It is really weird how the legends that companies producing perfume offer to the public have little to do with the product. However, it is even more miraculous how impressive these legends are. It can be claimed with a considerable amount of certainty that this success has a lot to do with the design of the perfume bottle; one of the most graphic examples of the given phenomenon is the 2012 Diesel. Only the Brave Tattoo cologne.
Point and Line: The Charm of Seeming Simplicity
What falls into the eye straightaway is the smooth, almost cartoonish, contour of the hand ; adding elegance to it, it balances out the symbol of force. The most brilliant idea, however, concerns not the form of the hand itself, but the fonts that the designer used to put the title of the fragrance and the name of the company on the bottle. The striking contrast between the elegant Only the Brave on the back of the hand and a solid uppercase Diesel printed on the fist is an incredibly good find.
Shape: Symbolism at Its Best
Having the shape of a fist with a bottle of cologne in its grip, the bottle immediately catches the viewers attention. Needless to mention, the shape also works perfectly as a symbol of manliness and all the qualities that one can attribute to a man, i.e., strength, power, courage, etc.
Form: Where the Key Idea Lurks
Considering the design of the bottle from a three-dimensional perspective, one must agree that the bottle looks truly impressive and quite natural. While one might argue that the hand seems somewhat inflated, which makes it cartoonish, the form still leaves an impact. The anatomy of the hand is beyond praise, and the gesture, i.e., the tight grip, leaves a powerful impact on the viewer.
Texture: Smooth and Shiny
As it has been mentioned, the soft, curvy lines of the bottle create the impression that the hand might belong to a cartoonish character; however, when the color and especially the texture take their toll, it becomes evident that the legend behind the Only the Brave Tattoo should be taken seriously. Although the glassy surface might look somewhat girly, the transparency of the blue bottle and the matt black color of the alternative design do not leave any room for doubt that the cologne offers a legend of a man with a James-Bond-like temper.
Time and Motion: An Unusual Take on a Frame
As hard it is for a piece of glass to move, the shots of the bottle of cologne still have a lot of energy in them. Moreover, it seems like someone accidentally made a shot of a hand taking a grip on the bottle. Thus, the idea of speed is added to the legend behind the bottle design.
Colour: Back to Black
It is important to mention that the original Diesel. Only the Brave Tattoo cologne had a bluish steel color. It served the purpose well, stressing the idea of a man of steel behind the legend. However, the recent update, a new black-colored Diesel. Only the Brave looks even more impressive. In contrast to the previous design, the black one looks like a tight glove, which adds to the style; in addition, the black color looks much more aggressive compared to blue, which also contributes to the legend behind the perfume.
Proportion: In Search for the Golden Mean
Despite its obvious positive aspects, the diesel Only the Brave Tattoo design has a problem in the proportion department. While the bottle is designed in such a way that it could look like a hand holding a bottle, and, needless to say, the bottle looks very natural, it is still clear that the left side of the bottle is larger than the right side. Thus, the design comes out of proportions. Though a nitpick, this is a remark that should be taken into account, since a form should never dominate over function.
Unity and Variety: The Harmony of Design
As it has been stated above, there are two variations of the cologne bottle. Despite the fact that the only difference between these designs is color and texture, it is clear that the two create completely different images of a man, the black one representing an elegant gentleman, and the blue one being a symbol of a nonchalant back street boy. Together, they make a perfect entity.
Conclusion: Blazing a New Trail
With the help of a unique design that combines several exotic elements in an original way, Diesel has managed to come up with a truly impressive way to promote their product. While one must give the company credit for creating a fantastic fragrance, it is the design of the bottle that tricks the customers into paying attention to it. Therefore, the design of the Diesel Only the Brave Tattoo is worth being considered an example of how a breathtaking legend can be created solely with the help of the imagery.
Perfumes are basically made from a mixture of fixative solvent, aromatic compounds and ethanol. The fixative and aromatic compounds are obtained from natural plant oils. Ethanol is used due to its universal solubility and low boiling point. A fixative substance on the other hand is used to make the perfume last longer, it has the ability to form chemical bonds with other chemicals within the mixture used in the manufacture of the perfume. Perfumes are used as aesthetic to add a pleasant smell to ones body.
They also give the fragrance and it is for this reason that they are used to mask various unwanted odors in industrial processes. For instance, they are used in pharmaceutical industries and in corpse preservation to prevent decay and bad odor.
Perfumes are applied at pulse points like behind the ears, nape of neck, elbow , and knees. This is to ensure that as the pulse points move, they warm up the perfume hence releasing it. Ethanol is widely used because it is able to heat up easily. Common aroma compounds include vinallin and courmarin are also used.
How perfumes are made
The real chemical composition and precise formula for commercial perfumes is not readily available since each perfume as to be unique and a mystery to the competitors. Traditionally, perfumes were manufactured by extracting oil from plant parts like seeds, barks and leaves by pressing and steaming.
The oil was burned so as to produce a good scent to the sorrounding. Due to modern technology, today perfumes are made from a detailed composition of various plant oils and other chemical components. The type of perfume depends on the concentration of the aromatic substance in the universal solvent. The intensity of the fragrance is dependant on concentration of aromatic materials used in its manufacture.
As mentioned earlier, perfumes are majorly manufactured from aromatic natural plant oils known as plant metabolites. One plant can give more than one aromatic compound; an example is the sea of coriander which gives different odors from its leaves. Consequently, synthetic aromatic chemicals, prepared in the lab are also used especially in cases where the required essential plant oil is expensive to obtain. Synthetic chemicals may also be used where some oils are impossible to obtain or do not occur in natural form.
Depending on the method used in preparation, perfumes can be termed as single floral, floral bouquet and woody perfumes. Single floral contain one flowers scent while floral bouquet contain several flowers scent. Woody perfumes on the other hand, are made from woody plants.. Vanillin and coumarine are two plant compounds most widely used in the manufacture of perfumes.
Vanillin is an organic compound extracted from the back of vanilla bean. It is colorless and crystalline chemical compound found in many plants but higher concentration of it is found in Tonka beans. It has a sweet odor sometimes referred to as scent of new mown hay, a property that makes it find broad use in the perfume industry. It is produced by grass to discourage predation by herbivores.
