Université de Nantes 2010-2011
Cigdem Guc - Anna Guichen - Noëlle Henri - Alexandra Kohlert
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Index of content
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 3
I. The company: Canistar ........................................................................................................... 4
1. Presentation of the company ............................................................................................... 4
2. Marketing Mix .................................................................................................................... 9
3. Competitors ...................................................................................................................... 12
II. New product: Trendog ......................................................................................................... 13
1. Definition of Trendog ....................................................................................................... 13
2. Why such a product? ........................................................................................................ 13
III. New export market ............................................................................................................. 16
1. Why the USA? .................................................................................................................. 16
2. SWOT analysis ................................................................................................................. 17
3. Presentation of the USA ................................................................................................... 20
4. Market analysis through market survey ............................................................................ 26
5. Efficient price in the USA ................................................................................................ 28
IV. Communication .................................................................................................................. 30
1. Logo ................................................................................................................................. 30
2. Means of communication ................................................................................................. 30
3. Distribution ....................................................................................................................... 35
CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................ 44
Sources ..................................................................................................................................... 45
Table of figures ........................................................................................................................ 46
Appendices ............................................................................................................................... 47
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INTRODUCTION “For me a house or an apartment becomes a home when you add one set of four legs, a happy
tail, and that indescribable measure of love that we call a dog.”
This quote from Roger Caras, president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals (ASPCA), reflects pretty well how our company Canistar considers dogs in our
lives. Pets and more particularly dogs are becoming more and more faithful companions for
owners. That is why Canistar wanted to protect them and to make them smarter thanks to
dog‟s wear. Indeed some can think it is the latest fad that companies have thought to make
money. It is not only a question of money but also a question of protection and beauty. What‟s
more natural to dress a dog when it is cold or raining or when you simply want him to be
beautiful without harming him?
Of course, dogs are not doll with whom we can play. Our company Canistar commits itself to
the respect of dogs. Our doggies should not be considered as dollies.
This report will present first our company and the different steps of its growth before dealing
with our project of expansion.
Cigdem Guc, Managing Director.
4
I. The company: Canistar
1. Presentation of the company
CANISTAR is a young company which was created in spring 2005 by 4 students after their
degree in International Business. It was an idea of Cigdem GUC, the managing director now,
who thought about the flourishing market of pets. In France (and in most of developed
countries) dogs have became very important for their owners, they are spending more and
more for their simple comfort (between €600 an €800 per year in France). During the past few
years, dog‟s way of life have changed; they are more sensitive to the weather as they are
living indoor all the day. The necessity of clothes to warm dogs has become to be
indispensable. Moreover, all of us are fond of pets, particularly dogs.
Our headquarters is implemented in Paris, St Ouen area.
First, to sell our products, we used our website because we had
no money enough to open a shop.
Three years later, in spring 2008, as our profits were increasing
we opened the first shop in Paris, an area where luxury goods are
sold: St Honoree area. Thanks to Anna who was working in the
jewel sector, and some contacts, we had an opportunity to set up
a shop in this area. All of us were involved in this new
adventure. We chose to open a store in Paris because some of us
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were living there and above all because Paris is one of the European cities of art and fashion.
To start a business like this, it was necessary to work with some stylists. For about 3 months
we had worked with a fashion design school, CREAPOLE. After this time we decided to hire
one of the students who was very creative: Mr. Dubreuil. He became our stylist in summer
2007. Recently, we hired a stylist assistant, Mr. Zotti as a trainee
Concerning financing, we had personal capital. We succeeded in entering the stock exchange
in the end of spring 2008 which allowed us to raise money and to consider the settlement of a
shop. Our main first shareholders were our families.
We started our business with mid-range products in order to target a large part of the
population. To enter the market we have decided as a strategy to fix our prices with regard to
competitor‟s prices. Concerning the range of our clothes we produce: coats, shirts, dresses,
sportswear, and costumes.
Figure 1: Income statement, 2007-2008
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Figure 2: Turnover, 2009
This chart shows the 2009 turnover. It represents a total of €1,000,000. As we can see the
major part of the turnover is registered in autumn and in winter, during the colder months
(September: €89,000 / October: €135,000 / November: €146,900 / December: € 168,000 /
January: € 158,000 / February: € 97,000). During this period coats are mainly bought. The
next pie chart illustrates that.
Figure 3: Sales autumn-winter (2009-2010)
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Identity card
Identification of the company
Name & date of birth Canistar / 21.03.2005
Juridical status SARL (similar to a Limited Liability
Company in the USA)
Company activity Conception, distribution and selling dogs‟
wear
Activities
Main products Dogs‟ wear (coat, dress, shirt, costume,
sportswear)
Geographical repartition of turnover France
Market: national, international … National market, expanding currently to the
USA
Supplier Tessuto, Italy
Size
Number of employees 1managing director, 4 employees, 1 trainee
Turnover €1,000,000 in 2009
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Organizationchart
9
2. Marketing Mix
A) Products
Canistar produces different range of products such as coat, skirt, sportswear and costume.
Figure 4: Proportion of each range of products in sales
Our sales are based on coats, which represent 35% of our sales. We are more focusing on the
production of coats and shirts because they represent 80% of our sales.
Example of each range of product:
Coat
Shirt
Dress
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Sportswear
Costume
B) Price
First our company sold mid-range products via the website. Prices were not expensive
because we chose to target a large part of the population. To enter the market we have decided
as a strategy to fix our prices with regard to competitor‟s prices.
When we decided to open our shop in the fashionable district St Honore area which is a rich
area, we intended to higher our prices. Indeed our brand started to be well-known and our
profits were increasing. In order to fix as best as possible these new prices we used acceptable
price method.
This practice leads to know about the maximum price people are prepared to pay.
For example, we asked 100 potential customers about the price of a coat. We asked them 2
questions to find the acceptable price range:
1) Below what price do not you buy the product thinking that it is a bad-quality product?
2) Above what price do not you buy the product thinking that it is too expensive?
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Here is the table of the results:
Price (€)
Number of
people who do
not want to buy
because poor
quality
Cumulated
percentage
Number of
people who do
not buy because
too expensive
Cumulated
percentage
50 1 100 0 0
55 5 99 0 0
60 13 94 0 0
65 22 81 5 5
70 19 59 6 11
75 27 40 16 27
80 11 13 16 43
85 2 2 33 76
90 0 0 17 93
95 0 0 7 100
Total 100 100 100 100
The best price is €80 for a coat. But this method has some disadvantages. Indeed potential
consumers are not confronted to other products; they are not in purchasing situation.
Moreover, they do not know the cost price of the product.
For our shop in St Honore area we take into account this survey. However, on our website, as
there are mid-range products, prices are much lower. For a standard coat, on our website, the
price is €20.
Of course, we have also to take into account the fixed and variable charges as well as the
logistics and transport costs. Indeed we import our material from Italy, from our supplier
Tessuto.
Finally, fixing prices depends on the costs and on the target.
