Chapter 12: Services and Nonprofit Organizational marketing

     Cartier jewlery is finely and carefully crafted with great attention to detail and using the highest quality materials. The pieces are valuable works of art that are meant to be passed on from generation to generation. The maison  has seen its jewelry creations transmitted from one generation to the next  since 1847. With the passage of time, the creations are exposed to temperature differences, pollution, occasional knocks and contact with different surfaces, first among them being the wearer's skin. Since these creations are precious, these jewels deserve all the care and attention of the client. At Cartier, a restoration service is offered for the jewelry which enables the client to preserve their beloved jewelry for years to come.Cartier offers a number of restoration and customization services ranging from engravings to the creation of a missing piece of a jewlwery serious. The maison Cartier was always know for their high attention to detail and the jeweler's ability to customize their products upon special request. 

     The managers at Cartier understand the importance of exceeding customer expectations and offering the best possible customer experience. Cartier's customers expect the highest quality work in a timely manner, which is what Cartier delivers. The maison has an impressive archive of all their jewelry that they have created along with the molds that were used in the creation of the pieces, looking through which allows the master jewelers at Cartier to identically recreate pieces such as a missing earring. The maison has a reputation based on quality and reliability which ensiles assurance into customers, letting them know that their jewelry is in good hands.     Cartier is a company known for their dedication to excellence and an enchanting customer experience. Theses ideals carry over into the services that the maison offers. The staff at Cartier undergo special rigorous training in order to be able to assist clients with what they are looking for as well as to provide information regarding any questions that may arise.  All services offered by Cartier are performed and delivered in accordance with the maison’s dedication to precision, excellence, and highest standard of accuracy in a timely manner that is convenient for the client. 

Cartier's shining service

 

One of the earrings was made by the reproduction/pairing service

      The management of Cartier overlooks the discrepancies that can influence customer experience, making constant improvements to enhance client experience thereby, closing the gaps that may arise between the services provided and client expectations for those services. The maison offers a wide array of services ranging from something as simple as engravings and polishing of jewelry to more complex services as recreating missing pieces to a series using old archives and molds. All services that Cartier offers are listed on their website, describing in detail what is included in the service and what outcome the client can expect. This apprehensive list and explanation of services closes the gap between the services provided by the maison and client expectations for those services. 

Some of the prices of Cartier's jewelry services

     Cartier, however, doesn't only promise to deliver their services with excellence, they deliver. What drives the clients of Cartier to entrust their most precious jewels to the maison is Cartier’s historical establishment of reliability,  responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. This can be noted through Cartier’s history of working with royalty such as the Maharaj of India which entrusted the jeweler to reset India’s most precious stones. Cartier not only delivered on the promise to rest the stones with care and attention, but also excelled expectations by presenting beautiful, hand crafted pieces that were customized to match the style of the Maharaj.

Chapter 10: Product Concepts

    Cartier is one of the most respected high luxury brands in the world that dates back to the late 1800s, known for creating beautiful, timeless, and exquisite jewelry. The maison captivates the heart of the jewelry lover, distinguishing itself amongst other high-luxury jewelry brands with it’s rich history of serving the world’s royalty and elites, leaving admirers unwilling to accept a substitute. What draws people to buy this exquisite jewelry is not only the high quality and beauty of the pieces,but rather it is the name "Cartier" that attracts and captivates them the most. Throughout the history of its existence, Cartier proved itself as a leader of fine jewelry making in the world arena, gaining a highly respectable reputation and high brand equity. Their trademark name is the driving factor of the appeal of Cartier. Throughout its years of serving royalty, elites, and celebrities, Cartier maintained brand royalty and its reputation as the King of Jewelers.

     The maison boasts a great width of product depth offering rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, chains, pendants, and brooches in addition to men's and women's watches, with notable depth of their product lines including their  Panthere , LOVE, Trinity, Amulette, Juste un Clou, Paris Nouvelle Vague, Royal, and various watch collections, with multiple uniquely crafted artisan pieces in each collection. Cartier jewelry has its own personality given by the underlying history of  maison as well ad the commercials that help it come to life. 

