Chapter2 : Strategic Planning for a Competetive Advantage

       Cartier implements a wide array of different marketing strategies, targeting different consumer groups, ultimately boosting sales by means of diversification. Cartier highlights their strengths to boost market value, further gaining respect and recognition for their reputation as the King of Jewelers. What draws people to Cartier is not only their highly respectable reputation for creating elegant, timeless pieces, but also Cartier's ethical business practices aimed at giving back to the environment. This draws people who are concerned with the environment to Cartier's integrity and concern for their environment as well as their ethical anti-corruption business practices. Cartier also employs the most skilled jewelers to carefully construct the delicate and highly artistic pieces, which creates a better quality end product.

     Cartier allocates resources into the community around them, into various charities, as well as reinvests it into the company to further developed strategic marketing tactics and research how to target a wider array of clients who will stay faithful to the brand, becoming more and more intrigued with each new release.  Cartier implements a marketing mix, distributing their jewelry in many different countries, in the capitol of the countries where the wealthiest residents reside, promote their jewelry by lending it to celebrities to wear to the Oscars as well promoting their jewelry at charity events and galas. To target a richer audience who has an acquired taste for luxury, Cartier strategically places ads in The Wall Street Journal, aiming to reach out to those working in finance and have money to invest as well as spend on luxury items, specifically promoting their most high end line, the Cartier Royal line.

Cameron Diaz wearing a $58,100 Cartier ring to the 82nd annual Oscars

     Cartier has many strategic advantages over it's competitors including ethical business practices, support of their community, a customer satisfaction policy that guarantees the superior quality of the jewelry, and brand recognition and respect that dates back to the late 1800s. In 2010, Cartier decided to showcase their rich history and invited French commercial director Bruno Aveillan to construct the dynamic commercial which took two years to assemble. This master piece, L'Odyssée de Cartier,  takes the viewer on a wondrous, enchanting journey through the 165-year old(from the date it was released) history of Cartier, capturing the very essence of what makes Cartier stand out amongst other luxury brands. This 3.5-minute commercial captivates the heart of the viewer, mesmerizing their very soul, compelling them to try to understand the underlying world of Cartier that is being portrayed. L'Odyssée de Cartier also incorporates all of the Cartier jewelry brands into the clip, the LOVE Collection, The Panthere Collection, The Trinity Collection, and Cartier watches.

Bruno Aveillan, Director of L'Odyssee de Cartier

      L'Odyssée de Cartier dramatically increased Cartier's market share, giving them a significant competitive advantage over any other luxury brand in the world. With their commercial, they intrigued the entire world, putting people at their toes, excited to view the commercial the day it aired on television. Cartier was able to bring together the strategies of market penetration and market development, increasing market share among existing customers while attracting new customers to their brand. This marketing tactic worked to their advantage, further pushing Cartier as the leading in world class, ultra luxury jewelry.
   
      Among many of Cartier's competitive advantages is their rich history in the art of fine jewelry making. Cartier isn't a brand, it's a maison. “The difference between a maison and a brand is that a maison has to have been established a long time ago, whereas a brand could have been created last month. A maison is always global, universal in fact, whereas a brand could be very local. A maison has to have a physical location, which we have all over the world, whereas a brand could be on the internet. And lastly, a maison is interested in its roots. Building on what Winston Churchill said, ‘the branches of a tree cannot go further than its roots’ and we have long roots.” - Cartier CEO Stanislas de Quercize. This is part of the essence of Cartier that attracts so many people worldwide to the luxurious and enchanting world of Cartier jewelry.