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C) Place
In France, we are selling our products on our website (www.canistar.com), in our shop in St
Honore area in Paris and recently we have a partnership with a French mail order company La
Redoute. In its catalogues we are able to sell our products. La Redoute will take a commission
of 15% of our sales.
D) Promotion
We decided to promote our products through different
media such as magazines which target women
(Femme Actuelle) and through internet. As new
technologies are invading our daily lives, we created
Facebook and Twitter accounts.
As we wanted to prove that we are socially aware, we
have a partnership with the French association “30
Millions d‟Amis”.
We also take part in pet shows in France and abroad such as “Animal Expo” in the Bois de
Vincennes in France an “Interzoo” in Germany.
3. Competitors
In France, we have to point out our main competitors so as to compete with them and to
distinguish our company.
Retailers: They always have a department devoted to pets care which includes food,
accessories and sometimes a little proportion of clothes. Usually the choice is very short
because they are not specialized in clothes for dogs.
Pet shops: They are shops specialized in pets care, from birds and fishes to cats and dogs. For
instance in France we will find Maxi Zoo and Truffaut. The choice is larger than in retailer
shops because they are specialized, but the choice remains short because they are not
specialized in dogs, and let-alone in clothes.
Grooming parlor: Sometimes in grooming parlors, we can find a display stand where there are
clothes for sale.
French online shops: There are three main French websites dedicated to dog clothes selling:
- Shoopidog and DogVip, which sell only their products on the Internet, they have no stores.
- LaPetAvenue, which sells by the Internet and has a showroom located in Nice.
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II. New product: Trendog
1. Definition of Trendog
We decided to create a new range of products called “Trendog”, an acronym for „trend” and
“dog”. Indeed this range consists in creating trendy dogs‟ wear. Thanks to Trendog, doggies
can be dressed like their owners. It is a range launched specially for our new export market
which is the United States.
We mainly create products according to orders that we receive from customers. Consumers
send us an explication of what they would like and a photo, and then we try to find the more
lifelike to satisfy the need of our customers.
There is another solution: consumer can choose on our website through a dozen of models we
thought that can suit the consumer‟s wills.
2. Why such a product?
This new range is created for the Unite States because the pet industry is increasing in the
USA. People are more and more interested in taking care of their pets. The article on the
website www.allbusiness.com shows very well that aspect and the fact that pets tend to be
more humanized:
“Pets aren't just the faithful companions that we come home to every night. In today's
marketplace, pets are hip. Among the trendy set, pets are akin to living, breathing fashion
accessories. North American consumers have grown accustomed to seeing images of
celebrities unabashedly doting on their pets with jeweled collars, leads, and uber-expensive
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designer carriers. And although the average consumer isn't likely to invest in a Burberry
slicker and booties for their beloved Chihuahua, there has been a definite trickle-down effect.
The bottom line is Americans are spending more to pamper their furry, finned and feathered
friends.” […] “A tremendous humanization factor is transcending into the pet segment.
There's a huge wellness behavior spillover as well," he says. "More of the things we humans
do for humans from a wellness and longevity-enhancing perspective are being translated into
the pet segment. This trend is evidenced by the increasing interest in things like natural
supplements and pet health insurance.”
Figure 5 :Total U.S. Pet Industry Expenditures:
Year Billion
2010 $47.7 Estimated
2009 $45.5
2008 $43.2
2007 $41.2
2006 $38.5
2005 $36.3
2004 $34.4
Figure 6: In 2009, $45.5 billion was spent on pets in the U.S.
Food $17.56 billion
Supplies/OTC Medicine $10.41 billion
Vet Care $12.04 billion
Live animal purchases $2.16 billion
Pet Services: grooming & boarding $3.36 billion
Figure 7: For 2010, it estimated that $47.7 billion will be spent on pets in the U.S.
Food $18.28 billion
Supplies/OTC Medicine $11.01 billion
Vet Care $12.79 billion
live animal purchases $2.21 billion
Pet Services: grooming & boarding $3.45 billion
The following spending statistics are gathered by APPA from various market research
sources. There is also a huge demand for products such as clothes in this country.
We decided to launch this new range according to a survey we established in early spring
2010 in the USA.
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It is important to notice that our company is not specialized in humiliating clothes. We focus
on beauty and on the respect of doggies. The previous photos show all that we do not want:
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III. New export market
1. Why the USA?
First of all, the US pet industry is booming. Then, according to www.trenhunter.com, pet
owners continue to identify with their pets or treat them like real children. The multi-billion-
dollar pet industry shows no signs of losing demand, with pet owners spending increasingly
more on fashion and luxury items.
Comparative chart
Factors Germany Russia USA UK
Number of dogs 2
4 5
2
Pet industry 3
4
4
3
Accessibility of
the country
4
3
3
5
Politic stability 5
2
4
4
Economic
situation
3
2
5
3
Competition 4
3
2
3
France fashion
image
3
3
5
1
TOTAL 24 21 28 21
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Thanks to our increasing sales and profits in France, we are planning to expand abroad. We
want to tackle a new market where we can sell our dogs‟ wear and where the pets‟ industry is
quite important.
In order to choose the best market possible, it is necessary to elaborate a comparative chart in
which we crossed some factors and some countries.
We have chosen 4 countries in which there are numerous pets: Germany, Russia, USA and
UK. We studied the number of dogs, the pet industry, the accessibility of the country
(logistics, cities …), the politic factor, the economic situation (GDP). We considered also the
competition and the image of France fashion.
Thanks to all the data, we classified the information, from 1 to 5 (5 being the best note).
The results show the score of each country, the USA came first with 28 points.
2. SWOT analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
Good image of France in the USA (fashion,
style, quality)
Successful experience in France
Rising sales
Trendy collection
Young and dynamic company, motivated team
First export market
Brand unknown in USA
Not our own shops in USA
Different currency (exchange rate)
Hard to increase production fast
Opportunities Threats
USA : attractive market (eccentric culture, lots
of dogs)
High purchasing power
Partnership with grooming salon
Dogs market rising
Website Glamour do supplies (Dallas)
Website Oh my dog (San Francisco)
Competition from cheap products made in
China
Quick change of fashion
Economic crisis
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Here are some explanations of the different criterions of the SWOT analysis:
Strengths
Good image of France in the USA: France represents fashion in general and more
particularly smart fashion. French products have also an image of quality. This will help us to
integrate on the market because people will not hesitate to buy our products wondering if they
are solid.
The experience has been successful in France; our sales have increased quickly so it
encourages us to have a go on foreign markets. If French people have liked our products, we
can imagine that foreigners may like too.
Our company is young, dynamic and our team is motivated. All the company members feel
involved in this project because it could be a turning point for the company and so for us,
employees. Therefore we are ready to do our best to succeed and to get a good future.
Today sales keep on rising, so that is very encouraging because that means that the
company keeps on growing. Moreover, rising sales give us high profits and so, give us the
financial means to export.
Our collection of clothes for dogs is very trendy. That is what differentiates us from other
possible competitors. The company tries to be aware of current trends and to adapt the clothes
quickly.