Cartier's signature piece from their Trinity de Cartier collection 

    Cartier’s commercials and advertisements are made in coherence with it’s status and reputation of being a high luxury brands. The maison’s commercials, such as their L’Odyssee de Cartier and their Winter Tales create a feel of luxury and exclusivity that Cartier is known for. However, their dynamic ads and commercials come at a price of millions of dollars in marketing each year, making it appealing for other company’s to steal their trademark signature. In September of 2007, Cartier sued american brand Carter Jewelers for infringing upon their trademark rights, eventually winning the case. Cartier's  brand name which is written in script can be found engraved on the inside of each individual Cartier piece and their logo on the box that comes with the purchase. The packaging and boxes the jewelry comes in is of superior quality, offering cushioning on the interior of the box to protect the jewelry. This signature red box extends the feeling of luxury of a Cartier purchase. 

Cartier's panthere with the signature red boxes

Cartier's brand name with their logo (top)

Cartier's logo

Cartier's brand name engraved on the inside of a ring

     Just as the jewelry box is meant to product the product, the warranty protects the buyer and gives essential information about the product. Each Cartier purchase comes with a pocket user's guide and a certificate of authenticity. Cartier also offers a warranty on its watches which can be also found on their website.

Cartier box alongside their Warranty booklet 

Cartier packaging with a Cartier authenticity certificate

   Throughout the world, Cartier sells the same jewelry with the only difference being product mix width and product line depth offered at the Cartier boutiques based upon the size of the boutique. Being that the maison is named after it's founder, Louis-François Cartier, its has one brand name everywhere due to the fact that "Cartier" isn't a real word in any language and therefore does not have any negative connotations in any local market. This one brand name strategy works to their advantages as it gives the maison greater identification of their brand from market to market as well as ease of promotion worldwide.

Chapter 17: Personal Selling and Sales Management

Cartier is a highly respected specialty, luxury brand that adheres to standards set by the founders of the maison, with a reputation built upon dedication to excellence and strive to achieve the highest level of customer satisfaction.

 Through out its history, Cartier was a maison that placed an emphasis on personalization, and  portrayed a great deal of empathy  towards their customers. This can be noted in Pierre Cartier's trip to Russia in 1904 which sealed their partnership with the aristocrats and royalty of the Russian throne. Pierre was able to win over the trust of the Russian courts  with his charming personality, confidence in the excellence of his jewelry, and assertiveness. Before long, Cartier's relationship with their elite clientele, got them further respect and recognition by means of referral. Their clients included the courts of England, Greece, and Spain, as well as the aristocrats and celebrities from all over the globe.

Pierre Cartier in Russia

The Duchess of Windsor wearing a Cartier necklace

Tiara made by Cartier

A necklace made for the royalty of India

    Over the years, Cartier evolved as a company, further improving their customer service abilities with the help of technology and social media that allows customers to provide feedback on customer service and products. Social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram allow the maison to communicate with their customers as well as keep them updated on limited time collections and new luxury pieces that are being introduced and Cartier's Ecommerce site allows those customers who push sales people away to shop without having to visit a boutique.

Cartier's Facebook page

Cartier's Instagram page

     However Cartier's sales philosophy didn't change from the time it was founded. As a maison,  Cartier isn't simply concerned with making a one time sale and then moving on, rather they emphasize the relationship that develops between a sales person and a buyer. As a maison with great product mix width and an apprehensive product line depth, which may overwhelm the typical customer,  Cartier staffs their boutiques with highly knowledgeable employees who are able to explain the basic history and product specifications of each item in the boutique. When hiring sales consultants, the managers at Cartier look for traits resembling those of the founders of the maison, that is, self confidence, sense of urgency and competitiveness, assertiveness, creativity, and empathy.    Upon entering a Cartier boutique, the client is approached by a sales person who guides them through their journey at Cartier, striving to find the best suitable pieces for the occasion. The salesperson conducts a needs assessment to find out as much information about the prospect's situation as possible in order to be able to efficiently assist the potential buyer. Conducting a needs assessment also serves to help the sales person cross-sell pieces that complement the customer's demographic, lifestyle, and/or behavioral traits.

