound in department stores and some 10,000 retailers now accept debit cards issued by Chinese banks.
Luxury shops have encouraged the trend by stocking items not available outside Japan – in part to avoid piracy but also because Japan serves as a test market for the region. “Japan is a showroom for the rest of Asia,” says Mr Collase.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
Guillaume Brochard knew he was right to bet on the Japanese market when the diamond-encrusted pandas sold out in a day. The five sparkling figurines – 6cm high and sporting 15 carats of diamonds and a €19,000 ($29,963) price tag – were made exclusively for sale in Japan by Qeelin, the Franco-Chinese jeweller founded five years ago by Mr Brochard and his Hong Kong-based designer, Dennis Chan.
Its baubles – mostly pendants shaped like bears, bells and lotus roots – have been a hit in Japan, where they are available at a single boutique in Tokyo’s Roppongi district. One woman bought 27 smaller and (slightly) lower-priced panda pendants “to give out to friends”, Mr Brochard says.
Qeelin does not advertise and came to Japan with next to no name recognition and none of the history or sales infrastructure enjoyed by big rivals such as Cartier and Bulgari. But that is less of a handicap than it would have been a few years ago, Mr Brochard says, particularly for producers targeting the top end of the market.
“There is an elite of Japanese that is distancing itself from the traditional ‘mass luxury’,” he says. “They are now more eager to embrace true luxury, which means exclusivity.”
Rich Japanese, in other words, are seeking out products that will be recognised and appreciated by their rich and cultivated friends, even if no one else knows who made them. That is a big shift in what has been a notoriously label-conscious market, and marks Japan out from its up-and-coming neighbour, China. “The Chinese haven’t reached this level yet,” Mr Brochard says. “They still like brands you can recognise from 100 metres.”
Back in the 1980s, Japan led the world in the so-called democratisation of luxury, as middle-class consumers splurged on designer handbags and jewellery. But “lux-aholic behaviour” has waned, say researchers at the Japan Market Resource Network, a consultancy. Although many people drew down their savings to feed brand addictions through the 1990s economic slump, others decided that the mass-produced joys of Uniqlo and Muji suited them just fine. “Today it is socially acceptable to buy off-price or from discount stores,” JMRN says.
As a result, sales of high-end brands have stagnated – pricey pandas notwithstanding. Antoine Belge, analyst at HSBC, says Japan is the world’s most mature market for luxury goods, and predicts that most brands will register “low single-digit” sales growth in the country “for the foreseeable future”.
Yet the stakes remain high in a country that generates some 14 per cent of sales for European luxury companies (and more for the bigger names). Weak overall growth also hides gaps between winners and losers. The migration of demand to the high and low ends of the market has benefited “accessible luxury” brands such as Coach – which now has 147 locations amid double-digit sales growth – as well as ultra-exclusive labels such as Bottega Vaneta – a brand as pricey as it is logo-light.
At the same time, “brands like Polo and Prada, which both have high levels of brand awareness and market penetration, are losing momentum,” says JMRN, as buyers feel “they are not worth their premium prices”.
Big luxury groups are responding to market shifts by offering limited-edition goods even as they cash in at the lower end. Some established brands are also going incognito to increase exclusivity: Kanebo, the Japanese cosmetics maker, has generated its strongest domestic sales growth with its RMK and Suqqu lines, neither of which trade under the Kanebo brand.
Many foreign brands are taking the opposite tack, boosting visibility with flashy new flagship stores, some of which offer more than clothes and jewels. At Armani’s 12-story, 6,000sq metre flagship store in Ginza, customers can spend Y65,000 ($627) for a three-hour spa treatment or dine on Japanese beef with celery root flan at the Armani Ristorante. Armani sank $20m into the new space last year, its biggest-ever investment in a single store.
Such investments are designed to knit brands more tightly into their customers’ social lives. They also generate new revenue streams without diluting the value of luxury groups’ core offerings – a big risk with more conventional brand expansions.
Looking ahead, luxury companies will have to deal with Japan’s shifting demographics – the number of working women aged 30-44 has increased by 15 per cent since 1997 and created a new class of high-earning female consumer. The country’s low birth rate, meanwhile, means the number of young first-time buyers will shrink.
In another switch, many “Japanese” luxury buyers may not be Japanese at all, as tourists from China and even Russia increasingly pick up the slack from domestic consumers. “Wealthy Chinese travel to Japan to get things they can’t get in China,” says Richard Collase, head of Chanel in Japan.
Chinese signs abound in department stores and some 10,000 retailers now accept debit cards issued by Chinese banks.