Weaknesses
It is our first export market. We do not have any experience in exporting so we will have to
do our best to succeed, that means to deeply examine the American market and hire
competent and specialized persons.
Our brand is unknown in the USA. People do not know that our company exists, so we will
have to make a huge advertising campaign to get known and to give an image of quality of
our company.
We do not have our own shops in the USA. We will expose our products in already existing
shops. We will have to pay retailers, and we will depend on their own image. People will not
enter the shops if they do not like the brand, and therefore they will not be able to discover
our products.
The different currency: the US dollar in the USA, and the euro for Europe. That means that
we will have to be careful about the exchange rate, to be sure that we will not lose out.
If our collection has a greater success than we expect, we will have to increase the
production quickly, and it could be difficult for us to do so because we remain a small
company for the moment.
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Opportunities
The USA is an attractive market. It is a more eccentric culture than in France and people
are more open-minded and more likely to dress up their dogs. Moreover, the study of the
American market showed that there were a lot of dogs, so a lot of dogs to dress up.
There is a high purchasing power in the USA, higher than in France.
We will have a partnership with a grooming shop to expose our products in that place, and
that is strategic because people who will see our products are people who already take care of
their dog.
The American dogs market in general is rising. American people spend more and more
money in dog kit.
It is the best moment for us to export. Our turnover is the highest since the creation of the
company, which gives us the financial means to export and to take risks.
Threats
Local competitors and American online shops competitors. The two main competitors
concerning American online clothes shops for dogs are Glamour do supplies (Dallas) and Oh
my dog (San Francisco). Our products are quite the same type so we will have to appeal to
people so that they want to buy ours instead of others.
Competition from cheap products made in China. Often there is a tendency to buy the
cheapest products. We will have to emphasize the fact that cheap products are not good
quality products and that ours are more expensive but more solid and more durable.
Quick change of fashion: We have to be responsive with our collection because fashion can
change very quickly and trendy clothes can rapidly become old-fashioned.
Economic crisis: Since 2008 the economic crisis has made much damage and it is not the
best period to create a company. Moreover the crisis has been more intense in the USA than
in Europe.
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3. Presentation of the USA
A) The United States of America at a glance
Capital City Washington DC
Largest City New York
Area 9 629 047km²
Population 310,908,000 (13/12/2010)
Population density 32,04 inhabitant/km²
Currency United States Dollar $ (USD)
1$ = 0,761€ ( (07 October 2010)
GDP per capita: 47 440 $ USD (2008)
Climate Due to the huge size of the USA, the climate
is very varied: in general, the climate is
temperate.
National Language English
Government Federal Constitutional Republic, a politically
stable country
Infrastructure Goods are mainly transported by inland
waterways and the sea as well as on the roads
and railroads.
All states have an airport
Total number of dogs 72,114,000 (2007)
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B) Why did we choose the United States of America?
We carried out a Comparative Chart comparing the USA, Russia, Germany and the United
Kingdom. Regarding the exigencies and the given data, the USA result as the most interesting
country to export too.
We have chosen two cities in particular, New York and Los Angeles because they seem to
have the best opportunities due to their popularity and the high number of wealthy and female
customers. In New York more than 51.4% of the total population are women and in Los
Angeles 50.2%. On a first step we will set up a sales outlet in New York and if it works we
will implant another outlet on the West Coast, too.
Population
With over 310,908,000 inhabitants, the United States of America is the third most populated
country in the world after China and India. There are different ethnicities as Afro-Americans,
Latinos or Asian people which form the melting pot of the USA. The numerous population
represents a large potential market.
Geography
The USA is the third largest country in the world by area after Russia and Canada. The USA
shares borders with Canada in the North and Mexico in the South.
Due to the huge size of the USA, the climate is very varied: in general, the climate is
temperate. In Florida and Hawaii you can find tropical climate, arctic in Alaska, arid in the
Great Basin of the southwest and semi- arid in the Great Plaint to the west of the Mississippi
River.
Language
English is the official language with 82% of the population claiming it as a mother tongue.
But on a federal level, no official language is registered. The second spoken language in the
USA is Spanish with more than 10.2%, other Indo-European languages represent 3.8% and
Asian languages 2.7%. A lot of Spanish speaking people do not even speak English and live
in areas where everybody speaks Spanish. Most American people do not speak foreign
languages. We therefore have to communicate in English.
Currency
The national currency is the Dollar. The Americans give priority to payment by checks or
credit cards. But they do not refuse to pay in cash. The standing order and direct debit are
nearly inexistent.
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Government
The USA is a federal constitutional republic of 50 states. The democrat Barack H. Obama is
the current president of the United States of America. He was elected the 44th
president on the
20th January 2009. The USA has founded and initiated a lot of important organization which
still exist today for e.g. the NATO, the United Nations and the international bank for
Reconstruction and Development. The USA practices the separation of powers. The most
important power is the legislation represented by the congress and the senate which take place
in the Capitol in Washington. The executive is represented by the president and the judiciary
power by the Supreme Court.
Main Cities
The capital of the USA is Washington DC but it is not the biggest city. New York comes in
first, followed by Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix and Philadelphia. The most
populated region is the North East which includes the states of Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Growth
The annual Gross Domestic Product expanded to annual rate of 2.5% in 2010. The average
GDP is around 3.31% including a period of 1947 to 2010.
Economy
The USA is the largest national economy in the world. This is partly due to the freedom of the
private sector which takes the majority of economic decisions, but is also due to the minor involvement of the government as well as the low level of regulations. More than 29.6 million
small businesses and more than 139 of the biggest worldwide companies are implanted in the
USA. The most important sector is the Wholesale trade followed by Manufacturing and Retail
trade.
The 5 biggest companies in the USA according to the revenue are Wal- Mart, Exxon Mobile,
Chevron, General Electric and ConocoPhillips. But people trust more these companies:
Google, Kraft Foods, Johnson & Johnson, Intel Corporation and General Mills.
C) Import- Export
The United States of America is the third largest exporter in the world behind China and
Germany and the world´s top importer.
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Main trading partners USA
Export (in billion of US Dollars) Import (in billion of US Dollars)
Canada ( 204.7) China 8296.4)
Mexico ( 129 ) Canada ( 224.9)
China (69.6) Mexico (176.5)
Japan (51.2) Japan (95.9)
United Kingdom (45.7) Germany (71.3)
Source:http://www.census.gov/foreigntrade/statistics/highlights/top/top0912yr.html
France is situated on the eight place concerning export and import.
The main exported goods include aircraft, motor vehicles, food, iron and steel products,
electric and electronic equipment, industrial and power-generating machinery, organic
chemicals, transistors, telecommunications equipment, pharmaceuticals and consumer goods.
The USA imports mainly non-auto consumer goods, fuels, production machinery and
equipment, non-fuel industrial supplies, motor vehicles, food, feed and beverages as well as
aircrafts.
Regarding to the export we have to respect different duties and norms.
Duties
Thanks to the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing of the World Trade Organization, trade of
textile and clothing is no longer subject to special quotas.