A sales person in Cartier advising customer

     The employee not only guides the customer through the store, but also serves as a consultant and problem solver for their customer. This can be observed, in many cases, as a customer is picking out a gift for their spouse, in which case, the customer asks for the personal advice of the sales consultant, relying on their insight and guidance to make the best possible decision. This is especially prevalent in the process of picking out an engagement ring. Each customer at Cartier is given an ample amount of time and attention from the employees, leading to the creation of a strong bond between sales persons person and customer,  leading to a higher level of trust between the two and, ultimately, and easier close to a sale. To enhance the in store customer experience, client can make an appointment to visit the boutique by filling out a form on Cartier's website. This form addresses the reason for the visit,  asks for the potential customer's information, and gives them  the option to pick the time during which they are available to come in. This serves as a convenience to both the maison and the customers as it saves the customer's information in the company's database as well as gives the sales person information on why the customer is interested in.

Cartier's appointment form

     Although Cartier jewelry is remarkably exquisite, it comes at a hefty price, due to which, potential buyers occasionally have objections to the product, insisting that the price is too high. However, being that the sales consultants at Cartier are qualified professionals, they understand that objections are a legitimate part of the purchase decision and are trained to stay calm and handle the situation. By pointing out the superiority of Cartier as a maison and fine crafter of jewelry, as well as by drawing attention to Cartier's rich history, respectable reputation, and durability of their pieces, along side highlighting Cartier's authenticity warranty and after-purchase customer support, the sales consultant is often able to persuade the customer to purchase.

Cartier watch with price($44,900)

Cartier ring costing $199,000

Cartier Panthere Bracelet valued at $93,000

Chapter 16 - Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Promotion

     Carier is a company know not only for their superb quality of jewelry, but also for their dynamic and extravagant commercials and ads. Cartier implements a mix of advertising strategies, boosting their company image and market share. Cartier's ads can be found in the Wall Street Journal, Playbills, high fashion magazines, on posters in airports, and TV commercials.  Cartier's unique selling proposition lies in it's dedication to making high quality, extravagant jewelry with a reputation established dating back to the late 1800s. Cartier commercials often portray admiration as well as vanity and a bit of egotism. Cartier commercials portray a feeling of luxury, elegance, happiness, comfort, and even sensuality. 
     In their most dynamic commercial , L'Odyssée de Cartier, the company uses a real panther as a symbol of the journey of the maison across different countries, encountering different animals which tell the viewer about the rich history of Cartier. This commercial builds upon a fantasy setting to portray their rich history in a unique and captivating way. This commercial has music that builds suspense to the scene, intriguing the viewer while inviting them to discover the history of Cartier.

Chapter 14: Marketing Channels and retailing

    Cartier is a name synonymous with extravagance.  The maison prides itself on being an ultra- luxury, high end jewelry company that can only be bought through authorized Cartier dealers, Cartier boutiques, or from Cartier's website which is assessable from all over the world. The company uses exclusive distribution in order to maintain their image of high luxury and exclusivity. Cartier boutiques are specialty chain stores that are owned by Cartier SA  and are operate in over 125 countries. These boutiques offer a high level of service and customer assistance to assure the best possible in store experience, with employees who are trained to answer any client questions that may arise. Cartier boutiques around the world aren't standardized in terms of the collections that they have available in stores. However, the flagship locations, such as the one located on 653 5th ave in New York,  and on 13 Rue de la Paix in Paris, offer a wide assortment of jewelry pieces from all Cartier collections.

Interior design of the Cartier boutique located at the iconic location of 13 Rue de la Paix

   Cartier boutiques can be found in the world's most luxurious and elite neighborhoods such as Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, which is known as the avenue of designer, ultra-luxurious shopping, and  Paris' Rue de la Paix, which was considered the most expensive street in Paris and the heart of Parisian elegance, dating back to the late 1890s. Cartier can also be found in the heart of Monaco, which is home to the richest people in the world thanks to the tax less nature of the country, with property averaging at 23,500 euros per square meter, as well as inside the Paradise Island Resort in Bahamas, among many other locations with a concentrated amount of capitalistic and upper middle class population.