After the compounds are mixed within the required proportions, which are usually predetermined by type of perfume, mood and age for which the perfume is intended for, the perfume is subjected to stability tests which include keeping the perfume in adverse conditions to test for its properties. Some perfumes lose scent when exposed to heat while others change color or scent when kept in adverse conditions such as high temperatures or very low temperatures.
For instance, light scents like bathing oil, bathing soap and body lotion are released in the morning and afternoon. However, a relatively dry skin will not hold fragrance for a long time. Perfumes are neither feminine nor masculine, the perception and notion of categorizing perfumes on gender basis is brought up by the sense that ladies, unlike men, prefer perfumes with high aromatic composition thus strong scent.
Why Skunks stink
Skunks are also known as polecats in America. They are mammals that are well known to spray a liquid with a very strong odor. They are of different species and their color ranges from black-white to brown. They eat plant and animal matter hence they are omnivorous. Their most notorious feature is the anal scent glands which they use as their defense weapon against predators.They have muscles around the glands which on contraction; help them spray Thiols with a very high degree of accuracy up to three meters.
The smell of Thiols irritates and is highly picked up by the human nose and other predating anmals in the wild that are usually fter the skunk. Thiols sticks on garment and does not easily come off unless washed with the help of commercial chemicals and detergents. For instance, if they fall on a dog, they cause violent sickness and a continuous running nose hence it is for this reason that skunks are known to be so stinky although in real sense they do not stink they just use their bad scent as a means to protect themselves.
It is really weird how the legends that companies producing perfume offer to the public have little to do with the product. However, it is even more miraculous how impressive these legends are. It can be claimed with a considerable amount of certainty that this success has a lot to do with the design of the perfume bottle; one of the most graphic examples of the given phenomenon is the 2012 Diesel. Only the Brave Tattoo cologne.
Point and Line: The Charm of Seeming Simplicity
What falls into the eye straightaway is the smooth, almost cartoonish, contour of the “hand”; adding elegance to it, it balances out the symbol of “force.” The most brilliant idea, however, concerns not the form of the “hand” itself, but the fonts that the designer used to put the title of the fragrance and the name of the company on the bottle. The striking contrast between the elegant “Only the Brave” on the back of the “hand” and a solid uppercase “Diesel” printed on the “fist” is an incredibly good find.
Shape: Symbolism at Its Best
Having the shape of a fist with a bottle of cologne in its grip, the bottle immediately catches the viewer’s attention. Needless to mention, the shape also works perfectly as a symbol of manliness and all the qualities that one can attribute to a man, i.e., strength, power, courage, etc.
Form: Where the Key Idea Lurks
Considering the design of the bottle from a three-dimensional perspective, one must agree that the bottle looks truly impressive and quite natural. While one might argue that the hand seems somewhat inflated, which makes it cartoonish, the form still leaves an impact. The anatomy of the “hand” is beyond praise, and the gesture, i.e., the tight grip, leaves a powerful impact on the viewer.
Texture: Smooth and Shiny
As it has been mentioned, the soft, curvy lines of the bottle create the impression that the hand might belong to a cartoonish character; however, when the color and especially the texture take their toll, it becomes evident that the legend behind the Only the Brave Tattoo should be taken seriously. Although the glassy surface might look somewhat girly, the transparency of the blue bottle and the matt black color of the alternative design do not leave any room for doubt that the cologne offers a legend of a man with a James-Bond-like temper.
Time and Motion: An Unusual Take on a Frame
As hard it is for a piece of glass to move, the shots of the bottle of cologne still have a lot of energy in them. Moreover, it seems like someone accidentally made a shot of a “hand” taking a grip on the bottle. Thus, the idea of speed is added to the legend behind the bottle design.
Colour: Back to Black
It is important to mention that the original Diesel. Only the Brave Tattoo cologne had a bluish steel color. It served the purpose well, stressing the idea of a “man of steel” behind the legend. However, the recent update, a new black-colored Diesel. Only the Brave looks even more impressive. In contrast to the previous design, the black one looks like a tight glove, which adds to the style; in addition, the black color looks much more aggressive compared to blue, which also contributes to the legend behind the perfume.
Proportion: In Search for the Golden Mean
Despite its obvious positive aspects, the diesel Only the Brave Tattoo design has a problem in the proportion department. While the bottle is designed in such a way that it could look like a hand holding a bottle, and, needless to say, the bottle looks very natural, it is still clear that the left side of the bottle is larger than the right side. Thus, the design comes out of proportions. Though a nitpick, this is a remark that should be taken into account, since a form should never dominate over function.
Unity and Variety: The Harmony of Design
As it has been stated above, there are two variations of the cologne bottle. Despite the fact that the only difference between these designs is color and texture, it is clear that the two create completely different images of a man, the black one representing an elegant gentleman, and the blue one being a symbol of a nonchalant back street boy. Together, they make a perfect entity.
Conclusion: Blazing a New Trail
With the help of a unique design that combines several exotic elements in an original way, Diesel has managed to come up with a truly impressive way to promote their product. While one must give the company credit for creating a fantastic fragrance, it is the design of the bottle that tricks the customers into paying attention to it. Therefore, the design of the Diesel Only the Brave Tattoo is worth being considered an example of how a breathtaking legend can be created solely with the help of the imagery.
Perfumes are basically made from a mixture of fixative solvent, aromatic compounds and ethanol. The fixative and aromatic compounds are obtained from natural plant oils. Ethanol is used due to its universal solubility and low boiling point. A fixative substance on the other hand is used to make the perfume last longer, it has the ability to form chemical bonds with other chemicals within the mixture used in the manufacture of the perfume. Perfumes are used as aesthetic to add a pleasant smell to one’s body.
They also give the fragrance and it is for this reason that they are used to mask various unwanted odors in industrial processes. For instance, they are used in pharmaceutical industries and in corpse preservation to prevent decay and bad odor.
