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BRAND STRATEGY FOR A PREMIUM FRENCH
BRAND: SÉZANE
By:
Abhinav Jain
Ankan Chittalipi
Claire Di Cristofaro
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Sézane, the first French brand to completely operate online, was founded eight years ago by
Parisian Morgane Sézalory. This brand is known for its French casual chic collection,
specializing in bags and shoes at affordable prices but superior quality.
The primary aim of this report is to strategize on how Sézane can enter the luxury market in
France at an attainable pricing. In order to proceed on these lines, both primary and secondary
research was carried out to assess the French Consumer buying behavior in Luxury goods. The
survey analysis bore key results which were vital in this study to strategize the appropriate
actions so as to attain the primary objective. A situational analysis was also conducted including
an evaluation of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the brand. A proposal to
reach the goal is introduced which includes the strategies with the plan of actions under it and a
financial forecast for the future.
In addition to the factors that differentiate Sézane from other premium French brands, this label
could diversify itself whilst keeping its core identity intact so as to gain a lucrative advantage by
tapping into the luxury market as it holds the potential to be eccentric in its own conventional
way.
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CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2
PART 1
1.1 SITUATION ANALYSIS 5
1.2 SURVEY ANALYSIS 12
1.3 OBJECTIVE 26
1.4 MIND MAPS 26
PART 2
2.1 RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES 29
& ACTIONS
2.2 TIMELINE OF ACTIONS 38
2.3 BUDGET 39
CONCLUSION 43
REFERENCES 44
APPENDIX
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1.1 SITUATION ANALYSIS
Company Profile
Sézane is the first French brand to completely function online
with no intermediaries and reaches its customers straight from
the workshops. Sézane offers chic French luxe clothing which
is defined by its superior irreproachable quality. The team,
obsessed with the most perfect cut and the magnificent fabric
for each product offered results in an unparalleled service and
happy customers!
Sézane.com
Their objective at Sézane is to offer their clients with the finest
creative collections that defines French Casual Chic at a fair price. Sézane achieved this by
deciding to grow its business solely online, the first French label to do so.
When one orders a Sézane piece, they are in effect, with one simple click, ordering unique
designs directly from their finest workshops to their home. No shop, no intermediary!
(sezane.com)
The format for Sézane is simple but effective: there is a permanent collection which runs through
the seasons, then every month sees the release of a limited-edition capsule collection that when
stock is sold out, it’s really gone – and so you won’t see a dozen other women wearing the same
shoes as you on a Saturday night.
Morgane Sezalory
The founder of this unique concept of an e-store, Morgane Sezalory, has her values and
experience to back this idea that struck her in the year of 2008.
This is what she has to say, “I have been an inveterate bargain hunter
since I was 14. After years of assembling and selling my finds through
various outlets, I finally created the website Les Composantes in 2008
to present my vintage selections by appointment each month.Many of
you entered my adventure and your belief in me encouraged me to
develop my own designs: attractive and affordable items created for
real life – plausible fashion alternatives.In 2013, supported by a
wonderful (little) team, I decided to concentrate on design.And so
SÉZANE was born, of the contraction of my surname and first name.”
(sezane.com)
Her background in selling vintage wares on eBay before knocking up her own designs and
launching her own website, mirrors that of NastyGal founder Sophia Amoruso in the US.
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Sézalory says, “Eventually I started creating my own designs and they were motivated by the
desire to create clothes for everyday – for real life, but always with a little twist, be it a beautiful
detail, something that makes the product irresistible but that at the same time, is easy to wear."
The Team
The team focuses its energy on finding the perfect cut for each piece. To breathe life into them,
they go in search of the best expertise wherever it may be, embracing every continent with joy so
long as the human conditions and quality meet our requirements.
The Sézane team fulfills around 10,000-20,000 orders a month and has
fast become known for its covetable yet high quality shoes and
handbags. From 100 to 150 pieces, priced at €60 to €380, were
unveiled monthly through an exclusive online rendezvous. Clients
would receive an email indicating the date and time of the collection’s
introduction and, inevitably, the latest offerings would quickly sell out.
Today, there are 300,000 customers, with the number of monthly
orders ranging from 10,000 to 20,000.
Without the costs of an intermediary, a retail space, plentiful stock or print
advertising, Ms. Sézalory and her business partner,
Corentin Petit-Pruvost, are able to sell their
signature Django pumps — comfortable, wear-with-
everything midheight heels — for 180 euros. They
say that is four times less than what they would have
to charge if they maintained traditional offline sale
points. Some of her best selling pieces are ankle
boots, which start from £130, are a huge seller, and
it’s not hard to see the appeal of the Claude leather messenger bag (£145).
