BW Confidential - Issue #17 - March/April 2014 - (Page 14)

Update Companies on the move Brand building Mavive fine-tunes the distribution strategy for its new brand The Merchant of Venice by Oonagh Phillips Italian company Mavive is looking to build distribution for its new fragrance brand, The Merchant of Venice. The brand, which launched in the fall of 2013, includes the Murano Collection, a range of six EdPs, inspired by six ancient Mediterranean trade routes, retailing at €65 (50ml) and €90 (100ml); the Museo Collection of 40 EdTs; and a perfumer kit, which consists of two perfume bases and six different notes, and allows consumers to create their own fragrance. The idea for the brand came about following the creation of the first Perfume Museum in Italy, which opened last November and was founded by Mavive in cooperation with the city of Venice (see box). Flagship and franchises In terms of distribution, the brand is looking to a mix of its own flagships stores, franchises, traditional department-store and perfumery distribution and duty free. The brand opened its first flagship store in Venice in October near the city's La Fenice theater. The store is housed in a 17th century building, whose original features, such as wooden furniture and statues, have been restored. The brand opened a second store in the city's Santa Fosca pharmacy in an area heavily frequented by tourists, and another store in the Perfume Museum; it is also sold in the duty free area of Venice's Marco Polo airport. "We will now look at widening distribution in Italy and abroad, but will make sure we keep a selective positioning. The brand has a rich concept so it needs space and the salespeople to sell it properly, and it can't just be put among commercial brands," comments Mavive marketing director Lorenzo Vidal. He continues: "In the future, sales could be done with 30% franchises and 70% traditional distribution." Europe, the Middle 14 s The Merchant of Venice brand includes the Murano Collection (pictured above). The brand opened a flagship store in Venice and is also looking to franchises East and Asia have been highlighted as key markets for the brand. Vidal says that the initial reaction to the brand has been positive. "The connection with the museum gives the brand credibility. A lot of sales have been from tourists who want a piece of Venice and want to know the story behind the concept," he explains. So far, the Museo Collection has seen the strongest sales, perhaps due to its lower price (€45). In addition to expanding distribution, the company is working on adding new products to the range. Vidal declined to give sales objectives for the brand, but said: "The Merchant of Venice is one of our most ambitious projects and is extremely important for the future of the company." n Venice's Perfume Museum Mavive teamed up with the City of Venice to create the first Perfume Museum in Italy, aimed at highlighting Venice's fragrance heritage. The museum is housed in the fifteenth-century Palazzo Mocenigo in Venice, which was restored as a result of a financial contribution from Mavive. The museum seeks to educate visitors about the history of fragrance, particularly in Italy. It includes multimedia content to learn about different fragrance families and notes, more than 2,500 perfume bottles donated by German fragrance house Drom and the first Western treatise on cosmetics, Notandissimi Secreti De L'Arte Profumatoria, which was first printed in 1555. March-April 2014 - N°17 - BW Confidential

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BW Confidential - Issue #17 - March/April 2014

Cover
Comment
Contents
Update
Brand & retail news recap
Companies on the move
Take note Market facts, figures & trends
Best of BW Highlights from our e-publication
Launches The latest in fragrance, skincare & make-up
Interview Guerlain ceo Laurent Boillot
Insight: Make-up
Category overview
Budget brands
The latest trends
Retail
Innovative strategies
Retail
Vending machines
Store concepts
Digital Social media content
Market watch: Latin America
Regional overview
Mexico: country analysis
Mexico: prestige retailing
Colombia: country analysis
Colombia: prestige retailing
Argentina: country analysis
Argentina: prestige retailing
Radar A profile of six up-and-coming beauty brands
Emerging markets Company profile: Mahogany
Travel retail: Brazilian travelers
Analysis
Industry viewpoint
Packaging: Decoration techniques
Trends analysis
Innovations
Last word Diagonal Reports analyst Jacqueline Clarke

BW Confidential - Issue #17 - March/April 2014