1.Company presentation They say it is not possible to really know a person until you have walked a mile in their shoes. If that were true, Cristina Batlan, the creator and owner of Musette Exim SRL would be the most famous person in Romania. Fashion is defined as a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person. Needless to say, what makes the fashion industry so volatile is the fact that its success depends upon other people¶s perceptions. In Romania, there are only a few companies which have managed to survive in the long term and Musette is by far the most successful. 15 stores in Romania, the U.S., Bulgaria and Israel, over 250 employees, a turnover of more than 6 million Euro, Musette is an empire built by two young Romanian persons who never dreamed they would achieve what they have now. Musette made its appearance in 1992, on Calea Victoriei Boulevard, established as a trading company. The shop displayed colorful and avant-garde creations brought in Romania by two young students who dreamed of being financially independent: Cristina and Roberto Batlan. Cristina had long dreamed of having her own shoe factory and every time she went abroad to buy materials, she would buy a lot of shoes. shoes. At first, first, they tried to import import bags and shoes, but the prices were very high. They also thought of manufacturing their products in other Romanian factories, but the products were very low qualitatively speaking. Therefore, they decided to open their own factory, investing all the money they had in leather and afterwards in shoes. Start of production of bags meant giving up the business fabric and distribution of shoes. "We sold all the shoes to Leonardo network which we had at that time and we decided to replenish our stores only with handbags and accessories made by us, under the brand Musette", recalls Cristina. They have invested 200.000 Euro in their first factory and all the shoes were made manually, because the lacked the necessary equipment. Between 2000 and 2010, there has been developing continuously to build a retail network of 20 stores. The production increased significantly every year and when they could no longer meet the demand, they opened a second factory in Husi. From 15 bags a day in 2002, the factory produced in the first months of existence, Musette produces 20 now times more. 1
Musette will demonstrate that, after a long presence on the local market, the brand that created it may be imposed on international markets. Especially that dream of having an international Musette had always been the goal of the owner. The two owners will give franchise Musetteto as many foreign companies to win with them. The hiring process of Cristhelen B - brand developed by the company - on foreign markets began in May 2010, through a first franchise store opened in Israel. CristhelenB., the exclusive brand of Mussette group, is advised by fashion editors of international magazines. Design, quality and comfort build the equity of the brand. Its first and only store in the US will be opening in late August 2010. Located in the heart of New York¶s most fashion-forward neighborhood, SoHo, Musette will offer original styles of high-end footwear, as well as a range of inventive purses, bags and leather accessories at 438 West Broadway on the corner of Prince Street. The flagship store will reflect the pieces it sells; drawing upon European decadence and style. The 400 square foot space will consist of white and purple décor with white washed backdrop, leather, paintings, pained wood, white bisazza, silk wallpaper, with splashes of a deep purp le accent with the furniture and awning.
2. Products The products of the company are high heel shoes, flats and bags. The first one, high heel shoes, are made from high quality materials, also offering superior comfort, The design is exclusively developed by a team lead by Giorgio de Stefano and Gionata Tomassini. The materials are imported from Italy (from suppliers such as Conceria Dell Chienti, Conceria Gaiera, Conceria Derma). Fantasy has no limits and the models of shoes that the company created has proven to be a trend setter for the Romanian market. The prices for high heel shoes rank between 300 Ron and 500 Ron, but for the sales period, the discounts are considerably advantageous for the customers ± between 50% and 70 %. Secondly, flats represent an important part of everyday life of each woman. Therefore, the company pays attention to the comfort and the design of this type of shoes. The materials are also high qualitative, the design is ensured by the same team of Italian designers. If the high heel shoes address to a smaller segment of the market, flats cover a wider range of clients. Prices are between 250 Ron and 350 Ron.
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Last but not least, bags are the products that represent the company mostly. The products are different from the other companies¶ by the design, color and quality. The sizes of the purses rank from clutches to shoulder bags, with different pockets that make an easier accessibility to it. The paintings used are specially treated so that there are no stains of clothes. The prices rank between 175 Ron and 800 Ron.