The Apartment
To add to the quirky concept of an only online retail operation, Sézane opened an ‘apartment’ in
central Paris at 1 Rue Saint Fiacre, 75002, Paris – a hangout space as opposed to a formal
boutique, where customers can try on clothes and have them shipped within 48 hours.
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The apartment is not situated on a premium street, but, does however have few stores in the
vicinity with the DNA of “French Fashion”, like L’Exception and G. Kero to name a couple. The
Sezane Apartment is filled with mid-century and Hollywood Regency–inspired touches which
makes the shopper feel they are at a lounge area, and they can check out and try on pieces from
the brand’s current collections, then place an order online at the apartment itself. (DASH, 2015)
Online Presence
Sézane is very active online with
Over 245,000 people liking their Facebook page
Over 7000 followers on Twitter
Over 124,000 followers on Instagram
They post on a daily basis on Instagram by introducing new items that are made available to their
customers, styling tips using their products and details of few chosen items. On Facebook and
Twitter, they post on a weekly basis with almost the same information as that on Instagram.
Also, the Sézane team is very proactive with their responses. Any query posted on their
Facebook, Instagram or Twitter page is replied to within few hours. In addition to this, if any
customer wants to know more about the brand, the production process and anything that is
related to Sézane, can mail them personally, to which they reply within one day at the most,
which is an incredible way to build customer relationships.
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Competitors
The brand presents competition to other high end French brands on the basis of their price factor,
keeping the quality either superior or at par. The low pricing is due to zero intermediaries, and by
achieving a strong supply chain, resulting in optimal operating process. To name a few brands
that Sézane has competition from are Belair, Deux Two and Simone & Louis. However, on the
basis of their e-shop format, Sézane has competition from net-a-porter and asos. And on the basis
of the new market that the brand might enter,they would face competition from luxury brands
like Chloe, Stella Mc Cartney and Joseph.
Sézane Facebook Page Sézane Instagram Page
Sézane Twitter Page
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Competitor Analysis Matrix on the basis of Price and Social Media Visibility
Chloe has the maximum visibility and high price (set according to Luxury Brand Pricing)
(net-a-porter.com)
Then comes Stella Mc Cartney with higher price and more visibility on Social media
than Sézane (net-a-porter.com)
Joseph, on the other hand, has lower visibility than Sézane, but is set at a higher price
range (net-a-porter.com)
BelAir, a premium range French brand, has a little higher pricing than Sézane, but has
lower social media visibility (belair-paris.fr)
Deux Two, another premium range French brand, has the same pricing as Sézane, but
much lower social media visibility as compared to Sézane (2two.fr)
Simone & Loiuse, yet another French brand has the lowest price range of the lot and the
least social media visibility (simone-et-louise.com)
Low Social Media
Visibility
High PriceLow Price
High Social Media
Visibility
Chloe
Stella Mc Cartney
Joseph
Sézane
Simone & Louise
Deux Two
BelAir
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Internet utilisation in France
On 66 millions of people, 83% are internet users
42% are Facebook subscribers = 28 millions members
French people use internet on computers approximately 4hours07/day
French people use internet on mobile approximately 58 minutes/day
68% of french people are social media subscribers and spend 1hour29 on social media
Top 10 most visited website in France
1. 40,5Million : Google
2. 30,0M : Facebook
3. 25,8M : YouTube
4. 24,6M : Microsoft
5. 24,3M : MSN / Windows Live
6. 20,3M : Orange
7. 19,2M : Wikipédia
8. 17,0M : Leboncoin
9. 16,1M : Skype
10. 15,8M : Pages Jaunes
Top 5 of mobile website most visited in France
Google
Facebook
YouTube
Orange
Wikipédia
Top Active Social Platform In
France : Facebook with 29.5%
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Brand prism
Brand: Sézane
Personality: ‘Originality’,
‘Reminiscent’
Culture: Paris, Exhibitions,
Galleries, ‘Rue Saint Honore’,
‘Place Vendome’, ‘Place des
vosges’
Self Concept:
‘Ambitious’,’Busy’,
‘Conventional’
Consumer: 22+ (Age),
‘Inclination towards Parisian
Style’, ‘Eccentric and Classic’
Reflection: ‘Casual
elegance’, ‘Energetic’,
‘Refined’
Relationship Mode: ‘Social’,
‘Immediate’
Physique: ‘Claude Leather
Messenger Bag’,‘Django
Pumps’, ’The Apartment’
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1.2 SURVEY ANALYSIS
A survey was carried out to assess the consumer behavior of French customers for luxury goods
and how well is Sezane recognized by these people. It was done for 50 randomly selected French
customers, based in Paris who were asked to fill out the questionnaire (See Appendix). The
results and analysis of the survey is as follows.