Perfumes are applied at pulse points like behind the ears, nape of neck, elbow , and knees. This is to ensure that as the pulse points move, they warm up the perfume hence releasing it. Ethanol is widely used because it is able to heat up easily. Common aroma compounds include vinallin and courmarin are also used.
How perfumes are made
The real chemical composition and precise formula for commercial perfumes is not readily available since each perfume as to be unique and a mystery to the competitors. Traditionally, perfumes were manufactured by extracting oil from plant parts like seeds, barks and leaves by pressing and steaming.
The oil was burned so as to produce a good scent to the sorrounding. Due to modern technology, today perfumes are made from a detailed composition of various plant oils and other chemical components. The type of perfume depends on the concentration of the aromatic substance in the universal solvent. The intensity of the fragrance is dependant on concentration of aromatic materials used in its manufacture.
As mentioned earlier, perfumes are majorly manufactured from aromatic natural plant oils known as plant metabolites. One plant can give more than one aromatic compound; an example is the sea of coriander which gives different odors from its leaves. Consequently, synthetic aromatic chemicals, prepared in the lab are also used especially in cases where the required essential plant oil is expensive to obtain. Synthetic chemicals may also be used where some oils are impossible to obtain or do not occur in natural form.
Depending on the method used in preparation, perfumes can be termed as single floral, floral bouquet and woody perfumes. Single floral contain one flower’s scent while floral bouquet contain several flowers’ scent. Woody perfumes on the other hand, are made from woody plants.. Vanillin and coumarine are two plant compounds most widely used in the manufacture of perfumes.
Vanillin is an organic compound extracted from the back of vanilla bean. It is colorless and crystalline chemical compound found in many plants but higher concentration of it is found in Tonka beans. It has a sweet odor sometimes referred to as scent of new mown hay, a property that makes it find broad use in the perfume industry. It is produced by grass to discourage predation by herbivores.
After the compounds are mixed within the required proportions, which are usually predetermined by type of perfume, mood and age for which the perfume is intended for, the perfume is subjected to stability tests which include keeping the perfume in adverse conditions to test for its properties. Some perfumes lose scent when exposed to heat while others change color or scent when kept in adverse conditions such as high temperatures or very low temperatures.
For instance, light scents like bathing oil, bathing soap and body lotion are released in the morning and afternoon. However, a relatively dry skin will not hold fragrance for a long time. Perfumes are neither feminine nor masculine, the perception and notion of categorizing perfumes on gender basis is brought up by the sense that ladies, unlike men, prefer perfumes with high aromatic composition thus strong scent.
Why Skunks stink
Skunks are also known as polecats in America. They are mammals that are well known to spray a liquid with a very strong odor. They are of different species and their color ranges from black-white to brown. They eat plant and animal matter hence they are omnivorous. Their most notorious feature is the anal scent glands which they use as their defense weapon against predators.They have muscles around the glands which on contraction; help them spray Thiols with a very high degree of accuracy up to three meters.
The smell of Thiols irritates and is highly picked up by the human nose and other predating anmals in the wild that are usually fter the skunk. Thiols sticks on garment and does not easily come off unless washed with the help of commercial chemicals and detergents. For instance, if they fall on a dog, they cause violent sickness and a continuous running nose hence it is for this reason that skunks are known to be so stinky although in real sense they do not stink they just use their bad scent as a means to protect themselves.
From industry to Luxury: French Perfume in the Nineteenth Century
According to this article, the perfume industry started getting more attention from the nineteenth century. This is a period when people started concentrating a lot on their body odors. People became sensitive to unpleasant odors. Initially, one could tell the difference between the rich and the poor by just paying attention to their body odors.
However, during the nineteenth century, technological and cultural developments brought a positive change in the society. The cost of producing perfumes decreased hence making it affordable to everyone in the society. Innovations emerged that ensured the production of a lot of perfume to cater for the growing demand.
The increase in the demand of perfume made the income generated to shoot up and consequently led to the increase in the number of perfume houses. The number of middlemen also increased in order to help in the distribution of perfume from the manufacturer to the consumer. According to the article, large flower farms were established to provide raw materials to the perfume houses.
The author talks of how many perfumers used their names in their perfume brands. A perfumer is another name for the perfume manufacturer. The perfumers who were famous at that time dominated the market. This is because people like being associated with fame or products of familiar people.
The stiff competition in the perfume industry made perfumers to devise ways to ensure maximum profits for their products. For instance, some perfumers chose to sell their products in nicely decorated boutiques to attract wealthy clients. The decorations were an excuse to justify the high prices. The perfumers also discovered that packing their products in nicely decorated containers brought in more sales.
Marketing management
According to the author, the Japanese cosmetic market is second largest in the world. Women play a crucial role in the cosmetic market since they are the main consumers of beauty products.
In the 1970’s, many women did not pay much attention to their personal grooming as most of their time was spent doing housework, and taking care of their children. Most of them were not employed and, therefore, could not afford to buy cosmetics. However, after the oil crisis in 1973, many women got jobs and were able to buy cosmetics.
Advertisements play a vital role in the usage of cosmetics, in Japan. This is because Japanese people are very sensitive to culture and religion.
They have a materialistic culture, and this explains why they like emulating the western culture which is said to be advanced. Celebrities are preferred when it comes to advertising Japanese cosmetics. This is because the consumers like being associated with the prestige and the sophistication that comes along with fame.
Also, Japanese manufacturers prefer using the television media and magazines to advertise their products, as opposed to newspapers and radio. However, the internet proved to be the best medium of communication between consumers and the manufactures. This is because through, the internet, the manufacturers can get different views concerning their beauty products.
The author suggests that, in future, Japanese advertisements need to be localized in order to reach a large number of users. He further acknowledges that the degree at which cosmetics are used in Japan depends on how the product is advertised, packed and how it is branded.
Language for International Business
The author explains how language has a significant impact on advertisements in the French market. English, which is not a native language in France, has been widely used in the overall advertisements of cosmetics. This is due to the fact that English is globally recognized as the major commercial language.
As discussed in the article, imagery is commonly used particularly in recent French advertisements. Imagery is a rich form of language that helps in creating mental pictures in the consumers’ minds. With the use of imagery, one statement can have various interpretations depending on the consumer’s culture.