3.
Analysis of internal and external marketing environment
The discretionary nature of shoe shopping makes this industry highly dependent on consumer sentiment and disposable income. As the economy recovers and incomes grow, consumers are forecast to return to shopping in the industry. Even so, operators will continue to experience competition from low-cost imports, department stores and e-commerce shoe sales as consumers increasingly prefer the convience of one-stop and online shopping. In order to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of Musette, a analysis of both internal and external footwear market is needed. The footwear market in Romania was valued at ¼ 759 million in terms of retail sales, registering an average annual increase of 2.4% since 2004, being well above the EU average of 0.3% over the same period. Romania was the thirteenth EU market, behind Portugal, but ahead of Denmark and Finland in value. By volume, Romanians bought 50 million pairs in 2008, which meant 2.4 pairs per capita, spending ¼ 36 per year, being one of the lowest within the EU, compared to an EU average of ¼ 100 per capita (4.2 pairs). This below average consumption can be explained as many Romanian consumers can only afford lower quality items. It is also explained by below average prices for many shoes in this sector. Since 2004, the Romanian footwear market increased substantially both in volume and value. Much of this growth is due to price inflation, but the economy has been growing rapidly because of joining the EU. More µexpensive¶ footwear was available from the foreign chains. The Romanian currency has lost some value against the Euro in 2007. This is making footwear prices from international retail outlets more expensive and limiting purchases to just the most affluent. In 2008, Romania was also affected by the recession and value sales of footwear have slowed, while volume sales continued to rise. According to the Footwear Business Magazine ³Afaceri´, the average Romanian owns around five pairs of shoes, characterized as µnormal shoes¶, which includes sports shoes or sneakers. Most people only renew shoes when the old ones are obsolete. Around 20% of Romanians do not have typical winter footwear, whereas 30% has only one pair of (ankle) boots. It is also estimated that around 30% of Romanians does not have sandals for summer. A recent survey of Central European consumers concluded that Romanian consumers made purchases based on a product¶s usefulness and the prestige it will afford them, compared with Czech consumers who made µrational¶ purchases and Hungarians who made µemotional¶ purchases. This suggests that Romanians are quite brand conscious when buying footwear, but also make sure they are getting good value for money. 3
The ratio of working women increased from 52.1% to 53.0% of all Romanian women between 2004 and 2006, but slightly fell to 52.5% in 2008. The main growth was in the group of working women aged between 25 and 54 years. Working women are the most important segment for footwear. The Romanian market is experiencing a significant transformation that is affecting its population¶s shopping behaviour. Romanian women are gradually developing a taste for ³modern shopping´. Modern living leads to a busier lifestyle, resulting in an increased demand and appreciation for the convenience of doing all of one¶s shopping at a single location. With regards to footwear, Romanian people increasingly pay attention to the material and check the µmade of leather¶ label, if the inside is also made of leather and the material used for the soles. The footwear market in Romania will continue to expand in the coming years, but growth rates will not be as great as price inflation and higher import prices will slow down demand. Growth rates in Romania have been amongst the highest in the EU. This continued into 2008. However, the retail trade contracted by more than 10% in 2009, with fashion retailers particularly affected. Sales of footwear decreased by a similar proportion. It is expected that growth in the footwear will return in 2011 driven by the rising number of working women. Romanian consumers are developing a taste for well-designed footwear and sports footwear, but many now cannot afford to buy branded footwear. In future there are good prospects for fashionable footwear, however, counterfeit sales of branded footwear continues to be a problem. The industry continues to export almost everything it produces. In 2007, 99.6% of overall domestic production was exported. The domestic market, which is worth 2bn euros, could absorb the domestic production of around 71 million pairs of shoes. While almost the entire output of over 2,000 suppliers was exported, Romanians bought over 89 million pairs of imported shoes Taking all these into consideration, some comments must be made. On a Romanian market dominated almost of 80% of imports (annually imported more than 60 million pairs of shoes from China, Turkey and India, according to a statement released in March 2010 by the Employers Organization of Leather and Footwear Sector - OSPI) , manufacturers