Q1 To what age do you belong?
The maximum proportion of respondents belonged to the age group of 31-45 years.
Q2 What is your Occupation?
Mostly the respondents were employees with 46% of the share.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Less Than 21 21-30 31-45 45 and above
Employee
46%
Executive
Manager
6%
Trainee
18%
Student
20%
Self Employed
4%
Others
6% Sales
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Q3 How often do you buy Luxury Goods?
Maximum proportion of the respondents, i.e 34%, buys luxury goods twice a year, assuming it is
offline (i.e from a brick-and mortar store).
Q4 What do you buy most often?
Mostly the respondents bought accessories, bags and shoes as part of their luxury buying. Also,
to be noted, ‘others’ was part of the open ended option of the question where the respondents
filled it to be ‘perfumes’.
2
7
12
17
12
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Once a Week Once in 15 Days Once in a
Month
Once in 6
Months
Once a Year
8
12
13
13
4
Clothes
Shoes
Bags
Accessories
Others
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Q6 Would you like to try a luxury product at least once before making the purchase?
Making a trial before purchasing a Luxury Product seemed really important to 86% of the
respondents, which is quite a high number.
Q7Do you buy luxury goods on the Internet?
Nearly half of the total sample respondents, with 56% bought luxury goods online, with the
other half believing that buying such products online was not a good idea.
Yes
86%
No
14%
Yes
56%
No
44%
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Q8 How often do you buy Luxury Goods Online?
Surprisingly, 34% of the respondents bought luxury goods online twice a year, whereas 32%
bought luxury goods online once every month and 30% of the respondents bought luxury goods
online once a year only. The maximum share of respondents who bought luxury goods online
twice a year belonged to bags.
Q9 What type of luxury item do you buy online?
34% of the respondents bought bags from Luxury Brands online, with the second leading
category being that of perfumes, both of which don’t require trial-before-purchase.
0
2
16
17
15
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Once a Week Once in 15
Days
Once in a
Month
Once in 6
Months
Once a Year
2
11
17
7
13
Clothes
Shoes
Bags
Accessories
Others
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Q10 What style of luxury products do you buy online?
54% of the respondents bought ‘chic’ and ‘extravagant’ luxury products that look luxurious to
them and have some kind of a ‘luxurious flair’ to them, instead of something that looks casual,
even after being from a luxury brand.
Q11 What do you look for on the internet?
Like consumers in general, luxury products customers (i.e. 48% of the respondents) also look for
‘special offers’ on the internet while making a purchase immaterial of the fact that they are
buying a luxury product.
13
14
11
8
4
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Extravagent Chic Casual Basic Others
4
7
24
12
3
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Exclusives (Only
Online)
Limited
Editions
Special Offers Products that
are available in
Stores
Others
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Evaluate the following criteria for purchase on the Internet:
Q12 Product quality
Almost 62% of the respondents believe product quality is most important to them while making
a purchase on the internet.
Q13 Price
Even while purchasing for luxury products online, consumers are price conscious as 50% of the
respondents believe price is important while making their purchase online.
15
16
10
6
3
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Extremely
Important
Important Neutral Not Important Not at all
Important
12
13
11
7 7
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Extremely
Important
Important Neutral Not Important Not at all
Important
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Q14 Possibility of Exchange or Refund
Exchange and return policy is quite an important factor for 60% of the respondents who shopped
for luxury products online.
Q15 After Sales Service
Surprisingly, 38% of the respondents have a neutral opinion towards after sales service.
However, it should be noted that most of the respondents out of 38% purchase only luxury bags
online, which does not really require an after sales service as compared to products such as
12
18
6
8
6
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Extremely
Important
Important Neutral Not Important Not at all
Important
9
10
19
6 6
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Extremely
Important
Important Neutral Not Important Not at all
Important
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clothes or shoes which might sometimes result in a negative post-purchase behavior due to many
reasons.
Q16 Product Diversity Offered
60% of the respondents believe good product diversity is an important factor in their luxury
products buying decision online.
Q17 Customer Service
50% of the respondents have an opinion that ‘Customer Service’ is highly important to them
while making a purchase decision online for luxury products because they would be paying a
comparatively high price as compared to other brands.
15 15
11
9
0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Extremely
Important
Important Neutral Not Important Not at all
Important
13
12
10
9
6
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Extremely
Important
Important Neutral Not Important Not at all
Important
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Q18 Do you know the brand ‘Sézane’?
70% of the respondents knew about the brands ‘Sezane’, which shows that the brand is quite
visible in the market among the consumers.