As we produce a part of our production in Italy we have to take in account the European and
the USA Export duties. The main part of the production will be exported directly from Italy to
the United States of America whereas the other part will be refined in Paris.
France and Italy are members of the European Union which makes the export easier because
the European Union allows the free movement of goods between the state members.
Norms
The producer has to respect the law and the regulations about dangerous products. Those
supervise normally the production of the following products as toys, clothes for children and
others. As a producer, you have to be aware of the following dangers:
- Mechanical dangers, flammability of the materials, toxicity. The textile producer has to respect
to the obligation of a personal label or a C.A. number which able to identify the producer. The
producer has to respect the label norms and standards as e.g. the “made in”.
In compliance with the American law, indicated prices will be duty free. The consumer is in
charge of adding the tax rate of the state where he buys the product.
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D) Competition
Competition in the USA
One of the first dog clothes retailers was founded in the 1950´s. Since then hundreds
followed. But it was never as popular as it is today thanks to the development of the Internet.
It became easier to promote the products and to gain recognition rapidly. The second step was
to find an adapted place to open the shop and to launch its product line. Still today, the Internet market place persists as the main source of income for all retailers.
These are the main competitors in New York:
Jacques in the city
Founded in 2010
Founder(s) Paula Tatum
Headquarters New York
Products Designer logo shirts with Swarowski crystals
Sales Not specified
Revenues Not specified
Shop adress Retail partnerships
Website www.jacquesinthecity.com
Canine Styles
Founded in 1959
Founder(s) Not specified
Headquarters New York
Products T-Shirts, polos, dresses, blankets, toys
Sales Not specified
Revenues Not specified
Shop adress 3 shops around New York e.g. :
Canine Styles
830 Lexington Avenue (Btwn. 63rd & 64th)
New York, NY 10021
Website http://www.caninestyles.com
Trixie and Peanut
Founded in 2002
Founder(s) Susan Bing
Headquarters New York
Sales Not specified
Products Designer collars, leashes, stylish pet apparel, toys
Turnover Not specified
Shop adress 23 East 20th Street, New York City
Website www.trixieandpeanut.com
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E) France – USA relationship
America´s birth is closely connected with the involvement of France in North America.
Already during the first settlements, French explorers went through the country. French
military forces played a major role in the Independence War with Great Britain and the
purchase of the Louisiana Territory by France gave the USA a good impulse to become a
global power.
Since then, the United States and France share deep trade and economic relations. The highest
competition affects the commercial aircraft industry between the American Boeing and the
European Airbus.
The USA and France are, among others, the co-founders of the United Nations, NATO, WTO
and G-8.
F) Intercultural differences between France vs United States of
America: comparison chart
If we want to work successfully with the Americans we have to fight against several
stereotypes:
Stereotypes
The Americans see the
French as:
- Lazy
- Coward
- Dirty
- Not democratic
- Arrogant and
conceited
The French see the
Americans as:
- Arrogant
- Moralizing
- Insular
- Domineering
- Violent
- materialistic
Fundamental values
Highly implicit Highly explicit
Pessimist and negative Optimist and positive
Like what is complex Like what is simple
Contextual: it depends Binary: true or false
To be a member of a group Individualism
Being: You are judged on
what you are
Doing: judged on what you
do
Quality of life Quality of work
High Context culture Low Context culture
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Ambitions
More reactive, creative and
inventive
Process-oriented: everything
has to be done as planned
and written in the contract
There is always a winner
and a looser
Try to get a “win-win” deal
Market share orientated Profit share orientated
Business Context
Law and contracts are
important but not final
Law and contracts must be
respected
A contract is closely linked
to a relationship
A contract is not linked to a
relationship
Intensive communication
between colleagues ->
everybody is up to date
Communication only
between members which are
concerned
Time management France and the USA are monochronic cultures:
- one thing at a time
- last minutes changes possible
- adjusting time to circumstances
- freehanded sense of time
4. Market analysis through market survey
A) Why a market survey?
In order to develop our brand and to sell our products in The United States, we had to know
and understand the American consumers‟ needs. That is why we decided to run a market
survey (cf appendices I).
This market survey aimed at knowing:
- Where could we develop our new export market?
- Is there a potential market?
- Are people used to dress their dog? How?
We first thought of three countries: Great Britain (London), Russia (Moscow) and the United
States (New York). We run market surveys on these countries. Best results came from the
United States; indeed we noticed that dressing dogs is widespread, that people are highly
influenced by fashion and that they have a good image of French fashion.
According to these results, we decided to run a second market survey on the United Sates in
order to identify our new target and to focus on.
27
B) The results
We targeted the 2,000,000 dogs‟ owners living in New York, so we interviewed 200,000
people in order to have a representative sample of the population (p27). According to the
survey, our target is:
- Mainly women between 25 and 45 years old who are influenced by fashion.
- They belong to the upper class, so they are well resourced.
- They take care of their dog appearance and health.
Concerning dogs and their owners:
- We noticed that it is quite common to dress a dog as 64 % of interviewed people said that
they have already bought clothes for their dog. It shows that we did not make mistake when
we chose New York as our new export market.
- We wanted to know if there is a kind of clothe that people buy in majority; we discovered
that 60 % of people that we have interviewed have already buy a coat. So, we decided to
launch a “best seller”. We will produce in important quantity coats for dog in different colors
and with different patterns, that we our stylist will design.
- The market survey aimed also at knowing the motivations of people to buy these clothes. It
revealed that dogs‟ owner who dress their pets want a product with a real function, which is
not only aesthetic, but which protect them from the rain and the cold. We have to take this
information into account in order to use it when we produce coat. We have to develop a range
especially for the winter, and also another for the rainy periods, without forgetting the style.
- Concerning the price of the items, we noticed that people are generally ready to buy clothes
with a price between $65 and $85 (see the calculation of the most efficient price).
- Our survey showed us that interviewed people love their dogs, especially in big cities where,
with modern lifestyle, dogs are considered as a substitute of children. So we have to take into
account this fact, and use it during our advertising campaign.
Concerning customers and fashion:
- Our target is influenced by fashion that is why we have to be careful of new collections to
offer a product which will be trendy.
- We have to develop a range of product for special events (wedding, birthday, party...),
because we discovered that it is a potential market and our customers may be interested by
this. It fits with the new needs of customer to have a smart and stylish dog.
- One of the most important information that we collected is the fact that 41% of our customer
would like that their dogs wear the same clothes than they wear. We have to establish a
28
partnership with a designer of human clothes in order to create same clothes for dogs and their
owner.
- During our study, we also test the French image of fashion in the United States. We can
conclude that it is very positive as 80% of interviewed people think that French fashion is
good or excellent. We have to use this image to advertise Canistar.
- The question which concerns our notoriety revealed one of our weaknesses: the fact that we
are unknown on the United States. Indeed we have included a notoriety question “Have you
ever heard about our company?” The result is quite worrying because only 7% of interviewed
people are aware of our company.