do not feel too comfortable. But Musette goes to conquer this new adventure with an advantage for customers: flexibility. "We can adapt more easily to the market that we address. For example, from the retailer, which sends back to the manufacturer the broken shoe, we have the repair part, "explains Cristina Batlan. Average consumption for clothing and footwear not exceeding 76 euros per capita, which ranked 52 places us among the 70 countries included a Euromonitor study on this topic. Although the market is still growing, competition is increasingly fierce: in a segment dominated by retailers like Leonardo, Bata, Il Passo or Otter Benvenutti,there has been announced the entry of the Austrians from Leder & Schuh AG, Humanic. Despite all these hardships, Musette managed to overcome the problems encountered during recession time and to become a wellknown brand throughout the country. It is extremely hard to compete with large companies that sell at lower prices as the ones stated above since the majority of women in Romania have a low or medium income and cannot afford to buy high-quality expensive products. Musette has demonstrated that, after a long presence on the local market, the brand that created it may be imposed on international markets. Especially that dream of having an international Musette had always been the goal of the owner. Nowadays it can be spoken about a 4
Moscow-London-New York Axis´, as the company has extended its network of stores on more continents. The two owners will give franchise Musette to as many foreign companies to win with them. The hiring process of Cristhelen B - brand developed by the company - on foreign markets began in May 2010, through a first franchise store opened in Israel. The opening of the franchise Musette in New York made the founder of this company want more stores throughout the world. After Manhattan, the Musette shoes arrived in Luxemburg and Hungary. This year other stores will be opened in Russia and Great Britain. This step was a necessary one in order to survive since the company needed new markets with financial potential since the Romanian market was declining during the recession. The store in New York seems to appeal to the women that open its door. At first the prices of the products were between $150 and $500. But because the sales went really good and they were nominated among the best newly open stores in New York, like Isabel Marant and Alexander Wang, two well-known designers, they reduced a little the prices. Cristina Batlan said that she wanted that the products were sold in large quantities and that the brand was already credible. Moreover, they had to be aligned to the other players in order not to be seen big differences between them. As the population living in Western Europe and the United States has a higher level of development, it is obvious that they have a greater taste for special high-quality footwear and bags, exactly the products offered by Musette. As a consequence, the products sold there are more expensive and bought in larger quantities than in Romania and, therefore, bring more revenue to the company. Analysing all the information about the internal and external marketing environment, a SWOT analysis can be made. The strengths of Musette derive from the characteristics of the business that give an advantage over the others. The biggest strength of Musette is represented exactly by the designs and the high-quality of products. They are unique since are made by specialists from Italy well-known for their craftsmanship in working with leather. These give the women interested in shoes and bags the feeling that they are special, thus determining them to buy the Musette products. The offer of the company includes shoes and accessories not only for special occasions, but also for daily wear. Therefore, this thing proves that the products can be used for all events and so, the clients become used to Mussette becoming part of the woman¶s everyday wear. Ä
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Furthermore, Musette is already a well-established brand in Romania and its awareness is increasing abroad as well. As a consequence, they are able to set high prices and at the same time to sell the products, thus obtaining revenue. The weaknesses are characteristics that place the company at a disadvantage relative to others. A weakness of this company can be considered the fact that they do not have a large capacity of production, this being the reason for closing some of the stores a few years ago. Probably, if they were able to make more shoes and bags they would sell more and, thus, making more profit. The designers that Mussette has contracted are well known in the shoe industry and missing one of them would unbalance the image of the company. Therefore, offering them the best conditions to work is one of the core objectives of the Design and Research department. Motivating the other workers that are in different departments is also an important goal and the threat is to lose them. Hiring other ones is very difficult and the policy of the employees has to be very