Q19 ‘Sézane’ is a Fashion Brand that sells women’s wear and accessories only online, but
there is a Sezane apartment where you can go and try the products before buying. Do you
like the concept of an apartment ?
78% of the customers were in favor of the idea of ‘The Apartment’.
Yes
70%
No
30%
Yes
78%
No
22%
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Null Hypothesis: There is no significant difference in the online buying preference of Sezane to
other Luxury brands
Alternate Hypothesis: There is significant difference in the online buying preference of Sezane
to other Luxury brands
With α=0.05 and z=±1.96,
The z value DOES NOT lie between ±1.96 thus we reject the null hypothesis.
Hence,
Consumers prefer Sezane over other luxury brands as far as online shopping experience goes into
consideration on the basis of the above statistics analysis.
-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
Curve
Male: Success 22
Total 50
Female: Success 39
Total 50
p1-hat 0.44
p2-hat 0.78
p bar 0.61
q bar 0.39
z -3.4853926
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Further analysis results in the following:
1.
Offline Online
Once a year 24% 30%
Twice a year 34% 34%
Once a month 24% 32%
Once in 15 days 14% 4%
2. While making a purchase online for Luxury products, consumers preferred buying
‘products that don’t require trial-before-purchase’ more frequently than those which
require trial.
Offline Online
Clothes 16% 4%
Shoes 24% 22%
Bags 26% 34%
Accessories 26% 14%
Others (included
perfumes)
8% 26%
Clothes, shoes and accessories seem to be the categories which could be ‘opportunities’ for being
bought online by consumers.
3. Most of the respondents preferred to buy ‘chic’ and ‘extravagant’ products instead of
something that looks casual or basic
4. 48% of the respondents look for ‘special offers’ on the internet while making a purchase
5. Almost 62% of the respondents believe product quality is most important to them while
making a purchase on the internet
6. Even while purchasing for luxury products online, consumers are price conscious as 50%
of the respondents believe price is important while making their purchase online.
7. Exchange and return policy is quite an important factor for 60% of the respondents who
shopped for luxury products online
8. 60% of the respondents believe good product diversity is an important factor in their
luxury products buying decision online.
This share
belongs to bags
This share belongs
to shoes
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9. 50% of the respondents have an opinion that ‘Customer Service’ is highly important to
them while making a purchase decision online for luxury products because they would be
paying a comparatively high price as compared to other brands.
10. 70% of the respondents knew about the brands ‘Sezane’, which shows that the brand is
quite visible in the market among the consumers.
11. 78% of the customers were in favor of the idea of ‘The Apartment’.
SWOT ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
Concept of Apartment
Customers are well aware of Sezane
Exclusive (limited) capsule collection every month
Strong Presence on Social Media
Facebook Likes – 248899
Instagram Followers – 111000
Pintrest – 172000
Twitter – 7407 followers
Specialized production: Leather goods from Italy, Spain and Portugal; embellished
merchandise from India
WEAKNESSES
Fragmented Market: Untapped Customers
No free Shipping
Not Trend Inspired
Only one apartment
OPPORTUNITIES
Can turn into a Luxury Brand due to refined style and quality Fabrics
Customers open to buy luxury bags and shoes (in majority) online
Frequency of buying luxury goods online has increased
Trial of luxury items at least once before buying
THREATS
Many stores have e-commerce site PLUS a brick and mortar store, example Burberry
Asos and Net-a-porter: competitor having many different brands under it
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Strength
Concept of Apartment
Customers are well aware of
Sezane
Exclusive (limited) capsule
collection every month
Strong Presence on Social
Media
High quality of products
Affordable pricing
Weakness
No free Shipping
No product diversity: Limited
and small collection
Only ‘casual’ collection
Only 1 apartment in Paris
‘Classic’ and ‘Traditional’
styles; not trend inspired
Opportunity
Frequency of buying luxury
goods online has increased
Most consumers are price
conscious
Exchange and return policies
should be convenient for most
consumers, according to the
survey
Customers look for ‘special
offers’ online
Shoes from luxury brands are
preferred offline
Youtube and Facebook are
the top most visited social
network sites in France
Strength Opportunity
Trial of luxury items at least
once before buying
Customers open to buy luxury
bags and shoes (in majority)
online
Can turn into a Luxury Brand
due to refined style, quality
fabrics and affordable pricing
Price conscious consumers
can be targeted for luxury line
of Sezane
The ‘limited edition’
collection would give
exclusivity to customers of
Sezane
Youtube could be utilized and
Facebook page could be
enhanced to improve the
already existing visibility on
Social Media
Opportunity Weakness
Exchange and return policies
could be modified for
consumers
Threat
Many stores have e-
commerce site PLUS a brick
and mortar store, example
Burberry
Asos and Net-a-porter:
competitor having many
different brands under it
Most of the respondents
preferred to buy ‘chic’ and
‘extravagant’ products instead
of something that looks casual