A number of American brands such as the Coca Cola, Starbucks and McDonald’s have found their way into the French market. This has sparked a lot of debate on how to advertise these products. Post cards have been popularly used in the French market since many people like communicating with their loved ones through this medium of communication. International companies such as IBM have greatly relied on post cards.
The Microsoft Company recently used the print media in its effort to reach the French audience. The message was simple but funny enough it was a smashing success. The message which read “one second between sunset and sunrise” evoked a lot of curiosity among the French consumers.
What Microsoft meant was that it could keep a firm running 24/7. Many firms chose to conduct their businesses with Microsoft because, in the business world, time is money.
The author further asserts that the French consumers prefer products which are natural and environmental friendly. The consumers will always go for products which cannot harm their health. English has borrowed some words from the French language, and this has created a strong relationship between the two nationalities.
For instance,’ lite’ is a French word adopted by the Coca Cola company to advertise its diet soda. The soda is now globally recognized as Cola Lite.
The use of English in French advertisements has become exceedingly common. On the other hand, English has not borrowed as many words as its French counterpart. English is a second language in many countries and is appreciated by many consumers around the world.
Article
Methods used for testing
Brief descriptions
From industry to Luxury: French Perfume in the Nineteenth Century
The author used observation and interviews.
The author based his arguments on what he observed from the markets. He conducted interviews to test how people adapted the use of perfumes.
Marketing management
The author carried out a research.
He used research methods to get exact values from the market hence giving detailed reports. Most of his findings are specific.
Language for International Business
The author used observation and interviews
His findings were based on what he observed from French market. He might have interviewed several French consumers
In marketing, microenvironment refers to elements related to a company’s immediate operational sphere; these factors directly affect the process of decision-making and performance, while the macro environment is composed of uncontrollable external elements that also influence the way a company performs and makes decisions. Within the context of an international fragrance company that has chosen to enter the Middle Eastern market, the microenvironment is associated with years of experience in the perfume market, the number of departments, and the success of the brand in its home market, as well as the company’s overall marketing strategy.
The macro-environment, on the other hand, is much more complex since the company cannot assume full control of all factors, which is often frustrating. It includes the external environment: the number of potential customers, social media trends, and economic indicators for Middle Eastern countries, as well as overall trends and customer preferences in choosing a perfume. The actions of the key competitors of a brand can also be regarded as belonging to the macro-marketing environment since the particular accomplishments of a rival perfume company in the Middle Eastern market may pose a threat to a company only beginning its marketing attempts in the same region. Moreover, if a famous brand should collaborate with a celebrity to create a perfume, such a move can also bring significant losses to a competitor.
The international fragrance company positioning as “the world’s local fragrances”
Brand positioning is especially important for fragrance companies because preferences in perfumes can vary from one region to another. Therefore, international fragrance companies need to take into account the fact that Middle Eastern customers choose spicy oud fragrances over fresh and floral scents. However, a large part of becoming popular is related to updated digital communication efforts (as seen from Elizabeth Arden’s example) that allow brands to reach potential clients and get a better understanding of their needs.
Companies like Revlon, Coty, Dior, L’Oreal, and many others have invested funds and efforts into researching the preferences of customers and offering the largest variety of products from which to choose. For example, Coty has an extensive range of products in the company’s portfolio that caters to every consumer of the brand, which means that any customer—whether from the UAE or France—will find something he or she likes. Such an approach to positioning is particularly beneficial for a brand since it does not take too much effort to connect with clients around the world—the only investment needed is a coherent customer communications strategy that will apply to clients around the world.
The Middle East market for an international fragrance company
Reasons for an international fragrance company choosing the Middle Eastern market are numerous. Among the key reasons are high economic indicators for the Gulf countries, which means that the purchasing power of customers is relatively high. High economic indicators are of the highest importance for brands that enter a new market because companies must be sure that investment and marketing efforts will be rewarded with high revenues. The second reason is the overall increase in the popularity of spicy Arabian scents. Because brands are already producing these types of fragrances to cater to the demands of the European and American markets, entering the Middle East with such perfumes is a smart move since the region is accustomed to traditional heavy scents that last for days.
The third reason for choosing the Middle Eastern market is the reported growth of sales in the region. For example, in 2011, Revlon reported an overall increase in sales by 4.5%, corresponding to higher sales of fragrances in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The fourth reason for a perfume company to enter the Middle Eastern market is the overall receptiveness of the region to fragrances. Even niche brands such as Hennessy managed to attract a high-end audience with unique scents (for example, Arabian Nights). Because the region is considered wealthy, the price of Arabian Nights ($400 an ounce) did not scare customers away; on the contrary, the elegant packaging along with high-quality ingredients brought Hennessy a significant profit (Matherly, Nandialath, and Richards).
Market segments that the fragrance industry targets
Fragrance companies are currently in a position that requires them to be proficient at targeting new market segments due to the fierce competition between brands. The introduction of a new market segment can be seen from the example of Elizabeth Arden, which collaborated with singer Taylor Swift to target her multi-million online following. The production of a new fragrance called Someday allowed EA to reach a new audience: Swift’s fans, who were ready to buy a perfume with their idol’s name on the bottle. By employing digital marketing, Elizabeth Arden managed to create tremendous hype regarding the product.
Another market segment targeted by fragrance companies relates to the production of expensive niche perfumes designed to fit in the high-end position of the market (as seen from the example of Hennessy’s Arabian Nights). Because the mainstream market for perfumes has expanded to the extent that there is nothing new and original being created, customers may try to look into new niche brands that tend to be more expensive but offer a unique selection of fragrances that are different from the mainstream. Thus, large international perfume brands are trying to invent new fragrances (Armani Prive, Tom Ford, Chanel Exclusives, etc.) that will be of higher quality, and more expensive, to cater to the needs of consumers who prefer buying unusual scents. Such an approach will be particularly beneficial in the context of the Middle Eastern market where purchasing ability is quite high, and customers will be interested in buying high-end niche fragrances that differ from those in the mainstream market.