Cartier boutique in Monaco

Cartier boutique in Atlantis resort on Paradise Island

Cartier boutique on 5th Ave in Manhattan

     The elegant boutiques are strategically located in areas that are known for elegance, luxury, and extravagance. Cartier boutiques have a lavish and sophisticated setting, whether outside or inside of the boutique. Upon entering a Cartier boutique, the customer is enchanted by the royal treatment that they are greeted with. The atmosphere inside Cartier boutiques portrays a sense of timeless elegance, grace, and sophistication. Although the interior design slightly varies from location to location, the general atmosphere is the same in every Cartier boutique. Cartier boutiques have an elegant modern decor, with organized, neat, and near sterile display cases and employees that look well groomed,neat, and friendly, dressed in business casual attire. The employees at Cartier are truly able to answer almost any question the customer may have ranging from questions about the significance of the collection to those about what clarity each stone is without hesitation in a polite and friendly manner.

Interior of Cartier boutique in Cancun

Cartier interior in Singapore 

Cartier boutique interior in Lucerne, Switzerland

      Upon visiting Cartier's flagship store  located on Fifth Avenue in NYC,  the customer will have an unforgettable experience. The boutique is located in the heart of the luxurious shopping district on 52St and 5th Ave, close to the famous Rockefeller Center where the customers are greeted by a well dressed doorman who opens the door for them upon their arrival and departure from the boutique. The boutique itself is a large, well organized area that has beautiful furniture and displays with a modern and elegant touch.  The exterior of the store features displays of some of their most famous jewelry pieces, and in the winter time , The exterior of the store is decorated with huge red boxes, an exaggeration of those that the customer receives with the jewelry once purchased as well as a big red ribbon with a bow going across the building of the boutique. Cartier employees greet customers with a warm welcome and immediately offer to assist them. When taking jewelry pieces out of the display, Cartier employees pick up the jewelry wearing a glove, not their bare hands.  After showing the customer the piece they asked about, the employee  suggests items that would compliment the piece(s), without sounding pushy or forceful. The employees ask the customers what their budget is in order to help them find items that fit their budget needs. Due to that fact that this location is indeed a flagship boutique, it is better equipped with a full staff that can handle very high volumes of customers simultaneously then a smaller boutique would. During the holiday season, Cartier employs more people in order to meet the demand of the holiday season. The overall experience in this boutique leaves the customer feeling like they experience a piece of the the royal life, enchanting them and captivating their heart with the timeless elegance and extravagance that is Cartier.

Cartier's exterior design around Christmas (Old Bond Street)

Cartier's exterior design around Christmas time(5th Ave location)

Chapter 6: Consumer Decision Making

    Cartier is a high luxury company that generously allocates their resources to promote their company image,  product exclusivity, and increase their marketing efficiency.  The marketers at Cartier spend a great deal of time trying to properly understand the needs of their target market,  the capitalistic and upper middle class throughout the world. To understand the needs of the consumer, the marketer must first ask "What is the desired outcome of the consumer after purchasing our product?". In the case of the consumers of Cartier, one major driving factor influencing them to desire Cartier jewelry is to reinforce their social status amongst their peers. Throughout it's history, Cartier was a company known for elegance, luxury, and the highest standard of quality and customer service. The maison's rich history and prestigious reputation is what draws consumers to their jewelry, acting as an external stimulus on the consumers' decision.  

     To promote their company image and influence consumers to desire their jewelry, Cartier creates luxurious ads that appeal to the senses of consumers and strategically places them where there the  target consumer is likely to reach it, such as in the pages of the Wall Street Journal, Playbills for opening nights at The Metropolitan Opera, and even television commercials. Cartier's ads are dynamic, eye-catching, and extravagant creations designed to entice the viewer and captivate their heart, seducing them to enter the world of Cartier jewelry. These ads are designed to appeal to esteem needs, portraying a life of full of passion, elegance, luxury, success, and glamour making the viewer believe that is the lifestyle that comes with Carter.

This extravagant commercial for Cartier, made for the winter holidays, makes the viewer feel as if they are in a fairy tale filled with magic, suggesting the idea that Cartier jewelry is the source of holiday magic. 

This Cartier ad encourages feelings of romance and passionate love, choosing the romantic setting of Paris, overlooking the Eiffel Tower in the background 

This ad appeals to Russians as it incorporates the Russian winter and captures the beauty of it, making it highlight the luxurious Cartier pieces, resembling those adored by the Russian aristocracy making the viewer of this ad feel as if Cartier jewelry is what compliments the beauty of nature. However, this ad can also appeal to consumers worldwide that are celebrating the beauty of winter.