or basic
Consumers preferred buying
‘products that don’t require
trial-before-purchase’ more
frequently than those which
require trial
Threat Strength
‘The Apartment’ could act as
the brick-and-mortar
equivalent to Sezane
Sezane will have to build its
brand identity of being the
Ultimate French chic and
classic brand that would drive
customers, like Chloe does
The trial-before-purchase
facility could be enabled in
such a manner that Sezane
drives its sales from shoes
also, which constitute the
maximum % amongst the rest
of the categories of luxury
products bought offline
Weakness Threat
Stores having a diverse
collection/different brands
under it may pose competition
to Sezane, eg. ASOS & Net-
a-porter
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PESTEL ANALYSIS
Political:
Establishing of Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA)
Political Issues for cheap labor in Asia
Good International relations for trade
Existing commerce infrastructure
Being part of EU, allowing to make easy trade with same currency within the Europe
Economic:
Exchange rates: USA, EU, Asia
Global economy: out of recession
Inflation rate: low
Interest rate: low
large presence of workforce: more people-lower wage, less people- reduced
production
Social:
Workforce age: increase in workforce population (baby boom echo)
Market age: baby boomers are affluent trends: fashion and innovation
Technological:
High percentage of R&D expenditure in France
Good presence of online marketing service
Presence of social media
Environmental:
Energy waste: effects on distribution costs
Carbon footprint: huge amount of CO2 in Leather Goods
Quality of Water
Reserve the natural resources
Legal:
Embargos: can lead for loss market
Labor low: inflexible but secure
Truth in advertising: EU bans misleading ads
Counterfeiting: reduces prestige
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1.2 OBJECTIVES
1. To position Sézane as an attainable luxury French fashion brand
2. To build a new customer base for Sézane that would cater to the new positioning of the brand
1.3 MIND MAPS
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1.1 STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS
The strategies formulated to achieve the objectives are as follows:
1. Product Diversification Strategy
This strategy includes creating a new product line for Sézane which would be ‘attainable’
(on the basis of price points) and at the same time ‘luxury’ (on the basis of quality and service)
2. Communication Strategy
After creating the new line, the next logical step would be to communicate this to our
target consumers. Hence, this strategy involves actions that would be related to advertising,
public relations and marketing.
3. Acquiring and Retention Strategy
The secret behind a brand being luxury is giving their customers something more and
better than what they would expect, resulting in acquiring customers by satisfying them. This
would be achieved by improving online service of the brand and making it all the more
convenient for our consumers, as convenience is the key to customer retention.
To elucidate on the actions under each strategy,
1. Product Diversification Strategy
Introducing a new ‘Attainable Luxury’ line
The existing line at Sézane consists of high quality, hence the pricing is similar to those
of other high street brands, but not luxury.
i) Dresses range from €115 to €130
ii) Shirts and blouses range from €80 to €100
iii) Basic T-shirts are around €50
iv) Jackets and coats range from €160 to €390, depending on the material of the
jackets and coats
v) Jeans at €95
vi) Skirts from €65 to €135
vii) Trousers from €95 to €110
viii) Jumpsuits from €110 to €180
ix) Shorts from €90 to €135
x) Bags ranging from €195 to €310, excluding clutches, which have an average
pricing of €95
xi) Heeled shoes range from €145 to €190 and moccasins are around €150
Under this strategy, the brand will create a new line, with pricing maintained between
those of its competitors that are identified: Joseph and Chloe. However, the quality of the
products would be enhanced by using fabrics/materials and getting the products manufactured
from the country that is specialized in manufacturing such products.
30. 30 | P a g e
For example, silk blouses would be attained from India which would increase the price of the
blouse to a considerable amount, but would ensure authenticity and preservation of the Indian
craftsmanship.
Also, it won’t be difficult to establish logistics in different countries and regions because Sézane
has been utilizing artisans from other countries for its high street line also, but not to the extent
of getting the entire product manufactured there. So, with an already established logistics and
supply chain and recognition of trademark regions for each type of product, the creation of
attainable luxury line would only require the DNA of the brand to be restored in each product, i.e
French Classic Chic Style, hence, the design will reflect French fashion, but the elements of each
product could be global.
Given below are few prototypes of the new line designed.
The Python Claude Bag is the luxury version of the simple
Claude Bag worth €145. It is made of pure snakeskin leather and
imported from the South-East Asia.
The Galusha Shoes is the luxury version of their simple pumps in
different materials and prints worth €180. The Galusha is also a form of
pure leather obtained from Asia and is one of the most expensive forms
of leather available in shoe making.