The basic categories of target marketing strategies
Target marketing relates to the process of brands choosing between whether they are going to emphasize one or multiple segments or pursue the mass market. The case study about entering the Middle Eastern market includes several target marketing categories since the approaches of competitors were not the same. Differentiated marketing has been one of the most common approaches because brands needed to cater to the needs of the general audience while introducing another segment to gain profitability (for example, Elizabeth Arden and Taylor Swift’s perfume).
Concentrated targeting, on the other hand, has been employed by niche brands like Hennessy that have catered to the needs of the niche audience that value high-quality ingredients and unique scents. Such an approach was chosen because the company does not produce a wide range of fragrances and has a limited scope of resources when it comes to offering customers mass-market scents. Thus, Hennessy used concentrated marketing to bring wealthy customers high-quality products at a high price instead of mediocre quality products at a lower price.
Work Cited
Matherly, Laura, Anup Nandialath, and Claire Richards. Case Study: Arabic Perfumes and the Global Fragrance Market. Thunderbird School of Global Management, 2013.
The success of the international fragrance companies is highly dependent on the effective marketing, research of customers’ preferences, and high-quality promotion program (Matherly, Nandialath, and Richards 5). The companies should focus their attention on the constant development of the product and extension of lines.
SWOT analysis for Ajmal Perfumes
To get a better understanding regarding the effectiveness and success of Ajmal Perfumes, the organization should be analyzed by SWOT. SWOT examines the companies from four different perspectives, namely strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It provides vital information for evaluation of the company’s effectiveness and success.
Ajmal Perfumes is the family business based company that originally was functioning in India. As a matter of fact, the company is one of the leading in the perfumery industry in the United Arab Emirates (Matherly, Nandialath, and Richards 8).
The major strength of the company is that it is focused not only on manufacturing perfumes but soaps, lotions, and oils as well. The brand is represented internationally. The company aims to find a balance between traditions and innovations. Ajmal Perfumes is versatile enough to satisfy every consumer. The ability to combine captivating scents of the Eastern World with modernity is the reason the majority of consumers prefers particularly this company over other famous brands.
The major weakness of Ajmal Perfumes is that the target customers group of the brand is older people. However, the company directs all the forces to influence the situation and develops fragrances that would suit younger people. As for the opportunities, it should be noted that Ajmal Perfumes realizes the importance and significance of the expansion strategies in positive business development. In terms of treats, it should be stressed that the competition in the perfumery market is rather tense; however, the reputation and high-quality products manufactured by the company contribute to the success.
Porter Five Forces Analysis
As a matter of fact, perfumery industry is attractive to customers as the majority of people believe that fragrance is an integral part of the daily round, however, to prove the attractiveness of the sector, it should be analyzed by Porter Five Forces model. The model is focused on five elements, namely competitive rivalry, buyer power, a threat of substitution, supplier power, and a threat of new entry.
As for the competitive rivalry, it should be noted that the competition in the market is tense, and it is difficult for a new company to compete with internationally famous brands. There is hardly a threat of new entry. According to the researchers, the amount of money spent of fragrances is increasing, and such tendency will only continue. Luxury and niche scents that cost an impressively big amount of money are popular as well. That is, the buyer power is strong. As for the threat of substitution, it is to point out that a number of scents are represented in different companies, and that is, every customer can find something he likes almost in every brand. It is worth highlighting that the threat of substitution is high. There are a lot of suppliers that provide companies with essential ingredients, and that is, they are not likely to influence the market in a significant way.
Calculations of Financial Ratios for the Global Competitors
Gross Profit Margin = ((Revenue – Cost of Revenue) / Net Sales) * 100
The average gross profit margin ratio is different for various industries. However, the average gross profit margin for the global competitors is 65,10%. Among the companies under analyzes, Estee Lauder has the highest index. Gross profit margin can show whether the company is profitable or not. The companies have a high index that is positive for their development.
Operating Expenses
Every business requires additional expenses. Operating expenses are the essential part of every company, and they do not depend on the amount of sales the organization makes. These expenses help the business function, and they include salaries for the employees, rent, and insurances. The cost of the product includes materials and ingredients used, packaging, manufacturing, transporting, salary for workers, rent, and promotion. As the matter of fact, every company thinks of the risks, and these risks are included in the price. The more expensive the product is, the more operating cost it will cover.
Inventory
According to the analysis, the global company that most efficiently handles its inventory is Revlon. The data reflect the speed of implementation. The higher the score, the more efficiently the company uses inventory.
Company that Efficiently Handles Its Receivables
Receivable turnover characterizes the rate of payment of receivables of the company, namely how fast the company receives payment for the sold goods from its customers. The coefficient determines the effectiveness of the work of the company with buyers and customers in terms of the collection of receivables, as well as reflects the policy in respect of sales on credit. Christian Dior is the company that handles its receivables the most efficient.
Recommendations
To become successful in the GCC market, the company should research the preferences of the customers and follow world trends. The mixture of modernity and innovations combined with traditions is the best way to achieve success. High-quality products and a variety of lines will contribute to positive development (Matherly, Nandialath, and Richards 2). I am sure that mergers and alliances are beneficial as the tense competition in the market demands powerful marketing and strategies. The alliance will be more effective. Generic growth strategies that would be most applicable are:
Produce a scent that differs from every in the market;
Constant development for attracting new customers;
Research of the diversified needs of the buyers;
Production of perfumes for males and females of different age.
Works Cited
Matherly, Laura, Anup Nandialath, and Claire Richards. Arabic Perfumes and the Global Fragrance Market. Glendale: Thunderbird School of Global Management, 2013. Print.
Calvin Klein is a renowned manufacturer of perfumes with famous brands across the world. Brands like Obsession, Escape, Eternity and others have contributed to the company’s success, having earned more profits from sale of their products. These products are very popular because they seem to enjoy endorsement from celebrities like Eva Mendes, David Beckham, among others. Since the celebrities are mostly considered role models or trendsetters, Calvin Klein’s Eternity brand has been popularized by the adverts in which they use very attractive female and male models. In the recent campaign of 2012 to market the product, Eternity Aqua was advertised and endorsed by the lovely Edita Vilkeviciute and the robust Ben Hill.
