Chapter 11 - Developing and Managing Products

Innovation of a company’s products is the main core to the business’s sustentions. In order to capture consumers’ attention and retain loyalties confidence to the company, it must have a new-product strategy which is a plan that links the new-product development process with marketing procedures. In addition, luxury jewelry marketers are launching their own brand fine jewelry rages and product lines. Therefore, Cartier has come up with new concepts to introduce new product line and implemented product development to consumers.

Cartier’s Love Bracelet is one of the most successful well known product since it was launched more than thirty years ago, it has become the most iconic coveted jewelry designs in the world and the ultimate symbol of love, which attracts worldwide loved couples’ favor. A few years ago, Cartier announced the launch of a new Love Charity bracelet to continue its success and product line. Not only this was a new launch product campaign, but also the reinforcement of the company’s reputation in the global charity. Cartier donated more than $2.24 million to sixteen global charities form the sales of its Love Charity bracelet, and due to the enormous success.

Never stop developing new concepts is part of Cartier’s mission, the consumers of the company are known as wealthy, upper class individuals and they are successful and they desire luxury. Cognitively, jewelry is the symbol of status. Whoever shops in Cartier has already known he or she already has the ability to afore this brand. However, Cartier has discovered a new product line for children and young adults, and this is the New-To-The-World products. A lot of jewelers are subconsciously assumed that luxury pieces are for mature affluent and they have ignored the younger generation in the wealthy world. Cartier’s new line includes Cartier’s signature pieces for children but also add jewelry that hasn’t been seen before. This addition to Cartier will relay a message to the younger generation that if young children can wear Cartier as well, so can someone in their early and late twenties.

Indeed, Cartier is a global jewelry company and their products will be drastically sold throughout Asia, Europe, North American and Africa. The company launches product and holiday specialties into media events, including New York’s Fashion Week, Cartier’s fashion events in Milan and the Cartier museums throughout the world.

Chapter 18 Social Media and Marketing

There are different channels to promote a company’s products; more traditionally is through television, newspaper, magazine or radio. However, technology has thoroughly impacted and improved our daily lives. It’s rather advantageous for everyone to communicate via Internet to one another, and the majority of potential consumers have various approaches to make purchases. Lately, huge companies are more focusing on social media campaign to interact with consumers. Cartier uses multiple mediums to promote advertisement campaigns.

One of the major social media platforms Cartier has been using is E-magazine Rouge Cartier, and the company has new launch every two months. Rough Cartier showcases inspiration, creations and extraordinary craftsmanship, and as well as offers a fascinating peek behind the doors of the prestigious mansion. Not only just by going to Cartier’s official website to obtain the E-magazine, you can also download Rouge Cartier’s application in Apple Store for free.

The company is pushing the E-magazine via a multichannel effort that including online and email marketing tactics. When the magazine launches, it brings web users to a table of contents displaying all the articles in the issue, and feature also tells readers what to expect from Cartier at a particular year’s festival. It’s an easy ways to convey message of their products through this social media, it’s definitely valuable for the company’s brand and their sales.

Here is the link to the E-magazine Rouge Cartier http://rouge.cartier.us/

The other major social media platforms are featured on emails, Facebook and Youbube. The company often keeps their loyal customer informed by sending emails regularly, to ensure their customers wouldn’t lose track with their products.  Currently Cartier’s Facebook page has almost two million likes on their site. According to Fashinbi’s website, the study of Cartier’s Facebook popularity in the market is incessantly growing. The statistic is based on the total counting per type of engagement, the comments, likes and shares are made by fans in a given period.

On Facebook, fans get to see behind the scenes shots of their world club, photos from worldwide location activities and all the campaign videos. Consumers share their feedbacks and comments on the site, also the company will launch the company’s events and activities through the site. On Youtube, the largest online video repository by far, there are gorgeously shot brand videos including L’Odyssee de Cartier, dreamlike piece in which the iconic Cartier panther comes to life and travels the world, and all the videos on Facebook is from Youtube links.