The Cashmere Dress would be one of the highlights of the new ‘attainable
luxury’ line, specially designed for A/W ’16. With its finest wool coming
from China, it would be at the high end of the price range. The color would
be kept matching to Sézane’s color palette of pastel shades.
Python Claude Bag
Galusha Pumps
Cashmere Dress
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Silk blouses with the trademark of 100% silk would be available in
basic, printed and different fits and colors. It would be obtained specifically
from India.These would enhance the feminity, whilst giving a casual and chic
Parisian flair.
100% Crepe made pants are quite expensive, but look extremely elegant. The fit will
be kept same as the trousers that the brand already has. Only the fabric would be
different for the luxury line.
Putting the new ‘line’ online for sale
The Sézane website would include the new ‘attainable luxury’ line as well, with more refined
layout that would reflect ‘Luxury’.
The new layout
Silk Blouses
Crepe Pants
32. 32 | P a g e
The old layout
2. Communication Strategy
Personal Communication
After analyzing Sézane’s social media platforms, it was found that Sézane lacks a
few points here and there as far as marketing of the brand goes. Consumers relate more to
the brand if they know about the brand and the face behind it. This would give them an
insight to the history of the brand.
This could be achieved by uploading Morgane Sezalory’s Travel Video Diary
online, as she is a frequent traveler and loves to explore new places. Another approach to
this action could be interviewing the craftsmen (or the Sézane team), so that the
customers know the art behind their purchase. These videos could be uploaded on Sézane
Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter page to generate awareness,
Given below are few snapshots of the video that could be uploaded on the social
media platform.
33. 33 | P a g e
Celebrities wearing Sézane
Sézane has a very particular style and the celebrities wearing Sézane should
identify themselves with it. The celebrities that would be approached for this should be
French and should have a very easy-going conventional Parisian casual street style. Two
celebrities who have been identified are Lilly-Rose Depp and Clemence Poesy. Both of
them are young and are looked upon by a large number of young people as French casual
elegant celebrities. Here are few pictures that justify these celebrities’ style being in-sync
with that of Sézane.
Create YouTube page
Sézane does not have a YouTube page yet, which is necessary for a brand to
improve its search engine optimization by having a number of links directing to different
pages of Sézane on various social media platforms. Also, once on YouTube, Sézane
would be accessible to over a billion users who spend hundreds of millions of hours on
YouTube. Given below is a preview of the YouTube page that the brand could have.
34. 34 | P a g e
Organize Fashion Shows
Another way to attract the relevant target customers is by informing the fashion
connoisseurs about the brand that Sézane is and how they are going to introduce a new
‘Attainable Luxury’ line. This could be done by organizing fashion shows where they
could showcase their collection for each season.
The Sézane Fashion Show would have a different USP altogether, the backdrop
will always be that of an ‘attic’ or ‘backyard’ as it shouts vintage, classic, old-school and
everything that has been an inspiration to Morgane Sezalory for developing this brand.
She used to resell her sister’s clothes in backyard sales, hence, such a backdrop will tell
the story of the history of the brand that Sézane is.
The invitation would be limited, but to generate curiosity, a lot of advertising
could be done for the fashion show. The invitees would include art connoisseurs (not
restricted to fashion only), fashion magazine editors, celebrities (friends & families) and
fashion bloggers.
Given below is a preview of the stage that could be set up for the first fashion
show for preview of Autumn Winter 2016 collection.
Advertisements
Through the SWOT it was observed that Sézane lacks
in marketing itself through advertisements. Hence, a couple
of advertising could be done in places where it could be
brought to notice, for example, outside metro stations and of
course, on social media. The poster shown here could be put
up.
35. 35 | P a g e
Commuting via metro is one of the most popular modes of transportation in Paris,
hence, advertising outside metro stations could reach out to a large number of potential
customers. Also, for cities outside Paris, they could be accessed through Sézane’s
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.
The concept behind each advertisement will be the same, creating a unique selling
proposition for Sézane. There will be a couple of Polaroid photos placed on a diary, that
would showcase the brand’s collection as well as the story behind the brand or regarding
the creator of Sézane, Morgane Sezalory. The photos will change in every advertisement,
but, the concept of the Polaroid pictures and the travel diary would remain the same, so
that people start to recognize these advertisements from this design after a while.
3. Acquiring and Retention Strategy
Improve delivery and return service
The current delivery service includes orders being shipped within 2 days to 10
days for delivery in France and can go up to 20 days for international delivery from the
day after the validation of the order. However, it is proposed to modify the delivery
service for the new line of ‘Attainable Luxury’ with the following conditions:
-If order is placed before 16 00, then, at an additional charge of about €15 the item could
be shipped on an urgent basis within France, which would then reach the customer in 4
hours. Under such conditions, the customer is given an opportunity to try the product if
they desire to, and if found unsuitable due to incorrect size or unsuitable to their taste,
then they could return it immediately via the delivery personnel.