C) Conclusion of the market survey
This study revealed three important elements: first, we have to develop a strong advertising
campaign to make our brand well-known, then we have to target women, between 25 and 45
years old, and finally we have to develop a range of clothe for dogs and their owners.
5. Efficient price in the USA
After having analyzing the market in New York and understanding the needs of our potential
customers we decided to ask people about the price of a coat so as to find an efficient price for
our « best seller » in the United States.
We have to be very careful choosing it, because prices help consumer knowing what kind of
product we are selling. Indeed if the price is too low, consumer may think that we are selling a
bad quality product and on the other hand if we are selling it too expensively, consumers will
not be interested in our products.
As we want to have a high end image, we thought to sell the coat at a high price. Moreover, it
should help us to maximize our profit. But, we also have to think about competition and not to
put prices too high.
We run a psychological price survey. We have interviewed 1000 persons; they had to answer
to two questions:
- Under what price would you think the product is of poor quality?
- Over what price would you not buy this product because you think that it is too expensive?
29
Prices ($) Q1 Non relative
consumers(%)
Cumulated
% Q2
Non
relative
consumers
(%)
Cumulated
%
Prospective
consumer
(%)
55 79 7,9 7,9 0 0 100 7,9
60 116 11,6 19,5 0 0 100 19,5
65 152 15,2 34,7 0 0 100 34,7
70 191 19,1 53,8 23 2,3 100 53,8
75 212 21,2 75 98 9,8 97,7 72,7
80 136 13,6 88,6 154 15,4 87,9 76,5
85 68 6,8 95,4 201 20,1 72,5 67,9
90 42 4,2 99,6 249 24,9 52,4 52
95 4 0,4 100 275 27,5 27,5 27,5
100 0 0 100 0 0 0 0
1000
1000
According to the survey, the best selling price should be $80. Considering the cost production
($39), the export price ($4,8 by item) and the margin that we have to pay to the retailers (5%
=> $4 by item), $80 should be a good price.
30
IV. Communication
1. Logo
Our logo represents a golden dog collar with some diamonds. In the
middle of the collar there is our name: Canistar so as to associate our logo
and our name. The dog collar shows a chic and a stylish image of our
company because we are targeting people who are little bit wealthy. We
chose a stylish a feminine font too because our target is more feminine
than masculine.
2. Means of communication
A) By internet
As the web is more and more attracting customers, we decided to communicate through
internet. We bought advertising spaces on websites dealing with dog‟s topic such as websites
dealing with dogs care, dog‟s food and passion for dogs.
People who will see our banners are people who already feel involved in taking care of their
dogs so they are likely to be interested in our products. The website in question will receive a
commission every time someone will click on our add. (cf. next picture)
As a strategy we have also thought of referencing our website on online directories (to register
and introduce our company in all the online general directories and in specialized directories
dealing with pet care, pet food and clothes for pets).
Of course, we have create our own page on social networks websites, including the history of
the company, our activity, the news, some photos of pieces of our collection and the name of
our website (Facebook, MySpace…). (cf. next picture)
31
This aims at building up an e-reputation, to appear first and the most often in Internet searches
that people make.
Another strategy is to send direct mail advertising to customers of grooming shops and the spa
hotel where we will sell our products.
Finally, Updating of our website: www.canistar.com (cf. next picture)
B) Through magazines with advertisement and voucher
We chose the main dog magazines of New York:
-New York Dog: is a Vanity Fair for dog-lovers
-K9
-Modern dog
- Cesar‟s way: Cesar‟s Way is an all-inclusive lifestyle magazine for loving and dedicated dog
owners. Also known as “The Dog Whisperer,” Cesar offers his readership authoritative
practices, philosophies, and teachings.
- Dog Fancy
32
On these magazines we are going to put short articles about our company: explanation of our
company that wants to tackle the US market, the praise of France fashion which mix quality
and beauty, our innovation: Trendog. We also put a discount coupon of 10 euro for a
minimum of 50 euro of purchasing. It can be used in grooming shop or Bloomingdales but
also on our website thanks to numbers, bar code.
On New York Dog, as it is more fashion and chic than the others we are going to put an ad:
She is only with him for his style
More information on www.canistar.com or go to
Bloomingdales, NY
More information on www.canistar.com or go to Bloomingdales, NY
The advert shows two dogs in a stretch limousine. Thanks to the limousine and the dog
which is wearing a dinner jacket we wanted to underline the fact that we are a luxury and
fashion brand which fits for the smaller as well for bigger dogs. The slogan" She is only
with him for its style" makes the dogs more human because no dog is interested in clothes. It
aims to attract the future customers. Furthermore, it is an eye- catching slogan.
33
C) Thanks to flyers
Size: A6 (10x15)
On the front page:
The name
The logo
The website
We put only few information so as to attract
people and arouse curiosity. The color is
also a meaning to attract people. Why pink:
because we target more women than men.
A unique color: its catch the customers
eyes.
On the back page:
The name at the top
A short recap of the company
We put the place where we can find our
products and our new range of products
so that future customers can imagine
briefly what kind of products we
produce
We also put an image of a dog in order
to catch the eye. And make the flyer
friendlier.
34
AIDA method: It‟s an easy-to-follow formula .AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire,
and Action. It means approaching your copywriting and ad layout in a way that persuades the
reader that they want what you have to offer.
A for ATTENTION: the first step in the AIDA Method is grabbing
the reader‟s attention
I for INTEREST: using the second person, meaning just like we are
talking privately with friend.
D for DESIRE: Talking about how the product or service can help them, solve their problem,
or meet their need.
A for ACTION: They want and need your product or service and now they‟d like to know
how to get it. Tell them and give them a couple of options. It‟s time for “Action” – the call to
action, that is. “Buy now!” “Call now!” “Enter to win.”
There is a direction way, from top left to bottom right that makes easier the reading.
D) Thanks to well known people, stars
Celebrity wear is a new concept of advertisement. We want to offer our products to dogs of
famous American people and to pay paparazzi to take photos of them. When these pictures
will be published on magazines our brand will be see by the readers, our potential customers.
Why should it work?
First, we have to contact famous people, so we have to speak with their manager and convince
them that it is a chance for them to be associated with our modern brand. Moreover we offer
them the dog clothes. Finally, it is an original step and we think that these famous people will
be touched by the fact that we thought to their dogs.
Who should we target?
Obviously, we should target famous people who got a dog, and that our customers like. They
also have to be good looking and to have pictures of them quite often published in magazines.
We have selected six famous people:
- Ashton Kutcher a 30 years old actor, who is good looking and who is owner of a pinscher.
He is also married with Demi Moore, an actress who looks like to our target
- Mariah Carey, the famous singer is not only known for her voice but also for her good
looking. There are pictures of her which are published on magazines of the whole word.
- Gisele Bundchen, a top model. It is very positive to associate our brand with her image,
because she is not only a fashion icon but she is also the former girlfriend of Leonardo Di
Caprio, which allows us to benefit positive and glamorous image.
35
- Mickey Rourke, the actor. He is very famous and he has a lot of fans. It is obviously a good
point for us if he accepts that his dogs wear our clothes.
