dimanche 24 novembre 2013

The Positioning


Competition frame

The luxury leather sector is one of the most dynamic areas in the luxury industry. Indeed, for women, the handbag especially, has became "the" fashion accessory to have. Originally created for a functional use, it became over the years an object of desire thanks to the luxury brands. Louis Vuitton and Hermes, top specialists of leather have to face fierce competition among fashion houses such as Christian Dior, Chanel, Prada, Gucci and Versace. Each of them have a strong personality and history, and have succeeded to match their ready-to-wear collection and hand-bag/ leather good management. To pretend competing in this market, each brand has to be able to offer a product with high quality, that is fashionable, trendy and remarkable assets. The image of the brand is also really important, the reputation, and the background. The price must be high, as well as the level of the service. Indeed people who are purchasing a luxury good expect to feel special, to do something different than the other. It could also result from a need of esteem, the fourth level of the Maslow pyramid.

The Target Market...
... Of Louis Vuitton:
The first target of the brand is high income level consumers, who are very wealthy, of both genders from 16 to 80 years old.
Business men and women with great income are also targeted.
They also use a psycho-graphic segmentation, such as lifestyle and motives to identify another part of its target market:
- for instance, the "fashionistas", people (especially young women) who are carefully following the fashion and the trend. The brand has collaborated with famous celebrities such as Kanye West in the design and launch of some products, such shoes.
- they also target people who need to show their social status, their success by purchasing luxury goods. Indeed, the brand don't sell only an up range product, but also the psychological benefits like the prestige and the feeling of belonging to an exclusive group.

... Of Hermes:
Like Louis Vuitton, high income level consumers of both genders are targeted . The difference is that Hermes do want to be on an "ultra" luxury market (the "absolute" luxury), and target the Elite. They are really demanding people who are seeking more for the quality of the product than the image and who prefer the discretion rather than the "blig bling" attitude.
For both companies, developing countries such as China, Russia, Brazil, India are also important targets with a lot of potential. For most people of these countries, the social recognition is really important. Even if their knowledge about the luxury notion was quite low few years ago, these brands, especially Louis Vuitton wanted to be the ambassadors of the luxury culture and teach them the fine art of living and travelling.



Point Of Parity & Point of Difference


POP & POD of Louis Vuitton


POP
POD
- High quality : the leather, canvas and other raw materials used for each product are precious ( veal, velour, crocodile... )

- High price : entry price for a LV bag is around 600€

- High quality of service : one to one service for the VIP customers, many sales people in the store to take care of customers, possibility to personalize products

- Fashionable / Trendy : Famous and talented Artistic director such as Marc Jacobs, and recently Nicolas Ghesquière

- Star Products : Speedy, Keepall,Steamer models

Exclusivity : the brand sells its products only in its own stores and houses, never do any discounts to keep this spirit

Tradition & innovation combination : the brand succeed to keep its heritage spirits and in the same time, innovate to adapt to the trend

Very Stylish : the products are really trendy with sophisticated designs

Ever lasting : best seller such as Speedy, Keepall,Steamer models

Monogram : has a strong story behind it and everybody recognizes it when they see it

Know How : thanks to its heritage. «Every L.V creation result from an intransigent research of quality and an exceptional hand craft »


POP & POD of Hermes
POP
POD
- High quality : use of precious and fine raw materials.

- High price : all Hermes products are very expensive

- High quality of service : the SPA service consist in allowing customers to give back their old product to get a « lifting » operation.

- Star Products : Kelly, Birkin models
- Premium quality for each component of bag (from the smallest to the principal) contrary to other house.

- Premium price : bags cost from 5000 to 200 000€, much more expensive than Louis Vuitton

- Exclusivity, rarity : the brand restricts deliberately the number of its production. For instance, to get a Birkin bag, some customers have to wait 2 years before getting it. Moreover, when a product become too popular, the company stop the production.

- Family business : Hermes belongs today to the 6th generation of the family. It allows the family to better control the image of the brand. They are trying to keep the original values of its founder.

- Tradition : is an important value for the brand

Craft-men Know How : Some products, such as the Birkin bags are 100% hand made, and could take 2 weeks to be created. Hand-craft  also has huge value for Hermes.






The Brand Mantra of Louis Vuitton
Innovative, Prestige, Desirable, Stylish and Dream would be for me the essence of Louis Vuitton.
Indeed, since its debut, the brand has succeeded to maintain its prestige over the years thanks to its Know How, and its ability to sell dreams to people. Louis Vuitton has also succeed to remain trendy thanks to its creativity ,innovation, and partnerships (with celebrities for instance).

The Brand Mantra of Hermes
Tradition, Timeless, Rarity, Dream and Excellence would be Hermes' essence.
Even if it has grown up globally, Hermes has succeeded to remain a family business  and to preserve the spirit of its origin. As said by Guillaume de Seyne, Vice General Director of the group, "our values are about the handcraft excellence, the quality focus, the attention about every detail and finishing touches." Indeed, most of Hermes products are entirely made by hand, which can take 2 weeks to be achieved. The brand also bet on the classic style and offer to give a lifting to customer products in order to make them timeless: “For us, the hand-bag is not just a fashion accessory but an essential of life. It will never been offered for only 6 months. It come for years into a family”.


Audrey H


Sources:




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