      Cartier loans exquisite jewelry pieces to celebrities that serve as aspirational references for the general public as well as for the upper class elites, to wear at Red Carpet events which further develops Cartier's image as a leading luxury jeweler and develops their idea of product exclusivity. Cartier's rich history of high profile clientele,their widely known reputation of excellence, and their satisfaction guarantee policy encourages buying confidence to consumers with feelings of dissonance. Cartier offers a lifetime policy on all of their jewelry as well as documentation to prove the authenticity of their products. 

Chinese model and actress Fan Bing Bing wearing Cartier at the closing ceremony of the 2010 Cannes Film Festival 

    As the spending power of the emerging upper middle class in various parts of the world such as China and India grows, so does their desire for a lavish, luxurious lifestyle and items of the highest quality. This growing want-got gap is encouraged by marketers through grand events such as the exhibition that took place in May 2004 in the Shanghai  Museum and grand opening events of new boutique locations. What draws many Chinese and Indian consumers to Cartier is the incorporation of their cultures into some of Cartier's jewelry pieces, such as the Tutti Frutti collection inspired by Indian culture and the Chinese Chimera jewelry inspired by Chinese culture, which dates back to the 1920s. 

Ad for a Cartier exhibition that took place in China, highlighting the companies ties to the Chinese culture

Chapter 5- Developing a Global Vision

  Cartier was founded in Paris, the heart of France, in 1847 by Louis-François Cartier. The jeweler quickly gained recognition due to his captivating ability to create unique, highly skillful, and extravagant jewelry pieces. Before long, Cartier entered the world arena, enticing the world's royalty and elite.The company has a long history of serving royalty, as well as stars and celebrities. Cartier SA, the originally family owned company, is now an enormous multinational organization headquartered in Paris which owns and operates more than 200 stores in 125 countries, with five flagship stores world-wide, in Paris on 13, Rue de la Paix, London on 175-177 New Bond Street, New York on 653 Fifth Avenue, Tokyo in Minami Aoyama, and Shanghai on Bund 18, 1st East ZhongShan Road.

   The maison began gaining global recognition in Paris around 1855 when the countess of Nieuwerkerke made her first purchase from Cartier. Due to the fact that her husband, the Count of Nieuwerkerke, had connections with Princess Mathilde, he became an intermediary between the Princess and Cartier. Before long, Cartier became a favorite of Princess Mathilde, the cousin of Napoleon III, whose patronage opened the door to Parisian society. 

The Count of Nieuwerkerke

Princess Mathilde Bonaparte wearing Cartier(left) and her Vanderbilt Rose Brooch(right)

   By 1874  Alfred Cartier took over the company from his father Louis Francois. His son Alfred Cartier and grandsons Louis, Pierre and Jacques, had great hopes and ambitions for Cartier. In 1899, Cartier opened its doors at 13 Rue de Paix, one of the most expensive streets in Paris which was considered the heart of Parisian elegance and luxury, which offered everything an elegant wealthy woman may wish to purchase. This location attracted famous figures from all over the world. Although Cartier started acquiring attention all over the world, Louis, Pierre and Jacques were the ones responsible for establishing the brand name worldwide. The three brother had a global vision for Cartier, setting out to build an empire based in Paris, with customers worldwide. 

Alfred, Louis, Pierre, and Jacques Cartier

     As the maison became more popular, Cartier expanded their empire and entered the global market by means of direct investment, opening a London branch in 1902, New York branch in 1909, and a branch in St.Petersburg by 1908. Alfred Cartier entrusted his three sons to manage the Maison de Cartier. The eldest son Louis directed the shop in Paris while Alfred Cartier’s younger sons Pierre and Jacque left on voyages to explore the world. They later established themselves in other areas, Pierre in New York, and Jacques in London. The Cartier boutiques attracted the richest elites as well as celebrities and royalty, establishing a name for the maison in the global arena.