- Pink, the singer. She is not only famous for her songs but also for being part of PETA
association, the association which defends animals. To associate our products with her image
will help people to understand our love for dog.
E) Car advertising
A very efficient way of advertising is sticking Canistar‟s ads on American cars which travel a
lot, as personal cars or taxis, in return for a monthly payment to drivers (cf. next picture).
3. Distribution
A) E-commerce
The e- commerce sector is the only sector which is steadily growing since several years due to
the fact that internet are more and more up and coming.
Figure 8: Various retailing channels in the United States.
Source: http://www.tlldailyadvisor.com/images/charts/lbd/chart5.jpg
36
B) Partnership: department stores
Another way to promote our products is the partnership with department stores as well as
grooming parlors and dog&spa hotels.
Why department stores?
To understand this notion it is necessary to explain it: a department store is a large retail
establishment, divided into several departments, which offers an extensive assortment in
variety and range of goods. The advantage of a department store is that all departments are
housed under the same roof to facilitate buying, customer service, merchandising and control.
Considering our project, department stores seem to be the most adapted mean of
communication to promote our new product line. It is true, first of all, due to the high number
of clients who use the shop daily and secondly due to the well-located sites which fit perfectly
with our prospects.
The most popular department stores in the USA are Bloomingdales, Macy´s, Saks Fifth
Avenue, Barneys and JCPenney.
Which one?
As regards the promotion of our image, we have chosen two well-known department stores in
New York: Bloomingdale´s and Saks Fifth Avenue.
Why these two?
Bloomingdale´s is the leader and owns more than 40 stores in 12 US
states. It turns his attention to upscale fashion and home- related goods.
Bloomingdale´s is known for its fashion sense and jump started the
careers of many famous designers as e.g. Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein
and Tommy Hilfiger.
Saks Fifth Avenue, Inc was founded in 1924 in New York and is
implanted in more than 26 states. It offers a wide range of products as
clothes for men and women, jewelry, accessories, sportswear,
cosmetics and much more.
Which marketing strategy?
After all these research we had to establish a marketing strategy. We will use the same
strategy in both department stores. Both department stores sell already dog clothes but the
brand diversity is not well developed for the moment. Canistar wants to make the most of the
brand‟s popularity to market its own products while using their sales area.
37
Choice of department stores
To start our advertising campaign we have decided to create two sales areas:
One, in the Bloomingdale´s store at 59e street, Manhattan, New York
and the other in the Saks Fifth Avenue store at 611 5th Avenue, New York
Both stores are well located in famous districts which are very attractive for tourists thanks to
the proximity of Central Park and the popularity of the Fifth Avenue but also for the
inhabitants of New York. The subway stations nearby make the access to the store easier.
Contracts
Over a period of time we discussed with the company management to finally draw a
conclusion. These are the main points:
In each store we will have an exhibition site of 6m x 6m for nearly 4 months from
September the 1st to January the 15th. We chose this period after analyzing the market
study and this will be the period of time where people are the most willing to buy a
coat for their dogs.
The monthly rent amounts to $2000 (rent without utilities of $1500 and additional
costs of $ 500 including electricity, water, telephone)
From the December the 1st to the December the 31th we will rent a shop window to
show our collection to the pedestrian. Therefore we have to pay an extra fee of $ 1000
per month. With this aim in view we hope to lure the passers-by who are looking for a
special Christmas gift.
Moreover, Bloomingdale´s and Saks get a 0.5% commission on each sale.
We will integrate the company logos on the CaniStar website.
Sales booth
To find an adapted sales booth, we contacted several store construction manufacturers in New
York to get an estimation of costs. In the end, Reed Construction won the tendering for our
project. Their presented us a variety of sales booths:
38
This model meets our expectations:
This sales stall allows the presentation of our collection in a very effective way.
The advantage of this model is that it has 4 separated rooms to avoid more than 2 dogs being
in the same room. So there will be less problems with barking and
fights between dogs. Another good point is that it is accessible from
all sides. It is like an “open space”. Each “room” is designed in
connection with our collection. So there is a “Trendog”- section,
a “I want to be a star”- section, a “costumes”- section and a “Casual
wear”- section. Furthermore, each room is furnished with shelves to
present the clothes in different colors and sizes. The middle room of
the sales booth is used as a kind of rest room. Inside, pet owner can clean their dogs, get some
snacks for the dogs and for their own as well as get some further information about the
Canistar products.
The sales stall is reared near the main entrance on the first floor so that it is reachable for dog
owners without disturbing other clients.
For all the period we will appoint 3 sales assistants for the Bloomingdale´s sales stall and the
Saks Fifth Avenue one.
Shelves
Information
area Information
area
Information
area
« Costumes »
« Trendog » “I want to
be a star”
« Casual
wear »
39
Costs
Costs for the both sales stalls and the for the whole period:
Rent sales (complete) $18 000
Rent for shop window $ 2000
Wages (complete for 4 months) $40 000
merchandise purchase $20 000
Stocking $2000
Shiping $3500
Travel costs $900
Construction of sales stall $1500
Commission 0,5% each sale
Expected TOTAL costs $95 000
We aim for an average benefit of 5%.
C) Partnership: Grooming Parlor
Why?
As CaniStar is not known in the USA we need a lot of trading partners. Due to the fact that
nearly every dog needs a coat cut regularly we thought about an advertising campaign in
different grooming parlors all around the town. The grooming parlors clients are for us
prospective clients, too. They are more prepared to buy a coat for their dogs when the winter
starts because they have usually small sized dogs. Furthermore, the typical customers of
grooming parlors are women aged from 30 to 65 which are in our target customers.
Which?
There are more than 100 grooming parlors in New York. Finally we have chosen these 3:
Atlantic Grooming Parlor367 Atlantic Avenue,East Rockaway, NY 11518
Olimpia Grooming Parlor 1019 Fort Salonga Road, Northport
Diva´s dog, 12 Forest Hill, NY 11526
40
For us, they are the most adapted to our project because they want to show certain values such
as luxury, coziness and elegance. These are the same target values as ours. All parlors have a
very fashioned and designed interior. Moreover they satisfy with high quality grooming tools
and every worker has to pass a medical training in animal care.
Contracts
The main points of the contract with the grooming parlors are the following:
We will put some dog puppets in each store to present our collection. During the
period from the 1st of September to the 15th of January we will change the clothes
every week to show our new collection as much as possible.
Near each dog puppet we will put some flyers and order coupons
Each grooming parlor is beholden to exhibit our advertisement either in the shop
window or in the shop
For the provided place we have to pay $300 per month
CaniStar is responsible for giving the new clothes for the whole month at the
beginning of each month
Moreover, each grooming parlor gets a 0.4% commission on each sale. Here again, we
integrate the company logos on the Canistar website.
Dog puppet and flyer
The dog puppet measured 60cm x 40cm x 19cm. They are
manufactured by the Austrian company “onlinezoo”. We
use the same example in our French shops. Each grooming
parlor will get 3 puppets and they can decide on their own
where to put them. The particularity is that you can deform
the puppet and put it in the position you want to show a dog
sitting down or laying down. It is possible to clean the dog
by taking off the white drapery. The cloth made of cotton is
washable. These dolls exist in black and brown, too.