-If order is placed after 16 00, then, at an additional charge of about €10 the item could be
shipped within France, which would then reach the customer the next day. Under such
conditions too, the free-trial-and-return service is enabled.
-The free-trial-and-return service is given only to ‘attainable luxury’ line customers.
-The ‘attainable luxury’ line shoppers could also opt for standard delivery of 48 hours
with no extra charge upto €250.
-Return service is free at all times.
-When an item is returned, they could opt for an exchange, cash back or a voucher that
they can redeem later.
36. 36 | P a g e
Mobile application for Sézane
Sézane, being a brand operating completely online has not tapped into the mobile
platform. Their website can be accessed to via mobile phones, but, it is slower and
inconvenient. Hence, developing a mobile app is cheap and has economies of scale
considering the following statistics.
The layout for Sézane mobile application could be as follows. It will reflect the desktop
website: Clean and easy-to-navigate. It could be developed for both iOS and android platforms
and would be available for free on the appstore and playstore for iOS and android respectively.
Homepage of the App Menu
38. 38 | P a g e
2.2 TIMELINE OF ALL ACTIONS
July
‘15
Aug
‘15
Sept
‘15
Oct
‘15
Nov
‘15
Dec
‘15
Jan
’16
Feb
‘16
Mar’1
6
April ‘16 May
‘16
June
‘16
July
‘16
Aug
‘16
Create
new line
DESIGN TESTING & SAMPLING PRODUCTION DELI
VERY
IN STORE
Putting
the line
online for
sale
Personal
Communi
cation
DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION (GOING ONLINE)
Celebritie
s wearing
Sézane
(Luxury
line)
Create
Youtube
Page
DESI
GN
TES
TIN
G
IMPLEMENTATION
Organize
Fashion
Shows
PLANNING IMPL.
Advertise
ments
DESIGN IM PLE MENTATION
Improve
delivery
& return
service
DESI
GN
TESTING IMPLEMENTATION (GOING ONLINE)
Mobile
app
DESIGN TESTING IMPLEMENTATION
Implementation of that specific activity
39. 39 | P a g e
2.3 BUDGET
1. Product Diversification Strategy:
Retail Price
(Euro)
250
VAT 20%
Selling Price
(Euro)
208
Profit (Euro) 148
Cost Price
(Euro)
60
Total
Production
(Units)
2500
Cost of
Production
150000
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
4,500
5,000
Jul-15 Aug-15 Sep-15 Oct-15 Nov-15 Dec-15 Jan-16 Feb-16 Mar-16 Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16
Designing Prototype Testing Sampling
40. 40 | P a g e
2. Communication Strategy:
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
Jul-15 Aug-15 Sep-15 Oct-15 Nov-15 Dec-15 Jan-16 Feb-16 Mar-16 Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16
Research and Development Producation Cost Supply Chain Related Miscelleneous
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
Jul-15 Aug-15 Sep-15 Oct-15 Nov-15 Dec-15 Jan-16 Feb-16 Mar-16 Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16
Personal Communication Fashion Show Youtube Page Web Advertising Direct marketing
41. 41 | P a g e
FASHION SHOW
Budget In Euros
Models 6000
Photographer 3500
Event Location 1000
Sound and Light 3000
Miscellaneous 2000
Total 15500
3. Acquiring and Retention Strategy:
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
Jul-15 Aug-15 Sep-15 Oct-15 Nov-15 Dec-15 Jan-16 Feb-16 Mar-16 Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16
Delivery and Return Service Development of Mobile App Launching Mobile App
43. 43 | P a g e
CONCLUSION
Through the market survey, both primary and secondary, it was found out that Sezane, which
operates 100% online could do well with a new ‘attainable luxury’ line as there is a good
demand for luxury products at attainable price in the market.
The new range will not be different from the existing product lines at Sezane, instead it would
complement it in ways of better quality fabrics that are more exotic and detailed craftsmanship
that enhance the value of each product. With the new consumer looking for ‘worth’ of
everything, this value-for-money would justify the new ‘Attainable Luxury’ line.
Also, with few modifications in terms of delivery and returns, the luxury online shopping service
would generate a lot of revenue for Sezane as the need for trial-before-purchasing has been
coped up with, with the introduction of ‘The Apartment’ and special service for customers of the
‘Attainable Luxury’ line.