clearly defined. Being in the advantage of the employees means being in the advantage of the company. Also, the company did not invested in tv campaigns, such as spots. Therefore, many people did not hear about Mussette and this could be a huge loss. Other shoe companies invest a lot more in the publicity and advertisements, such as Deichman or Leonardo. Mussette should be more aggressive and use more than one strategy. A combination of catalogues, tv spots and billboards could be the solution to eliminate this threat. This could be just some aspect of the total marketing plan. Opportunities represent external attractive factors that represent the reason for an organization to exist and develop. Time frames are identified in this process and finding proper conditions for the organization is the o bjective of this part. Mussette has entered a market which focuses, according to the income of the target clients, usually on women who spends an important amount of money on accessories and shoes. The Romanian market has registered decreases because of the recession and, therefore, the development of it has slowed down and the entire industry is expecting the coming economic boom. Speaking about other countries where the company is a retailer, the situation stands a little bit different. The American market and the western European one present new opportunities. Those markets can develop in very fast way and so, the company is seeking new ways of attracting those customers and making them loyal. Moreover, women who buy from Mussette are characterized as strong and independent women who have a big interest in fashion and find it as a way of expressing themselves. Loyalty is one of the features of this segment of interest. Therefore, the society is enhancing this type of behavior and Mussette has to improve the segment of limited editions collections that offer a special design and quality. Furthermore, being an accessories company, its image can be associated with clothing companies, not just in presentations, but also in the selling of the products. Such opportunities are very useful to both companies, attracting more clients because of the brand assoc iation. Since the business already has stores abroad, new opportunities can appear from other foreign countries. If on the American market is harder to make the brand known, in other countries, such as Israel, the chances are higher. Usually, people travel in Israel for the tourist 6
attractions of the country and shopping is usually part of every travel. So having shops near important hotels represent an opportunity for the company that would improve the sales. Needless to say, the company has a plant in China. So, opening new stores on that side of the planet would be an important goal of the company. The Chinese economy is growing faster than any other one and new demands appear. Since the labour costs are lower than those from Romania, other tariffs are established for that market. This is an advantage and therefore, it gives the opportunity that the company would have a rapid growth, not only in sales, but also in brand image. New generations of consumers with similar demands as those of the European countries raise and Mussette has the qualitative products and the managerial power to gain market share on these market. Not to mention that other Asian countries, such as India and even Russia, offers opportunities for the shoes company that is recognized for the quality and design. Having stores in different countries, web portals and online-selling represent a big opportunity. Going on the site, the company will easily allow a customer to choose any of the products from the menu. This would be a different branch of the distribution and selling department which will definitely increase the sales. Also, this would give the opportunity to clients from countries where Mussette does not have stores to purchase the products. Adding to this, just analysing the demands of the online selling would determine the next step in expanding the company. Another aspect of selling that needs serious consideration is using an established auction site such as eBay. This is a reasonable way to market production over-runs and discontinued models. Such sites are visited daily by millions of people looking for bargains and special offers. This is an opportunity for the company to solve the products that are no longer in the current collection. Moreover, Outlets seems to be at big interest for the clients. Mussette should follow the example of other important brands, not just from the shoe industry, and start distributing to these kind of commercial places. Even though the cost of transportation and selling would increase, the income from these stores would cover them. In addition, the crisis brought a competitive advantage to the company since the ones who bought luxury products migrated massively towards Musette. The arrogance of having a product labelled with an international brand disappeared. Threats are also part of the company¶s life. There are determined by external factors, beyond the organization¶s control, which could