Each doll wears one piece of our collection.
The flyer is the same as describes above as well as the advertisement.
41
Costs
Costs for the 1.September to 15. January:
Advertising place $1350
Transport and stocking $100
Expected benefit $4500
Puppets $1000
shipping $3500
Commission 0.4% each sale
Expected TOTAL costs $12 000
We aim for an average benefit of 5%.
D) Partnership: “Dog Hotel”
What is a “dog hotel”?
Dog hotels are a new trend. It is a place where you can leave your dog when you are on a
business trip or when you are on holidays and you cannot take the dog. Or even for a single
day if you do not want to leave your dog alone at home. The hotel offers besides the normal
services as boarding, daycare, grooming and training, special massages and special baths for
dogs. They are user-optimized thanks to special opening hours from 7 am to 10pm every day.
Who is our trading partner?
In this field we will work with the group Dog & Spa Hotels situated in New York. They own
two hotels, one near the Madison Square Park and another near the Upper west side. They
offer all services as described above and as specific feature, they offer a party service for dog
birthdays etc.
Why did we choose them?
As for the department stores and the grooming parlors, we are looking for brands which are
linked with a luxurious image and have something special. We were attracted by the new
concept.
Contracts
Over a period of time we discussed with the company management to finally draw a
conclusion. These are the main points:
42
The advertising campaign lasts from the 1st of September to the 15th of January; if it
works we will renegotiate a new term.
Showcases are disposed in the hotel lobby near the reception
Flyers and order coupons are disposed on the reception desk
Each month we have to pay $500 for both showcases and $30 for additional costs such
as electricity
Moreover, New York Dog & Spa gets a 0.4% commission on each sale.
We integrate the company logos on the CaniStar website.
Through their website we start an advertising campaign. Each user gets a 10%
discount
Promotion
At both hotels we will install showcases with weekly changing collections.
We will use once more the dog puppets to present the collection. In each
shelves we will place 2 dog puppets. They are placed in a way that they
look at each other. So, the customer gets an overview of the whole cloth as
they can skirt the show case. As well, there will be another collection
presented on each shelf. There are lights inside the show case to illuminate
the products.
Costs
Costs for the both sales stalls and the for the whole period:
Rent sales $2400
Stocking $ 1000
Shipping $ 3500
Travel costs $ 150
Construction of sales stall $ 400
Commission 0.4% on each sale
Expected TOTAL costs $ 8000
We aim for an average benefit of 5%.
43
E) Total budget of our advertisement campaign
Internet € 30,000
Magazines € 60,000
Flyers € 40,000
Shops € 50,000
Cars € 20,000
Celebrities € 70,000
TOTAL € 270,000
44
CONCLUSION
For 5 years, Canistar has been growing considerably in France. The idea of proposing trendy
clothes for lovely doggies has been a great success. This was mainly due to efficient market
research and marketing mix .That is why our company decided to enter new market and to
export our products to the United States of America. This market was the most apposite to
enter according to market research and surveys. In order to be well-known there we decided
to devote a lot of money in making a huge advertising campaign in New York. Thus, we can
expect a great return on investment, in a short time.
However, our company still has to deal with other challenges such as the highly competitive
global market and the settlement of a subsidiary in New York.
45
Sources Statistics
http://www.facco.fr/-Population-animale-
Humanization of pets
http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/clothing-clothing-accessories-stores-stores/513618-
1.html
http://www.agilityability.com/dog-clothes.html
http://www.dogonlinestore.com/service.php?cid=1
http://ezinearticles.com/?Starting-a-Business-in-the-Dog-Clothing-Industry:-Is-Now-A-Good-
Time&id=158055
Booming of the pet industry
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/US-Non-Food-Pet-Supplies-Market-Increases-3-
2009-Future-Growth-Hinges-on-Human-Animal-1103988.htm
http://www.trendhunter.com/protrends/the-humanization-of-pets-traditionally-human-
products-are-extending-into-th
http://www.avma.org/reference/marketstats/ownership.asp
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36000.html
http://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/1952/umfrage/groesste-laender-der-erde/
http://www.tlldailyadvisor.com/images/charts/lbd/chart5.jpg
http://www.understandfrance.org/France/Intercultural.html
46
Table of figures Figure 1: Income statement, 2007-2008……………………………………………………p 5
Figure 2: Turnover 2009…………………………………………………………………....p 6
Figure 3: Sales autumn winter 2009………………………………………………………..p 6
Figure 4: Proportion of each range of product in sales……………………………………..p 9
Figure 5: Total U.S. Pet Industry Expenditures…………………………………………….p 14
Figure 6: In 2009, $45.5 billion was spent on pets in the U.S……………………………...p 14
Figure 7: For 2010, it estimated that $47.7 billion will be spent on pets in the U.S……….p 14
Figure 8: Various retailing channels in the United States…………………………………..p 35
47
Appendices
48
Appendix I: Market survey
49
Appendix II: Results of the market survey
50
51
52
Appendix III: Job Advertisement
Bilingual Export Assitant (M/F)
Canistar is a dynamic young company based in Paris, specialized in clothes and accessories
for dogs. The company created in 2008 has obtained very good results on French market in
2009 and intends to enter foreign markets. Basing on a significant market survey, the brand
seeks to launch its trendy collection in the United States of America. Therefore the company
intends to hire a bilingual export assistant, who will help to develop this new business.
Your mission
Supervised and guided by the export manager of the company, you will ensure the right
development of the American market. On the long run, your cooperation will help the
company to understand the needs of American people and to meet these needs by selling them
Canistar‟s products.
Your tasks
Taking part in market survey in the United States
Helping the export manager to manage orders and logistics
Creating presentations and reports about the current American market
Making documentary researches about the American import-export norms
Helping to negotiate freight costs and monitor transport lines
Organizing trips to USA
Dealing with enquiries from clients and suppliers
Liaison with the sales team
Tracking deliveries
Entrance requirements
You have at least 6 months of experience in Logistics or Export
You are bilingual French-English
You have good administrative and logistics skills
You have good knowledge about USA
You are willing to travel regularly between France and USA
You have perfect skills of computer software (Access, Excel, Word, Sphinx)
The gross salary for the job is 20 000€ a year, depending on your experience.
Please send your resume by mail or by electronic mail to the following address:
Canistar Entreprise
12 rue de la Libération @ : canistar-emploi.fr
93400 Saint-Ouen
53
Appendix IV: Complaint letter
CANISTAR COMPANY
Sales department
15 avenue Gabriel Péri
93400 SAINT OUEN
FRANCE
Suzy CLARKSON
Flat 3 A
415 West 51st Street
New York, NY 10019
UNITED STATES
: (212) 123-4567
November 20, 2010
Dear Sir or Madam,
Clothing rub off on dog
Since the launch of your brand in the United States, I became a faithful consumer of
Canistar‟s products and until now I was very satisfied. However, my enthusiasm sharply fell
when a Canistar product which I had bought two weeks before on the website faded on my
dog. It concerns a red coat which bled with contacts of the rain and so turned my white dog
into pink.