Cartier uses social media on marketing to keep its collection on top of mind among consumers and to maintain its position in the industry while using advanced marketing mediums to solidify the brand in the field. In the highly competitive and changing world of luxury, this is such a good reminder of what luxury really is. 

Chapter 10 - Product Concepts

Besides business management, advertisement, retailing and so on, the ultimate determinant from the house to the customer’s reliance is their products, in other words, a product defines everything from the whole process of manufacturing to retailing of a company. When we observe the stunning collections displayed on the store, you wouldn't realize how much effort the company has accomplished before the products are placed on the shelves. Indeed, product development at Cartier is a rigorous and complicated undertaking involving dozens of people from marketing and technical development.

According to Cartier’s product development website, every week, about fourteen members of the product development team, with about half from marketing who fly in from Paris headquarters and the rest are from the manufacture gather in the studio for a full day meeting to discuss projects of product in Switzerland. In each of these sessions, they will discuss development process, starting with new concepts all the way to finalizing the last piece form an upcoming product. It typically takes twelve to eighteen months for a project to get from concept to final product. The product development meeting in the studio deals with the first step of creation, from concept to final product; it is always thoroughly worked through during the studio meetings.

Cartier doesn't only offer a great product line as regards the types of jewelry, but also materials. Several types of metal, leather and stone varieties can be found on their shelves and website. Last week, I went visit the Fifth Avenue store and I was awed by every single glamorous piece in the house. The style is classic, conservative and very high-end. You can easily notice the placement in the store. They have different sections to let customers to pursue their own pieces; they are including the fancy jewelry collections, leather goods, fragrances, timepieces, bridal and accessories and they are all well organized. Cartier keeps the elegant taste, as the king in jewelry world; the elements are elaborately designed that it would be senseless not to covet a piece of jewelry from the shelves.

As the products are perfectly made from every aspect, the company offers return policy but WITHOUT warranties. Cartier allows customers to return products on the website or through the customer contact center within thirty days with receipt of the unused intact product; however, the returns of Cartier products which are not in compliance with the imperfect conditions of the product and no tolerance with the time frame exceeds the return period. Cartier makes no warranties of any kind, whether express or implied information, or any transaction that may be conducted or through their website or the customer contact center. Well, I assume that company is quite adamant and confident at their customers and products.

Chapter 17 Personal Selling and Sales Management

               

We have studied about how significant advertisements are for a company in the previous chapter. In this chapter, we will analyze the direct selling methods of products to customers and bonding long-term relationship with loyal customers and those are the prior steps in retail field. Nevertheless, sales management is the key to the golden gate. The main goal is to develop product or service offerings in order to build up healthy relationship with customers and to meet one another’s satisfaction. Cartier is a high-end luxury jewelry store as we all known, therefore, personal selling is surely important to the business. Cartier has highly gained their reputation through years; indeed the main ambition is to enhance the customers’ confidence on the company’s products.

                Cartier always keeps their employees knowledgeable, informative and friendly. Before the employees start working in the retail stores, they will be trained to be qualified customer services. According to some reviews from Cartier employees’ online, they addressed despite of Cartier is a shimmering luxurious atmosphere working place, it wouldn’t have too much stress and they have comfortable ideal environment. A few reviews said the company lacks modern on their products, it may affect their sales. I suppose the company tries to retain their classy traditional oriented on the products to have their brand signature. Overall, former customers gave them fine comments from the quality on both the service and the products.

                The employers inquire the applicants in search of employment with fashion sense or a love for precious stones, and then the company will hire professional retail employees to staff retail careers often.  Cartier sees clientele form all over the world, and employees must be able to demonstrate professionalism during the hiring process in order to be considered for employment.

                The business world of today is extremely competitive. Companies need to have an edge that make them stand out from the crowd, something that makes them more appealing and interesting to both the public and the service. Public relations involve popularizing successes; it provides a service for the company by helping to give the public and the company a better understanding of how the management works. Since the company is well prepared for the staff, they wouldn’t ignore the details in retailing field. They respect everyone who intends to patronize their products, they let you feel comfortable and not under pressure. The company offer after selling care as well, because they want to keep their customers satisfied in all time.