place the company mission at risk. The organization may defend itself by having plans to address to the problems that appear. They need to be countered, minimized and managed. Change of the legislation can have an impact on the Mussette company. Changing the VAT again, meaning making it higher, would definitely decrease the sales of the company. The first raise of the VAT brought a decrease in the volume of sales and a second raise would produce important economic damages. Speaking about other countries where Mussette has shops, any change of the legislation regarding imports represents a threat. Every economy wants to protect its own producers and importers encounter more difficulties than the local ones. Since every country wants to recover after the global economic decrease, Mussette has to pay attention to every aspect of exporting the products and producing them abroad. Adding to this, exchange rates play an important role in the company when it refers to threats. In the last time, euro seemed to be the most powerful, but dollar has also increased. The 7
production cost is evaluated in Ron and the threat is represented by the fluctuations in the exchange rates that can affect seriously the company. Being in the fashion industry, seasonality is the main characteristic of it. Therefore, the market demand is changing constantly from season to season and choosing the good designers is an important task for the company. So, the threat is represented by the changing industry, which is not very clear defined as other industries which does not depend on art and weather changes. Moreover, expanding it to other countries, such as United States or Western Europe, it will find the market very competitive. Consumer interest in alternative brands is taking away the Mussette¶s market share. Consumers are constantly shopping for better deals. Currently, the prices of Mussette are higher than other competitors, such as Leonardo. However, if the quality is taken into account for the prices, the reason is obvious. But the threat is still present if the buyers choose the cheaper products no matter the quality and the design. Needles to say, the substitutes represent a threat for the company, having the advantage of lower costs but poorer quality. Also the competition is high. New brands appear that offer shoes and accessories, no matter if they are not just a shoe manufacturer. Therefore they have the advantage of presenting the shoe with clothes, without have the need to associate their image with other companies. Also, the number of shoe manufacturers is constantly growing and remaining in the first line of this industry is a huge challenge. Shoes are still subject to high tariffs in international trade. However, shoes manufactured abroad at greatly reduced costs can absorb taxes and have a higher price. Therefore, the cost of Mussette¶s accessories should be decreased in some manner. Moreover, local retailers may have superior access to channels of distribution. This process of analyzing the company¶s activity provides insights to the organization¶s internal and external positioning, examining internal and external elements that must be factored into future decision making. It prohibits the organization from becoming too insular and functioning without proper feedback. Taking into account all of the above, the objectives that have to be followed by this company seem obvious. They should continue the expansion outside the borders of the country, thus entering on more and more markets. In addition, they should not neglect the internal market since it is an important source of revenue and it must evolve as well. Another objective should be the maintenance of the brand image by not making compromises, such as manufacturing products of lower quality.
4.
Segmentation, targeting, positioning
Market segmentation is the identification of portions of the market that are different from one another. Segmentation allows the firm to better satisfy the needs of its potential customers. Musette uses this concept in order to understand and satisfy the needs of the customers better than the competition. 8
Musette¶s core consumer is a woman who appreciates quality and comfort but also desires pieces that are distinct and rare Consumer markets can be segmented on the various customer characteristics. One of these is geographic segmentation, according to which The company tends to follow clients from Europe, North America or Eastern Asia (Israel), areas where people usually have a higher income and interest in fashion. Also, Musette focuses on urban zones, with a high density of people open to new things, such as New York, Luxembourg. Psychographic segmentation groups customers according to their lifestyle. Women who buy from Mussette are characterized as strong and independent women who have a big interest in fashion and find it as a way of expressing themselves. They have a job which provides them a higher income than the usual one and allows them to purchase goods of fine quality. Nevertheless, behavioralistic segmentation is based on actual customer behavior toward products. Loyalty