Beauty Private Brands:
BACKGROUND:
A beauty ingredient supplier wishes to understand the recent evolutions of the private brand market in beauty and the different retailer strategies
OUR APPROACH:
Analysis of the new Consumer Mega-Trends and related expectations to understand why private brands are now developing in beauty
Construction of a Private Brand Strategies typology for the major retailers in France / UK / Germany / USA
Construction of a typology of national brands strategies in the target categories (skincare, shower, haircare...)
Analysis of strengths & weaknesses of each of these strategies and operational recommendations to my client so as to help them position themselves on this new market.
BACKGROUND:
Bally had just been acquired by Texas Pacific Group (1999): the new owner wished to reposition this traditional footwear brand as a "luxury lifestyle brand". I was responsible, as HRD of the Group, to adapt our salespeople to this new situation (Bally has around 200 shops worldwide).
OUR APPROACH:
Rather than choosing to recruit new salespersons from luxury brands, I decided, on a priority basis, to requalify all our "sales assistants". Salespersons with experience in "luxury" would complete the infrastructure when positions became available.
I proposed a four-point plan which was accepted and implemented:
- Defining the Bally Customer Relationship: what relationship did the brand want to maintain with its customers? How to ensure customer loyalty and a consequent increase of sales in each store?
- Define the skills required of sales staff and Store Managers – in order to have profiles at hand during recruitment and a framework for annual evaluation.
- Rethink the salary structure for sales personnel, so as to balance fixed, individual variable, and collective variable. A regional adaptation was then implemented.
- Set up a training plan for the entire sales staff and provide them with simple tools. The training was "on-the-job": in my opinion, the only way to make it efficient.
HIGHLIGHTS:
This mission - and its on-the-ground results - has reinforced my opinion that salaries and organization were key issues when we address questions related to sales. The training is then only the consequence of a broader vision that encompasses them in a real client strategy.
BACKGROUND AND MISSION:
Frank Nuovo, the Nokia designer, persuaded Nokia to launch a new brand of luxury communication instruments. A project team was brought together in England.
In this context Frank Nuovo and his team asked me to join them to define the positioning of the brand: name of the brand / target customers / services and functions related to products / distribution channels etc.
My mission was also to train the whole team – consisting mainly of engineers and technicians - about luxury, and initiate them into the world of brands.
BACKGROUND AND MISSION:
Intermarché questioned itself on the future of its own brand model and wished to see it evolve: all its private labels ( Pâturages / Chabrior / Filet Bleu / Captain Cook / Monique Ranou, etc.) are perceived as "small, likeable national brands" by consumers, but since they were not openly touted by the company, did not nourish it.
At White Spirit, we conducted a study of the merits of different types of private labels in the world (France / UK / Switzerland / USA in particular) in order to allow Intermarché to define its own model.
Once the principle of creating the "Sélection des Mousquetaires" was defined, we created the logo and defined the graphic application essentials on-pack and on different media supports.
BACKGROUND:
Christian Bedat established the brand, Bedat & Co., in 1996. The brand was launched in the U.S. from 1998, where it rapidly developed. The Gucci Group acquired 85% of the company in 2001. This allowed it to develop in other markets such as Hong Kong, Japan, Spain and Britain. However, there is a certain loss of momentum in the development of the brand in its No. 1 market, the USA. To understand this lower growth rate and enable the brand to enter a new development cycle, Gucci Group Watches wished to conduct an audit of the brand (and its communication) Bedat & Co.
OBJECTIVES:
- Determine the reasons for the rapid success of the brand in the U.S.A.
- Define the vision of the brand, to enable it to build its future development on strong foundations and differentiate itself from competing brands.
- Allow Bedat & Co. to define a new communications strategy.
MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Reinstate Christian Bédat in his role as a founder-creator and strengthen his presence in the media.
2. Refocus the brand on a hedonistic female clientele that will buy watches just for their own pleasure.