I was very shocked by this event and I had to face rather high expenses to repair the damage,
in particular the bill of the groomer. To be quite frank, I am hesitating if I will buy other
products of your future collections. However, I consider that I have a right of compensation
for the caused damage. I enclosed a photo of my dog after this drama that you get a general
idea of the damage.
I ask to get a refund of the price of the coat. Furthermore, I hope that you take measures to
avoid that this kind of inconvenience does happen again. After reimbursement of costs I will
hand back the article so that you can judge the problem by yourself.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours faithfully
Suzy CLARKSON
54
Appendix V: Answer to complaint letter
CANISTAR COMPANY
Sales department
15 avenue Gabriel Péri
93400 SAINT OUEN
FRANCE
Suzy CLARKSON
Flat 3 A
415 West 51st Street
New York, NY 10019
UNITED STATES
: (212) 123-4567
November 20, 2010
Dear Ms Clarkson
Clothing rub off on dog
We were very sorry to read the letter from the 20 November 2010 dealing with the issue of
the discoloring of one of our clothes. We apologize for the caused damage. We cannot
understand how it could happen because we take care of the quality of our products.
Naturally we will reimburse the groomer bill as well as the clothes. We only ask you to send
us the receipt.
As a sign of goodwill, we will offer you a discount of 10€ on our new collection. You can use
this discount either in one of our shops or on our website.
With respectful regards, we remain,
Yours sincerely,
Noëlle HENRI
Sales Manager
55
Appendix VI: Minutes
Minutes of the meeting concerning the problem with the Product N° 76479
02 December 2010
Members present: Cigdem Guc, Managing Director
Noëlle Henri, Sales and Administration Manager
Anna Guichen, Marketing Manager
Alexandra Kohlert, Export Manager and Secretary of the meeting
Absent: Emanuel Zotti; Stylist (business trip)
Agenda:
1) Presentation of the problem by Ms Henri
2) Discussion of possible solutions
3) Final decision
Discussion:
Ms Guc opened the meeting at 15.30 by welcoming all the members. She asked Ms Henri to
explain the reason of the meeting.
First Item:
Ms Henri reported that there is a problem with the product n° 76479, a red coat, which rubs
off on dogs in touch with water. The company got several letters of unsatisfied customers who
ask for reimbursement. The company´s supplier in Italy, Tessuto, bought the material on the
Chinese market without testing it.
Second Item:
- During the meeting Ms Henri checked the contract with the supplier Tessuto which prove
that there are responsible for testing the quality of the product.
Ms Guc called our insurance company to get information about the repayment modalities.
They fixed an appointment for the next day.
- Ms Guichen was thinking about a suitable solution to calm the customers down without
harming the firm image. She suggested creating a new advertising campaign. Ms Henri
mentioned to send an apologize letter. Ms Guichen thought about sending emails to clients
who bought the products via the website www.canistar.com instead of displaying a brief
message on the website.
- Ms Guc wanted to focus on the refund of the clients and asked for evidences that they have
to furnish to be refunded.
First of all Ms Henri and Ms Guichen discussed about the importance of the receipt, photos
and about the reimbursement. Finally they decided that the customers have to furnish the
receipt. They decided also to ask directly the clients how they prefer to be refunded.
56
Third Item:
Finally the decision was to focus on the refund of the clients. Ms Henri said that the problem
with the supplier could be solved later and that Canistar do not have enough money for the
advertising campaign. Ms Guichen suggested that we offer a voucher of € 75 which represents
50% of the total amount of the defective product.
Ms Henri and Ms Guichen will be in charge of controlling receipts and managing vouchers as
well as methods of payment.
Ms Guc thanks all participants for their presence and concludes the meeting at 16 hrs.
Date of next meeting- 16 December, in the main boardroom
57
Appendix VII: Cvs
Cigdem Guc 5 Place Victor Mangin 44200 Nantes +33 (6) 37 41 14 54 [email protected] D.O.B: 19/01/1989 EDUCATION
2010-2011 (in process)
Master 1 LEA English-Spanish, University of Nantes
(44) France Relevant coursework: English civilisation & traduction, Spanish traduction, Latino-American civilisation, International business, Marketing, International law, Informatics, Communication, Logistics
June 2010
Licence in LEA English-Spanish-Italian, Foreign languages in international Trade, 3-year degree, University of Nantes. (44) France
June 2007
Secondary school diploma with a specialization in Economic (equivalent to A-level), with distinction, Lycée Jeanne D’Arc Montaigu (85) France
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Since September 2010 & May 2008
In charge of marketing, Agence Intervalles & Latitude Etudiante, Nantes (44) France
Summer 2007-2008 & 2009
Cashier & putting merchandise on display, Système U, (85) France
LANGUAGES SKILLS & I.T SKILLS
French English
Fluent-Native speaker Advanced – European level: 825/990 ( TOEIC 2010)
Spanish Proficient– European level : C1 (BULATS 2010) Italian Turkish
Basic knowledge Basic knowledge
I.T skills Database (Access & Open office database), Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet Sphinx : Survey software Kompozer : Web authoring system Photofiltre : Image editing software
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
FRENCH / ENGLISH / SPANISH
58
ALEXANDRA KOHLERT
31, rue Gutenberg
44100 Nantes, France
Phone : (+33) 6.50.53.97.00
E-mail : [email protected]
The University of Nantes
Masters in Foreign Languages in International Trade
Expected date of graduates May 2012
Introduction to Logistics, International Law Studies, Management, Marketing and Communication
The University of Nantes
Licenses in Foreign Languages in International Trade (B.A. 3 years university degree)
Focus on Languages, Economics, Marketing, Management and Communication
September 2006- September 2010
Program Assistant at EAIE conference, Nantes- France
September 2010
Assistance with the set-up and preparation of the various conference venues
Assisting conference speaker with the on- site preparation (e.g. technical equipement) of their sessions
Providing friendly and professional service to conference participants
Receptionist, Camping Pola, Tossa de Mar- Spain
July- August 2009 and 2010
Customers liaison and support
Responsible for the Check- in and check- out
Helped with the daily book- keeping
Flight attendant at Germania Airlines
September 2005- October 2006
Compliance with the security instructions on board
Acquisition and application of the first aid- standards
Customers liaison and support
European Voluntary Service in a French- German day nursery, Nantes -France
September 2004 – July 2005
Care and supervision of the children
Prepared and carried out activities
Camp counselor for AWO Strausberg and Kinder und Jugendring Berlin- Germany
Seasonal, 2001 – 2004
Responsible for the well- being of the children
Planned daily activities
Experienced in leading teams
Proficient in written and oral French and English ( TOEIC 965/990 points, June 2010)
Good knowledge in Spanish and notions in Arabic
Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Access proficient
Experience with HTML
EDUCATION
EXPERIENCE
SKILLS
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