is one of the features of this segment of interest. Therefore, the society is enhancing this type of behavior and Mussette has take advantage of the clientele who buys usually from it, which is numerous, and on the one that purchases for special occasions, such as weddings, parties or other celebrations. On the other hand, targeting recognizes the diversity of customers and does not try to please all of them with the same offering. So, Musette focuses very much on the American market, where people usually spend more on fashion and they are more open to new comers than the European market, which usually prefers companies with experience and an already-built brand. The company opened its first store oversees in the fashion-forward neighborhood Soho, with inventive pursers, bags and leather accessories. New York people represent the target of the company, who are world renowned by their originality and interest in fashion. Moreover, Musette has different marketing strategies to target trendy casual price shopper, who is interested more in flats or boots without heels and does not spend too much on fashion but on quality and comfort. Also, there is the mainstream shopper, who prefers high heels and spends more than 80 euros for a pair of shoes. After the organization has selected its target market, the next stage is to decide how it wants to position itself within that chosen segment. Positioning refers to µhow organizations want their consumers to see their product¶. If you don't define your product or service, a competitor will do it for you. Your position in the market place evolves from the defining characteristics of your product. Musette develops a strategy which positions the company away from their competitors. The prices of Musette are above the usual market price, because the quality and design distinguish the products among the competitors and the price expresses the care that the entrepreneurs take for their clients. But the price of goods do not enter the haute-couture area. The products of the company are high heel shoes, flats and bags. The prices for high heel shoes rank between 300 Ron and 500 Ron, but for the sales 9
period, the solds are considerably advantageous for the customers ± between 50% and 70 %. Secondly, flats represent the an important part from everyday life of each woman. Prices are between 250 Ron and 350 Ron. Last, bags are the product that represent the company mostly. prices rank between 175 Ron and 800 Ron. Quality is a principle of the firm. The raw materials the company is using is imported from Italy, because of the quality of the leather Musette shoes incorporates, and the latest technology - including sachetto and laser embroidery - to create unique, comfortable and durable styles. There is even a complete line devoted exclusively to the consumer that is looking for comfort. Moreover, clients have a guarantee policy, which allows them to return to product in term of 10 working days, along with the receipt from the cash register. Also, the company commits to pay back the mistake by offering another product in exchange or discounts for future products. Services regarding the products are offered by the company, some of them costless or at the price of the specific good. For customizing a belt, there are no fees included or a client can ask for a specific type of model from a previous collection and it will be manufactured. Nevertheless, the US store will also have exclusive collections just for the SoHo store, such as a python heel available in 2 different styles, as well as limited edition pairs with different leather, colors and animal skins. Adding to this, each year, Musette produces two unique collections, Spring ± Summer / Fall ± Winter. Every collection offers consumers more than 100 shoe styles and 50 bag and accessory styles. Due to their wide selection, every two weeks the NY store will bring in 20 new styles, offering consumers a constant selection of new and exciting pieces. Also, every bag is offered with a protection sac, for maintain the aspect of the item as long as possible, protecting from sunlight or dust. Speaking about distribution, customers can easily have access to the company¶s products since every store of Musette is situated in the center of an important city or in a very visited shopping center of the country. In North America, New York, NY- Fashion and New York City go hand in hand. Located in the heart of New York¶s most fashion-forward neighborhood, Musette satisfies the need of unique and quality goods. Moreover, packaging makes a strong statement. Every product is delivered in a stylish white bag, depending on the size of the bought item. The message the company wants to send is that simplicity means refinement and luxury and the name of the company written simply in black on the white bag is a statement for the self confidence of the company and fine quality. So, positioning is a competitive strategy, which highlights the uniqueness and special attention paid to leather. The firm¶s strongest strengths are desgn, quality and comfort, which build the equity of the brand.
5.