Luxury shops have encouraged the trend by stocking items not available outside Japan – in part to avoid piracy but also because Japan serves as a test market for the region. “Japan is a showroom for the rest of Asia,” says Mr Collase.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
5/19/08
Luxury is finally waking up to ethics and global warming,
Whether or not there is a global recession in 2008, the year will be a crunch one for luxury brands, as their success in entrancing a broader consumer base has made them far more susceptible to market jitters. While the luxury houses’ corrective strategy has been to focus on the less capricious super-rich – epitomised by Hermès’ move from handbags to helicopters – their discreet investigations into wider consumer aspirations have become almost forensic. The recent buzz term “experiential luxury” has already been replaced by “luxury service culture”, while the once-exciting come-on “limited edition” has already been refined into “customisation”. But undoubtedly, the most noticeable label being dangled in front of luxury consumers is “ethical” – once regarded as so counterintuitive it was tactfully swept under the carpet.
“The Gucci years are over,” proclaims Tom Ford, who made his name creatively directing that company through the ostentatious 1990s. “Consumers, at least in the West, are now demanding ethical luxury. People want to demonstrate their environmental or social consciences – they are no longer fashion victims who covet items because they see a celebrity owning them. They still want and desire fine things. Luxury is not going out of style; it needs to change its style. The industry can no longer be propelled purely by logo-driven marketing. Luxury used to mean hard-to-find. Then it became hardto- miss. We need to replace hollow with deep.” 
In fact, ethical luxury is itself becoming pretty hard to miss. Not only has a flurry of outfits sprung up to pamper the environmentally conscious high-spender – such as the UK’s cashmere-to-candles purveyor Bamford & Sons – long-standing names are bombarding consumers with their green credentials. Take the jewellery sector. Tiffany & Co.’s website makes a big deal of the environmentally sensitive ways the company sources its materials. Laurence Graff, chairman of Graff Diamonds, says getting rid of so-called conflict diamonds is not sufficient and that his company is “conducting environmentally conscious job-creating production in Botswana”. And an Association for Responsible Mining has been established to meet the growing demand for “ethical gold” and sustainably mined minerals.
Those seeking an appropriate environment to display their ethical baubles are positively spoilt for choice. Reassuringly expensive hotels – a sector in which many high-end brands are dabbling in “luxury service culture” – ceaselessly trumpet their environmental initiatives; business-class airlines parade their carbon-offsetting policies; and cars whose marques represent prestige seem increasingly eager to flaunt their hybrid status. Last year, the Monaco Yacht Show – hardly a berth for the Rainbow Warrior crew – bought carbon offsets to pay for wind turbines and other energy-saving schemes. And – in the West, at least – emporia racks from Armani to Zegna quietly rustle with organic cotton, nettles and hemp. Explaining the boom in fur sales, Silvia Fendi interestingly offers: “It is sustainable and lasts forever – the ultimate green material.” Meanwhile, entrepreneurial Los Angeles designer Linda Loudermilk – who has become a sort of Martha Stewart for the Whole Earth Foods set – has created a Luxury Eco stamp to “certify” the most responsible brands for a range of products.
There is no doubt that for the luxury giants, ethical image is increasingly important. Deeper Luxury, a report by the World Wildlife Fund, certainly ruffled some feathers last December. LVMH, Hermés and L’Oréal scored most highly – but as poorer-ranking companies were quick to point out, no established methodology was used.
All signs suggest that by ostentatiously pursuing ethical policies the luxury firms are already improving their bottom lines. A survey by marketing and research analyst TGI last autumn indicated that consumers will spend around €350bn on green products this year. New Yorkbased Luxury Institute’s Wealth Report says: “70% [of high-income American adults]... seek out brands with superior environmental records.” James Lawson, of London-based luxury-sector analyst Ledbury Research, says: “We’ve found consistently that the wealthy are increasingly concerned about environmental issues – 72% of those who earn more than €135,000 a year express interest in this area.”
“People want to be, and brand themselves as, part of this movement,” says Mike Hughes of the Martin Agency, a marketing outfit that works with Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection. “They feel better about showing up in a hybrid Lexus than an ordinary one.”
And this is most definitely a movement, not a fad, insists Chris Sanderson of London-based Future Laboratory. “The ‘new mass affluents’ are using their wealth to support brands that have a values agenda. The same better-educated consumers that want to know the provenance of what they are eating are now making the same demands of luxury purchases. They want transparency. At the same time, there is a new generation of very committed people trying to do good things within their companies.”