So as to generate awareness about the new line, a sequence of actions related to the
communication strategies could be opted for. With Sezane already being quite visible on Social
Media platforms, this could be used as a strength and a lot of marketing and advertising could be
done on this platform, whilst being within budget as with the use of social media, one can reach
out to a lot at an economical rate.
44. 44 | P a g e
REFERENCES
Retrieved 2015 йил November from sezane.com: http://www.sezane.com/en/about/the-
brand
2two.fr
belair-paris.fr
DASH, C. (2015 йил 26-October). Retrieved 2015 йил 18-November from vogue.com:
http://www.vogue.com/13364512/apartment-style-stores-sezane-the-line/
net-a-porter.com
simone-et-louise.com
https://market.epom.com/?ref=3594&cpn=AW_Ad-Networks-by-
Type&kwd=advertising%20websites&gclid=CMCQ_tmFuckCFQnmwgodYJMPMQ
http://www.scenegraphystudio.com/fashion-shows-photographer-price-list
http://media.wix.com/ugd/de0cf8_497a3a0766a74971992f03c82cf78610.pdf
http://appmuse.com/appmusing/how-much-does-it-cost-to-develop-a-mobile-app/
46. 46 | P a g e
Survey on Consumer buying behavior of Luxury Brands in Paris
Q1 À quelle tranche d'âge appartenez-vous ?
Moins de 21 ans
21-30 ans
31-45 ans
Plus de 45 ans
Q2 Quel est votre sexe ?
Homme
Femme
Q3 Quel est votre statut professionnel actuel ?
Employé
Cadre
Stagiaire
Étudiant
Indépendant
Autre (veuillez préciser) ____________________
Q4 À quelle fréquence achetez-vous des produits de luxe?
Une fois par semaine
Une fois tous les quinze jours
47. 47 | P a g e
Une fois par mois
Une fois par an
Q5 Qu'achetez-vous le plus souvent comme produit de luxe?
Vêtements
Chaussures
Sacs
Accessoires
Autre (veuillez préciser)____________________
Q6 Préférez-vous essayer au moins une fois un produit de luxe avant de procéder à
l'achat?
Oui
Non
Q7 Achetez-vous des produits de luxe sur internet?
Oui
Non
Pas encore
Answer If Achetez-vous des produits de luxe sur internet? Oui Is Selected Or
Achetez-vous des produits de luxe sur internet? Pas encore Is Selected
Q8 À quelle fréquence?
48. 48 | P a g e
Une fois par semaine
Une fois par mois
Une fois tous les six mois
Une fois par an
Answer If Achetez-vous des produits de luxe sur internet? Oui Is Selected Or
Achetez-vous des produits de luxe sur internet? Pas encore Is Selected
Q9 Quel type de produit de luxe achetez-vous sur internet?
Vêtements
Chaussures
Sacs
Accessoires
Autre (veuillez préciser) ____________________
Answer If Achetez-vous des produits de luxe sur internet? Oui Is Selected Or
Achetez-vous des produits de luxe sur internet? Pas encore Is Selected
Q10 Quel style de produits de luxe achetez-vous sur internet?
Extravagant
Chic
Casual
Basic
Autre (veuillez préciser) ____________________
49. 49 | P a g e
Answer If Achetez-vous des produits de luxe sur internet? Oui Is Selected Or
Achetez-vous des produits de luxe sur internet? Pas encore Is Selected
Q11 Que recherchez-vous sur internet?
Des exclusivités uniquement disponibles sur internet
Des éditions limités
Des offres spéciales
Des produits également disponibles en magasin
Autre (veuillez préciser) ____________________
Answer If Achetez-vous des produits de luxe sur internet? Oui Is Selected Or
Achetez-vous des produits de luxe sur internet? Pas encore Is Selected
Q12 Evaluez les critères suivant pour l’achat sur internet :
Extrêmement
important
Très
important
Assez
important
Peu
important
Pas du tout
important
Qualité des
produits
Prix
Possibilité
d'échange
ou de
remboursement
Commodités
mises en
place pour
l'achat en
50. 50 | P a g e
Ligne
Service après
vente
Diversité des
produits
Proposes
Service client
Answer If Achetez-vous des produits de luxe sur internet? Oui Is Selected Or
Achetez-vous des produits de luxe sur internet? Pas encore Is Selected
Q13 Connaissez-vous la marque "Sézane"?
Oui
Non
Answer If Achetez-vous des produits de luxe sur internet? Oui Is Selected Or
Achetez-vous des produits de luxe sur internet? Pas encore Is Selected
Q14 " Sézane " est une marque de commerce uniquement en ligne , mais il ya un
magasin Sezane où vous pouvez aller et essayer les produits avant d'acheter .
Aimez-vous le concept d'une vente uniquement Internet?
Oui
Non