Marketing Mix
The marketing mix is probably the most famous marketing term. Its elements are the basic, tactical components of a marketing plan. Also known as theFour P's, the marketing mix elements are price, place, product, and promotion. 10
Pricing strategies is very important to a company refers to the methods by which a business calculates how much it will charge for a product or service. There are many pricing strategies that have to be taken into consideration when deciding a product¶s price. Cristina Batlan, the creator of Musette has chosen two pricing strategies: premium and geographical pricing. Premium pricing basically means using a high price where there is a uniqueness about the product or service. Since Mussete operates in the fashion industry which is very dynamic and there are even some products that are created in limited editions only for the Romanian stores or only for the U.S. stores, this company also falls into this category, as well as most companies of its type. Geographical pricing is evident where there are variations in price in different parts of the world. For example, prices are slightly higher in America, even if the U.S. taxes are lower than our VAT. The price is established by Musette¶s local partners reported to the market, the store¶s position and purchasing power of Americans, which is far larger than the Romanians. In addition, Musette has also adopted a promotional price strategy. Twice a year, the company offers significant discounts. Another element of Neil H.Borden's Marketing Mix is Place. Place is also known as channel, distribution, or intermediary. It is the mechanism through which goods and/or services are moved from the manufacturer/ service provider to the user or consumer. The Musette Exim SRL has opted for a direct marketing strategy, i.e. they produce the products themselves, in their own factories and then they sell them in their own shops. However, in the U.S., the Internet is also used as a Channel Intermediary. The customers can therefore go online, on Musette¶s Web page and buy the products they desire. This technology is not yet available in other countries, although the owner has confessed this is one of the company¶s future goals, because of the shift in commerce and consumption which benefits distribution via the Internet. Concerning the third element of the Marketing Mix, Product, we have to take into consideration the Three Levels of a Product, the Customer Life Cycle and the Product Life Cycle. The three levels of a product, as they can be depicted in the picture are: Core Product, Actual Product and Augmented Product. The Core product is the benefit of the product that makes it valuable to you. For example, if you buy a car, the core product is the convenience or speed. When it comes to fashion however, things are not so clear. Ask any man about the benefit of a shoe or a bag and he will definitely tell you there is none. Ask a girl and you will get your answer: the core products or benefits of Musette are fashion sense, beauty and quality. The owner of Musette handpicks the materials for everything herself. She also tries every product first. If a show has a defect, does not fit perfectly the shape of her leg, that shoe will not go into production. When she created the flats, she gave the first products to her employees to test them for six months and then report what bothered them. That is why when buying from Musette, you are 11
confident that every penny you spent is worth it. The actual product is the tangible, physical product, in this case a pair of shoes or a bag. The augmented product is the non-physical part of the product, for example the warranty or the possibility of returning the product if you are not pleased with it. A product life cycle comprises of five stages: introduction, growth, maturity, decline, withdrawal. Generally speaking, the Musette products¶ life cycle is a season, because new products are introduced seasonally. Also, new catalogues and advertisement are created when a new collection is introduced in order to increase customer awareness. However, one cannot really say that when a season end is close, the product enters the decline stage. Because of the promotions, maybe more persons will buy the product than they have in the maturity stage. Needless to say, the customer life cycle is related to the product life cycle. Essentially, the customer life cycle is a summary of the key stages in a customer's relationship with an organisation. Musette appeals to women who appreciate quality and comfort but also desires pieces that are distinct and rare. Another one of the 4P's is Promotion . This includes all of the tools available to the marketer for 'marketing communication'. If we look to the promotion mix from Musette¶s point of view, we can easily notice that Sales Promotions, Advertising and Public Relations are the most used tools. Musette has discounts twice a year and by through its advertising campaigns, it strives to create a long term relationship with the customer. Exhibitons have also been adopted recently by the company, since it currently operating a showroom in Dusseldorf, Germany. To sum up, the marketing mix is a crucial element a company has to pay attention continuously to, since an appropriate marketing mix helps the organisation in ways that both targeted consumer groups are reached, as well as organizational objectives are reached.
6. Conclusion In Romania, there are only a few companies which have managed to survive in the long term and Musette is by far the most successful. It has been developing continuously, conquering not only the Romanian market, but also other foreign ones, such as the American, which is known as a difficult and saturated market. Since the products addresses to many types of consumers, the company¶s offers range from everyday flats to luxury high heeled shoes, Musette succeeded to overcome its local competitors, like Leonardo, adapting very easily to the demand. Also, its flexibility was proved on recession time, when constraints were present in every area. But the company saw the solution in gaining new markets. So, the process of franchising started and it was a success, since the company is planning to open new stores in Russia and England, beside those from Israel, Luxembourg and Hungary.
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