Sanderson believes it is significant that Gucci’s new chief executive, Robert Polet, joined from Unilever’s food arm. He says that while companies such as Wal-Mart and Unilver have raised the ethical bar, it is one the luxury goods companies are well equipped to vault. “Many ethical values are inherent in luxury houses anyway; there are artisan producers, small-scale producers and privately-run family concerns, often using sustainable materials. The only new thing in the equation is savvy marketing.” Written by Boyd Farrow.
Brazil : international beauty players leads market growth.
International players are leading market growth in Brazil which now ranks fourth in the global market for cosmetics and toiletries, according to a Kline report. Sales increased 14 per cent in 2007 putting the country ahead of market leaders France and Germany for the first time.
Kline also predicts further double digit growth for the country's cosmetics and toiletries market over the next five years.
The year's sales totalled $11.69m driven by a burgeoning middle class, increased consumption of consumer goods and significant GDP growth.
International players led growth
"The movement was led by companies such as Avon, which managed to increase sales by more than 26 per cent after years of poor results in Brazil due to fierce competition," he said.
However, commenting on the performance of one of Brazil's leading companies Rebelo said: " 'The Brazilian Star' Natura lost some of its shine and was unable to maintain the huge growth rates it enjoyed over the last few years with sales up only 9.5 per cent in the domestic market."
The success of Avon is likely to be one of the reasons why Natura suffered over the year as both companies operate in the direct sales channel, Danilo De Paula from Factor de Salucao told CosmeticsDesign.com.
In addition, the report highlighted similarly strong results from L'Oreal, Beiersdorf and Unilever. These international companies operate in the mass market retail channel which has undergone significant recent growth due to an increasing middle class, explained De Paula.
Hair care wins for Brazilian companies
The outlook was not all doom and gloom for domestic players however and De Paula highlighted a number of Brazilian hair care companies that had grown rapidly throughout the year.
This, he felt, was due to their expertise on the specific characteristics of Brazilian hair types, an arena which the international players have yet to fully capitalise on.
Nevertheless looking to the future De Paula said that international companies with higher R&D budgets were likely to lead future growth, especially as innovation is key to success in the market segments tipped for success - skin care and color cosmetics.
Kline also predicts further double digit growth for the country's cosmetics and toiletries market over the next five years.
The year's sales totalled $11.69m driven by a burgeoning middle class, increased consumption of consumer goods and significant GDP growth.
International players led growth
"The movement was led by companies such as Avon, which managed to increase sales by more than 26 per cent after years of poor results in Brazil due to fierce competition," he said.
However, commenting on the performance of one of Brazil's leading companies Rebelo said: " 'The Brazilian Star' Natura lost some of its shine and was unable to maintain the huge growth rates it enjoyed over the last few years with sales up only 9.5 per cent in the domestic market."
The success of Avon is likely to be one of the reasons why Natura suffered over the year as both companies operate in the direct sales channel, Danilo De Paula from Factor de Salucao told CosmeticsDesign.com.
In addition, the report highlighted similarly strong results from L'Oreal, Beiersdorf and Unilever. These international companies operate in the mass market retail channel which has undergone significant recent growth due to an increasing middle class, explained De Paula.
Hair care wins for Brazilian companies
The outlook was not all doom and gloom for domestic players however and De Paula highlighted a number of Brazilian hair care companies that had grown rapidly throughout the year.
This, he felt, was due to their expertise on the specific characteristics of Brazilian hair types, an arena which the international players have yet to fully capitalise on.
Nevertheless looking to the future De Paula said that international companies with higher R&D budgets were likely to lead future growth, especially as innovation is key to success in the market segments tipped for success - skin care and color cosmetics.
5/15/08
Frederique Constant Passion Award.
True passion is the ultimate factor for entrepreneurial business success.
Frederique Constant, the famous Swiss watch manufacturer, creator of the annual award celebrating entrepreneurial passion, has lately announced the 10 shortlisted 2008 candidates.
The prestigious award aims to build up a network of passionate entrepreneur worldwide. It serves as research into best practices and innovative solutions for specific entrepreneurial business management issues.It is presented every year in June to the most entrepreneurial individual at a major Awards Ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland.
The winner’s company or organization will be subject to a Business Case Study by Prof. Dominique Turpin of IMD (one of the supporter with the Financial Time) on a strategy issue of choice, as well as a gold Frédérique Constant Heart Beat Manufacture.
More info on : http://www.passion-awards.com/
5/14/08
Votre publicité est-elle créative ?
Une enquête réalisée par Opinea, société spécialisée dans les études marketing, s'est penchée sur les publicités pour les montres haut de gamme insérées dans la presse automobile… Selon les experts en charge de ce rapport, un « déficit en créativité » provoquerait « une forte confusion des marques auprès du lectorat ». Et seul Breitling s'en sortirait correctement.