Culture Jamming
The Eternity brand for women became very popular in 1989 and has held its position up to date. Most women across the world love this perfume as it has been indicated to be one of the most successful brands for women’s fragrance (Pekic, 2012). Eternity has become a favorite for many classy women and it has created a brand loyalty. The reason being most women tend to stick to one brand for so long once they find it satisfying.
Being popular due to celebrity endorsement, it has become a success story in perfume industry. These endorsements are very effective in advertising the product everywhere. Today, it is very hard to discuss products in the perfume industry without mentioning Calvin Klein’s products, especially Eternity and Obsession fragrances as they dominate the market (Pekic, 2012).
The scent of the product is distinctive, and men and women can share this fragrance. This way, the brand has spread very fast as everyone has been eager to have it. The product continually gets reviews from clients who are loyal and proud. Many people consider it the best, thus this is a must for them to buy this fragrance.
The Advert
Eternity Aqua, a fragrance for women, has stirred the market of perfumes since a fresh campaign was initiated in 2012 to market the product. This perfume is a modern fragrance that people enjoy as it gives an euphoric feeling of sophistication, allure and touch of mystery (Pekic, 2012). The perfume presents a fresh aquatic aroma, and as its brand name (Aqua) correctly reveals, the cologne is enriched with woody scent and aroma of fresh flowers.
This campaign led by Edita Vilkeviciute, as the female model, and Ben Hill, the male model, made the Eternity Aqua brand dominate the market with a variety of scents ranging from Cucumber, White Peony, Pink Lady Apple to gardenia, jasmine, etc. The models starring in the advertisement, especially Edita, is seen on the poster of the perfume with very seductive look and glowering lips. Everything about this model seems perfect, especially her face, which looks like angelic (Pekic, 2012). This poster is a siren call to all the customers as it attracts them, and they aspire to become closer than the model through using the same perfume.
Subvertisement
A typical subvertisement usually uses the advertiser’s picture, message, and text to contradict what is being communicated by the advertisement. The adbuster I use for this paper is meant to make some slight alterations to the poster in regard to the face of Edita. The adbuster’s subvertisement shows a wasted model with spotted skins, purplish forehead, cheeks, neck, and hands. These are the effects of toxins contained in the perfumes.
The message in the advert says “the new fragrance for women”, however, the subvert’s message is adjusted to say “the new vagrancy for women”. This message is altered to expose the fact that perfume contains neurotoxins, just the same as those in glue and volatile chemicals.
Comparison
Picture 1 and 2
Besides the changes in the shade of color, the name Calvin Klein is corrupted to “Calvin Killing” in the Adbuster. The United States National Academy of Sciences has revealed that most of the fragrances have ‘secret ingredients’ that manufacturing companies never list on the bottles (Pitts, 2003, p.9). These chemicals easily cause diseases in humans. Typical perfume like Eternity Aqua contains mixture of chemicals mostly drawn from petroleum compounds. Such derivatives like aldehydes and benzenes can seriously affect the central nervous system or cause various types of cancers. These substances penetrate the body via skin. They travel through the blood systems and can damage the livers and kidneys as these are the places where these dangerous chemical are eliminated from the body (Pitts, 2003, p.9).
There are no clear restrictions to the amount of chemicals to be used in combinations or even outright prohibitions to the percentages of dangerous chemicals used for making perfumes (Epstein & Fitzgerald, 2009, p.88). As such, people suffer without knowing. The only way to fight this is via a social movement like subvertisement. The Eternity brand is one of the fragrances listed to have potentially damaging chemical compounds.
Conclusion
Whereas most women consider Eternity Aqua a very romantic flower perfume, the actual ingredients in this fragrance show a different kind of reality. Out of the 41 ingredients used in the manufacture of these perfumes, nearly 33 do not have reliable safety information (Epstein & Fitzgerald, 2009, p.88). However, the data available on the rest components indicate that there are toxic chemicals, irritant and sensitive to skin as they can cause allergies. The advertisers focus on creating more sales, while the subverts seek to caution or warn the consumers against the unknown safety concerns from the chemicals in the product. Consumers can at least choose the product at their own peril or wait until these dangers are terminated.
Reference List
Epstein, S.S., & Fitzgerald, R., (2009). Toxic Beauty: How Cosmetics and Personal-Care Products Endanger Your Health. Dallas, Tx: Ben Bella Books.
Pekic, S. (2012). Calvin Klein Eternity Aqua for Women. Fragrantica. Web.
Pitts, C. (2003). Get a Whiff of This: Perfumes (Fragrances) – The Invisible Chemical Poisons. Bloomington, IN: Author House.
The product selected for analysis is a popular perfume, Hypnosis by Lancôme. This is a unique female product based on a unique combination of Eastern wooded and vanilla timber. The promotion campaign was based on sexual images and passion aimed to attract attention to this product and appeal to customer’s minds. This fermium is sold in beautiful round-shaped bottles. A key aspect of this promotion is to link the brand with the capacity to provide the consumer with an experience that is different from the consumption experience that would normally be expected to occur without exposure to the promotion.
Using the gestalt principles, it is possible to say that Lancôme uses two of them: a principle of closure and a principle of figure-ground. A principle of closure is evident in the male’s figure. Potential buyers perceive an incomplete picture as complete imagining a handsome man hypnotized by unique perfumes. The information dimension applies to the promotion’s ability to provide consumers with factual, relevant brand data in a clear and logical manner in such a way that they have greater confidence in their ability to assess the merits of buying the brand after having seen the advertisement. the main problem is that this ad can be differently perceived by global consumers.
For instance, in Asian countries with strict religious and moral norms, women buyers can ignore this message and pay no attention to the male figure. On the other hand, sensitivity to details may lead to insensitivity to understanding the total picture. All perceptions are culturally based. However, such systems are more than just rational tools; they contain elements of symbolism and rituals, and particularly so in high-contextual cultures, of course. Symbols are much developed in the Arab world, and Western buyers find themselves negotiating symbolic systems which define quite different realities from those existing in the West. This image will be positively perceived by Western and American buyers used to sexual images and extreme passion in promotion campaigns. They will easily reconstruct the total picture and ‘fill in the blanks’ (Solomon et al 2006, p. 51).