    In 1904 Pierre Cartier made his first trip to Russia. While Cartier’s first contacts with imperial Russia can be traced back to 1860, the jeweller only won over the country’s aristocracy after Pierre’s first visits to Moscow and St Petersburg in 1904 and 1905. Prince Saltikov, Cartier’s first Russian customer, purchased an emerald bracelet mounted on black-enamelled gold in 1886. Won over by Cartier, he established the jeweller’s reputation in the imperial court. Amongst Cartier's biggest admirers were Maria Feodorovna and Maria Pavlovna  who had the power to make or break someone's reputation. In 1907 Maria Feodorovna visited Rue de la Paix to see Cartier's most beautiful creations as well as to express her desire to see a branch opened in St. Petersburg. In 1907, Tsar Nicolas appointed Cartier as an official supplier to the Imperial court, and in 1908, Cartier opened a salesroom in St Petersburg.Pierre Cartier travelled to Russia several times and created ties with artisans from Saint Petersburg who became Cartier suppliers. 

Pierre Cartier in a carriage during one of this first trips to Russia

Maria Feodorovna wearing a Cartier tiara/necklace(above) around her neck

Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna wearing a Cartier tiara

Before long Cartier's extravagance and dedication to excellence also got them the royal patronage of the courts of England, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Siam  Cartier became the British Royal Family’s jeweller and provided 27 crowns for coronations gaining the reputation as the “King of Jewellery” from King Edward VII.  Among Cartier's biggest clients were the Duke and Duchess of Windsor who ordered extravagant and lavishing pieces from the maison. For over 150 years the crowned heads of Europe and the elite around the world have adored the Cartier family’s creations. (Video montage of some of Cartier's most famous creations)

The Duchess of Windsor(left) and a Cartier brooch she owned(right) until it was auctioned off

The scroll tiara commisioned from Catier by King George the VI, 3 weeks before the coronation of Queen Elizabeth I in 1936. The tiara was then passed to their daughter Queen Elizabeth II who never wore it in public, but loaned it to sister Princess Margaret,(upper right picture). She also loaned it to her only daughter Anne (lower left)in her young married years. Queen ELizabeth II most recently loaned this tiara to Catherine Middleton for her wedding to her Grandson Prince William 

     Because of their huge economical potential, India and China are of growing interest to many multinational corporations with the highest growth rates and two of the world's largest populations. However Cartier's ties to China and India date back to the early 1900s. Chinese and Indian art were equally influential on Cartier artworks from the beginning of the 1910s. 

Jacques Cartier with Indian gemstone merchants, 1911

   Cartier's ties with India began with Jacques Cartier, a member of the Cartier family, visiting India in 1911 in pursuit of fine pearls. While embarked on his adventure, he was able to persuade a number of royal families to reset their jewels using Cartier designs. The Maharajahs were amazed by the Parisian jewelry and spent lavishly on Cartier pieces. The royalty also entrusted their stones to the jeweller so that they could be set in contemporary mounts, usually in platinum. The most memorable of the pieces is the enchanting ceremonial necklace created for Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala in 1928.This contact with India also inspired Cartier to design his magnificent Indian style pieces, incorporating Indian culture into the designs and color arrangements called the the Tutti Frutti style. Cartier also adopted ancient Indian gem-cutting techniques which further advanced the possibilities of the great jeweler. However, Cartier didn't enter the market in India until October 2008, when they opened their first boutique at the Emporio Mall in New Delhi, in partnership with Navratna Bharat Retail. In January of 2008, Patrick Normand gave an interview regarding Cartier's intentions in India, explaining the ties of the maison with the nation as well as explaining the difficulties that Cartier encountered while trying to set up their business in the country.

Cartier pieces part of the Tutti Frutti collection inspired by India

Maharaja Yadavindra Singh of Patiala wearing the world-renown Cartier designed "Patiala Necklace"

The Cartier Patiala Necklace

    Cartier's presence in China significantly exceeds that of India, with their first entrance into the Chinese market in 1992. Cartier became the pioneer in the international jewelry market in China.In 1998, it opened its first exclusive shop in mainland China on Wang Fu Jing Street in Beijing. By 2010, Cartier had 11 watch dealers and 58 exclusive shops in China. Its early entry into the Chinese market and its fast growth gave it a competitive advantage in competing with other international jewelry brands in China. To promote their presence in China, Cartier opened an exhibition of Cartier treasures in The Palace Museum in Beijing, China that went on from September 5 through November 22 of the year 2009. The exhibition showcased some of Cartier's most extravagant pieces, including a few highlighting the maison's connection to Chinese culture. 

Recent opening of Cartier's flagship store in Honk Kong