L'univers des montres de luxe s'inspire souvent du monde de l'automobile haut de gamme… D'ailleurs, pratiquement toutes les marques horlogères commercialisent des modèles de montres en rapport avec tel ou tel bolide (Breitling pour Bentley, Jaeger-LeCoultre pour Aston-Martin, Audemars Piguet pour Maserati, Frédéric Constant pour Healey, etc.). Elles sont également nombreuses à sponsoriser des évènements de sports mécaniques… Encore tout récemment, Audemars Piguet, était associé au Tour auto Lissac. Blancpain, pour sa part, est partenaire de la course d'automobiles anciennes « Peking to Paris ». Sans parler de Rolex, Tag Heuer ou Porsche Design ! Dans ce contexte, on comprend mieux pourquoi la presse automobile reste l'un des supports préférés des marques de montres haut de gamme. www.opinea.com
Et votre campagne de publicité, est-elle vraiment créative ?
L'univers des montres de luxe s'inspire souvent du monde de l'automobile haut de gamme… D'ailleurs, pratiquement toutes les marques horlogères commercialisent des modèles de montres en rapport avec tel ou tel bolide (Breitling pour Bentley, Jaeger-LeCoultre pour Aston-Martin, Audemars Piguet pour Maserati, Frédéric Constant pour Healey, etc.). Elles sont également nombreuses à sponsoriser des évènements de sports mécaniques… Encore tout récemment, Audemars Piguet, était associé au Tour auto Lissac. Blancpain, pour sa part, est partenaire de la course d'automobiles anciennes « Peking to Paris ». Sans parler de Rolex, Tag Heuer ou Porsche Design ! Dans ce contexte, on comprend mieux pourquoi la presse automobile reste l'un des supports préférés des marques de montres haut de gamme. www.opinea.com
Et votre campagne de publicité, est-elle vraiment créative ?
5/13/08
What is Eco-Luxury ?
Eco-Luxury has seen growing development during the last 3 years.
Eco-luxury or the combination of ecological values and luxury is set to penetrate wisely the luxury industry.
Innovative products and services are catering to the growing demand for ecological and sustainable living while still allowing the cachet and comforts of luxury.
Just think Eco-Luxury tourism, Eco-Luxury Fashion.
More to come in the next weeks ?
Eco-luxury or the combination of ecological values and luxury is set to penetrate wisely the luxury industry.
Innovative products and services are catering to the growing demand for ecological and sustainable living while still allowing the cachet and comforts of luxury.
Just think Eco-Luxury tourism, Eco-Luxury Fashion.
More to come in the next weeks ?
1.3 billion people, 1 % of perfume market !
How ready (and willing) are you to penetrate the Chinese cosmetic or perfume market ?
Althought prestige cosmetic and perfume brand see huge potential in China, they realize(d) they are facing varied hurdles to succeed. If and when they succeed !
What awaits you if you intend to grasp market share in that country : complex bureaucracy, daunting and lengthy product registration, few appetance for perfume, brand versus product, rapidly changing retail environment, to name only few.
We can escort you in your Chinese endeavours, but be very patient, don't expect quick return, be ready to adapt your product to local tastes, chose carefully your local partner and think natural and organic ahead of your competitor. naxes@hispeed.ch Picture : Alan Chin, New York Times.
Althought prestige cosmetic and perfume brand see huge potential in China, they realize(d) they are facing varied hurdles to succeed. If and when they succeed !
What awaits you if you intend to grasp market share in that country : complex bureaucracy, daunting and lengthy product registration, few appetance for perfume, brand versus product, rapidly changing retail environment, to name only few.
We can escort you in your Chinese endeavours, but be very patient, don't expect quick return, be ready to adapt your product to local tastes, chose carefully your local partner and think natural and organic ahead of your competitor. naxes@hispeed.ch Picture : Alan Chin, New York Times.
Can you afford ... ?
The markets for beauty and luxury goods are changing....faster and faster.
Sales growth in most categories has slowed...the competition is intensifying ...
More affluent consumers are dividing spend between luxury brands and "cheap chic"... they are more knowledgeable, eye and use internet, demand faster innovation, greater value, customized service and cachet ...
Beauty and luxury goods and services companies cannot afford not to adapt to this new environment.
Can you ?
Sales growth in most categories has slowed...the competition is intensifying ...
More affluent consumers are dividing spend between luxury brands and "cheap chic"... they are more knowledgeable, eye and use internet, demand faster innovation, greater value, customized service and cachet ...
Beauty and luxury goods and services companies cannot afford not to adapt to this new environment.
Can you ?
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