Another principle evident in this ad is the principle of figure-ground. This richness of symbols may seem like ‘an invisible wall’ to the outsider, because, like many aspects of culture and its manifestations, symbolic systems exist at an unconscious rather than a conscious level of awareness. When this information changes the experience the consumer has in using (buying/ owning/consuming) the brand, it becomes transformational. Transformation of experience may be a fundamental aspect of human behaviour, one which can be used to explain, among other things, the basic forces at work when consumers are exposed to advertising messages. Thus, transformation is proposed to be a process whereby past experience with a brand causes a unique set of psychological characteristics to become associated with that brand and influences subsequent experience with it (Fill 1999). This experience can be in the form of education, observation, word of mouth, trial, or an advertisement. According to the figure-ground principle, the stimulus is perceived as a separate form: the figure of a woman is central in this ad (Solomon et al 2006).
Thus, this stimulus can be negatively perceived by Arab and religious consumers influenced by strong religious dogmas and prejudices. This principle will not work in those cultures which deny the role of women in society and see it as secondary citizens. For instance, Arab consumers live in a collectivistically oriented culture. It means that individuality is a negligible value. Care is more important than individual freedom. It means also that social relations are predetermined and people think in terms of ingroups and outgroups. When this change in experience results from exposure to an advertisement or an advertising campaign, the ad is said to have transformed the consumer’s experience with the brand. It is important to note that it is not necessary for the consumer consciously to connect the effect with the advertisement or even to be aware of having been exposed to the advertisement. Certainly, conscious awareness does not preclude. the transformation effect — indeed, it may enhance it — but there is ample evidence to suggest that considerable processing occurs below the level of conscious awareness (de Mooij 2003).
The analysis shows that the gestalt principles can be differently perceived by different cultures influenced by cultural and religious traditions and norms. It is possible to say that the ability of a person (buyer) perceive an incomplete picture as complete depends upon his/her social and religious experience and cultural norms. If a buyer has never seen a situation like this (depicted in the ad), he/she cannot reconstruct the complete picture and understand the message of this ad. The cognitive-interpretive system does not reside wholly within consciousness, and thus it is not subject to introspection (Hollensen, 2007). The consumer is capable of expressing cognitions relative to the consumption experience; he or she just may not be capable of reliably tracking the source of those cognitions to the advertisement. This proposition states that “thinking” ads can produce a rapid transformation effect while “feeling” ads usually will require multiple exposures over time before producing a transformation effect. This differential effect is attributable to the interaction of the advertisements and the environment in which they are processed. Specifically, the environment contains many different stimuli, all of which compete for the consumer’s limited attention capacity (Kotabe & Helsen 2006).
In sum, the gestalt principles can be effectively used by advertisers, but they should take into account the cultural values and experiences of potential buyers. Wrong messages and strategies will not alter the individual’s psychological response to the object or behaviour. Hypnosis by Lancôme shows that the company uses two main principles of the gestalt: a principle of closure and a principle of figure-ground. These principles will be perceived and message reconstructed by European and American buyers, thus they can be misunderstood by Asian and religious consumers.
Bibliography
Fill, C. 1999. Marketing Communication: Contexts, Contents, and Strategies 2 edn. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Hollensen, S. 2007, Global Marketing: A Decision-Oriented Approach. Financial Times/ Prentice Hall; 4 edition.
Kotabe, M., Helsen, K. 2006, Global Marketing Management. Wiley.
de Mooij, M. 2003, Consumer Behavior and Culture. Sage Publications, Inc.
Solomon, M. R., Bamossy, G. Askegaard. A. 2006, Consumer Behaviour: A European Perspective. Financial Times/ Prentice Hall.
A positioning strategy for Arabic Perfume in global fragrance market
When assessed in conjunction with what are the contemporary dynamics in the global market of fragrances, it will appear that just about any company that specializes in producing/retailing Arabic perfumes will be in the position to benefit from being able to provide consumers with a number of the strongly competitive business propositions. The main of them are as follows:
Arabic perfumes are commonly assumed to feature some extremely unique scents. This assumption is thoroughly valid as the Arabian fragrance-makers have traditionally been using the oils of such exotic (as to the rest of the world) plants as Black iris, Ta’if roses, Frankincense trees, Casablanca lilies, Persian saffron (Dehghan par. 3).
Arabic perfumes are sold at a much lower price, as compared to the prices of the world’s leading perfume brands, such as Chanel, Christian Dior, or Calvin Klein.
The popular image of Arabic perfumes, closely associated with the notion of environmental friendliness, if fully consistent with the growing popularity of the concept of ‘ethical consumerism’ in the West.
The above-stated presupposes that Arabic Perfume (as a brand name) should consider adopting the so-called ‘societal’ approach to defining its position strategy in the global fragrance market, concerned with establishing the objective preconditions for the targeted audience to think of the company’s products as such that represent a particularly high perceptual value. As a result, the positioning strategy in question should be concerned with taking into account the main provisions of the ‘post-industrial’ (or perceptual-value-based) approach to marketing.
Brand image Arabic Perfume can develop in the global fragrance market
The earlier mentioned considerations presuppose that while establishing its brand image, Arabic Perfume should pay close attention to what account for the particulars of the currently dominant public discourse in the world, which in turn has a strong effect on the would-be targeted consumers’ purchasing choices. Because of the holistic appeal, radiated by the very notion of ‘Oriental fragrance’, it will only be logical for Arabic Perfume to position itself as a socially responsible commercial entity, which is genuinely interested in making this world a better place.
Therefore, as a part of establishing its brand image, Arabic Perfume should benefit from adopting the operational principle of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), reflective of the assumption is that by choosing in favor of conducting their operations in a communally responsible (ethical/environmentally friendly) manner, companies can contribute towards increasing the rate of these operations’ long-term commercial sustainability. In its turn, this will allow Arabic Perfume to take advantage of the earlier mentioned ‘ethical consumption’ upturn in the global market of cosmetics.
While developing its brand image, Arabic Perfume should also be mindful of the rapidly growing fragrance markets in Latin America, Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East/Persian Gulf regions of the word. For example, as Wells pointed out in 2011: “The Middle East cosmetics and toiletries market is one of the largest and most profitable in the world… with an annual growth rate of 12%” (p. 54). This presupposes that the company’s marketing campaigns should also be consistent with the culturally predetermined specifics of people’s consumerist behavior in the mentioned areas.
International fragrance company’s positioning as “the world’s local fragrances”
One of the international fragrance companies that succeeded splendidly in positioning itself as the ‘world’s local fragrance’ is L’Oreal. After having opened its first store in Saudi Arabia in 1982, the company remained deeply committed to the policy of adjusting the lines of its products to correlate perfectly well with the commercial and societal demands of the Persian Gulf fragrance market. The validity of this suggestion can be illustrated by the following:
While operating in Saudi Arabia, L’Oreal never ceased being respectful of the cultural and religious specifics of the area’s business environment, which in turn helped the company to strengthen the integrity of its reputation as a socially responsible commercial enterprise. To exemplify the validity of this statement, we can refer to the company’s practice of providing substantial discounts during the celebration of Ramadan. There have also been many instances of L’Oreal’s Saudi-based TV commercials featuring quotations from the Holy Quran (Vasudevan 199).
The perfume bottles’ design in many cases feature the unmistakably ‘Oriental’ decorative elements, such as the recurring patterns made of diagonal shapes or the images of celestial bodies. Although the logo ‘L’Oreal’ is seen on just about every of this company’s products sold in Saudi Arabia, it represents a commonplace practice for L’Oreal to provide a uniquely Arabic name for each of its lines of perfumes.
L’Oreal’s promotion strategies do take into account the psychographic factor of what has always been known about the personality of most fragrance consumers in Saudi Arabia – namely, their strong affiliation with the so-called ‘traditional values’. This explains the company’s decision to refrain from using sexually suggestive imagery in its Saudi-oriented marketing campaigns.
It appears that the main benefit of the adoption of the culturally sensitive operational paradigm by a fragrance company/retailer, as illustrated above, is that the concerned practice results in expanding the range of the locally targeted buyers.
Rationale for international fragrance company to choose the Middle East market
The main reason why an international fragrance company would choose to move to the Middle East market is that, ever since 2010, this market was growing at an average rate of 8%-10% per year. Moreover, there several good reasons to believe that this growth will retain its current momentum at least until the year 2018: “Fragrances accounted for 19.6 percent of the Middle East and Africa’s beauty and wellness market in 2014… The (fragrance) sector is expected to post an annual growth rate of 6.3 percent to be worth $6.4 billion in 2018” (“A Scent of Growth” par. 2). Given the high density of population in this specific area of the world, and also the fact that this population is ‘young’, in the demographic sense of this word, the Middle East fragrance market is naturally seen utterly attractive by the world’s leading perfume companies – especially the ones that currently pursue the policy of aggressing expansion, such as earlier mentioned L’Oreal.
Another reason in this respect has to do with the fact that by establishing a foothold in this specific market, a company expects to gain access to some of the world’s most exquisite scent-producing materials/plants, as well as to the ancient perfume-making techniques that originated in the Middle East many centuries ago. In its turn, the viability of this particular objective is predetermined by the global market’s demand for the previously unexplored scents.
The growing market segments that fragrance industry tries to target
The fragrance industry proliferates when the overall economic situation prompts people to spend money to buy non-essential products that are believed to provide a high perceptional (imaginary) value, within the context of how the former go about celebrating their existential uniqueness. As Gilani and Gilani noted: “The improved lifestyle coupled with increased disposable income and desire towards better personality are the prime reasons for growing demands of beauty products” (2008, p. 14). Therefore, it is named in the West (the most economically prosperous part of the world) where the fragrance industry’s trends continue to originate. As of late, these trends have been reflective of the rapid growth of two distinct segments of the market that target:
‘Metrosexual’ men – urban-based men (commonly referred to as ‘yuppies’) who pay very close attention to their grooming.
Environmentally conscious consumers – men and women who make a point in purchasing only the ‘organically made’ body-care products while believing that this would help them to do both – emphasize their individuality and contribute toward preserving the surrounding environment.
The role of marketing communication strategies
Given the particulars of how the mentioned groups of consumers tend to perceive the surrounding social reality (which need to be discussed separately), a fragrance company is most likely to benefit from exposing the targeted audiences to the ‘niche-based’ and ‘word-of-mouth’ marketing communication strategies. The foremost reason for this is that both strategies resonate well with how these people aspire for self-actualization (Akhter 138).
After all, it has been noted that both ‘metrosexuals’ and environmentally conscious consumers cannot help experiencing the simultaneously ‘individualist’ and ‘collectivist’ anxieties in this respect. Each of these strategies should be aimed to emphasize the product’s Unique Value Proposition (UVP) and to make sure that it is in accord with the targeted consumers’ lifestyles. And, as it was implied earlier concerning Arabic perfumes, the main factor that contributes towards the creation of such value is these products’ strongly holistic appeal. The deployment of the mentioned marketing strategies should prove especially effective if throughout the process the marketing principle ‘sense and respond’ is being closely observed as well.
Akhter, Syed. “Niches at the Edges: Price-Value Tradeoff, Consumer Behavior, and Marketing Strategy.” The Journal of Product and Brand Management, vol. 18, no. 2, 2009, pp. 136-142.
Gilani, Syd, and Berina Gilani. “Competitive Strategy Analysis Of The Arabian Perfume Market: Case In Focus: Al Haramain Perfumes.” Journal Of International Business Strategy, vol. 8, no. 3, 2008, pp. 13-36.
Vasudevan, Hemaloshinee. “L’Oreal Baby Girl Perfume Marketing Strategy.” International Journal of Information, Business and Management, vol. 7, no. 1, 2015, pp. 193-208.
Wells, Rhona. “The Sweet Smells Of Success.” Middle East, vol. 428, 2011, pp. 54-55.
