“We wanted to create a Provençal garden that appealed to all five senses.” |
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Travellers are invited to rest awhile in the L’Occitane “garden”, and escape from the airport environment with a free relaxing hand massage and cup of green tea |
GERMANY. On 3 September French beauty brand L’Occitane unveiled a month-long airport promotion at Frankfurt International Airport, in conjunction with retailer Gebr Heinemann.
The dual-site promotion features a 13sq m podium outside the main Travel Value shop located in Terminal 1 B East, plus an in-store area. The external podium has been designed to resemble a typical Provençal garden, complete with a soothing cicada soundtrack and indigenous Mediterranean plants.
Travellers are invited to rest awhile in the “garden”, and escape from the airport environment with a free relaxing hand massage and cup of green tea. Meanwhile in-store, purchases are rewarded via a selection of high-quality gwps, which include bath robes, travel bags and luggage tags.
“Visually, this is such a beautiful event,” commented Gebr Heinemann’s Head of Purchasing for Perfume & Cosmetics Inken Callsen. “When we saw the concept on paper we knew it was exactly in line with our key objectives, namely to improve and highlight customer service.
“We are progressing and evolving, and with our events now we expect excitement and something different; promotions with atmosphere and service, not just a visual of the brand. L’Occitane has been flexible, open-minded and delivered exactly what we wanted.”
She continued: “The Provençal theme takes everything one step further. It creates a perfect atmosphere and eases the consumer into a good mood. And the gwps are wonderful, offering something for everyone, according to the qualifying spend.
“A beautiful event is all very well, but sales are important too. The results so far have more than justified our belief.” |
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In-store, purchases are rewarded via a selection of high-quality gwps, which include bath robes, travel bags and luggage tags |
“[Two weeks in], it’s been a huge success, and obviously the financial element is important too. L’Occitane turnover alone is up +500%.”
But the event is delivering further synergies. “The podium outside is stopping people in their tracks, and then directing them into our main shop,” Callsen noted. “That is increasing our overall penetration, which is beneficial to everyone.
“A beautiful event is all very well, but sales are important too. The results so far have more than justified our belief.”
“We wanted to create a Provençal garden that appealed to all five senses,” L’Occitane Senior Sales Manager Travel Retail Division Marc Mansour told The Moodie Report.
Hence the garden benefits from a discreetly piped Mediterranean soundtrack, and eye-catching light box depictions of the latest official L’Occitane visuals.
Weary travellers can rest awhile at the central table, or recline on the lounge-chair, while inhaling the scent of L’Occitane’s Green Tea scent.
The Green Tea theme is continued via the free refreshment on offer. Further sensory delights are provided by the complementary hand massages, and the array of Provençal plants including real orange and olive trees, plus lavender in terracotta pots, all kept happy by special artificial lights designed to mimic Mediterranean sunlight.
“The visual impact is super-strong, and the gifts on offer, in conjunction with the free hand massage, is a fantastic approach.” |
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Further sensory delights are provided by the complementary hand massages |
“Once you enter our garden, it feels like you have escaped,” noted Mansour. “It is such an authentic environment, you no longer feel that you are in an airport.”
While the emphasis outside is on service, not sales, the podium does feature information about the various gwps on offer inside the main store, via qualifiers that have been hand-painted in an appropriate rustic style.
And each corner highlights a selection of products from four different ranges, namely the new home spa Grape cure; the Immortelle anti-ageing line; the Olive collection; and Cade (for men).
Mansour is justifiably proud of what has been created. “With this event we have managed to condense, in the middle of a German airport, the spirit of Provence,” he explained. “The podium garden conveys perfectly the main values of the L’Occitane brand: authenticity, originality, sensoriality, history and respect for both the environment and our suppliers.”
Which is no feat within 13sq m. Mansour was quick to pay tribute to the skills of the stand designer Werbeatelier H.P. Diehl whom, he says, understood immediately exactly what was needed.
“I have never before worked with anybody so professional,” he confirmed. “They listened, understood and created exactly what we wanted.”
The in-store area is equally impressive, displaying L’Occitane’s comprehensive product portfolio with a coherent Mediterranean flavour.
Even half-way through, it is clear the event is already a success, but has it fulfilled – or even exceeded – Mansour’s expectations?
“With this event we have managed to condense, in the middle of a German airport, the spirit of Provence… the podium garden conveys perfectly the main values of the L’Occitane brand.” |
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L’Occitane Senior Sales Manager Travel Retail Division Marc Mansour |
“We did not really quantify our objectives in advance,” he responded, “as this is our first such promotion with Gebr Heinemann. But it was never just about increasing sales. We wanted to promote our image, and inform customers about our unique heritage.”
Given its sweeping success, should we expect L’Occitane’s Garden of Provence to implant itself soon at other airports around the world?
“I hope this event will be repeated with Gebr Heinemann,” Mansour replied. “I am not sure about anyone else, it all depends. Certainly, I don’t want to turn it into something banal. I prefer to keep this special for key clients and locations.”
Sufficient space, and a diverse clientele, are also pre-requisites. “In terms of passenger profile, the whole world passes through here,” confirmed Category Manager Perfume & Cosmetics for Frankfurt Airport Marion Korngiebel. “But this event is working so well because it is different.
“You see promotions everywhere, but this one is new and exciting. It is also very coherent, and the service element, incorporating the free hand massage, is very important.”
All credit then to Gebr Heinemann for offering L’Occitane – which is not one of its biggest brands in terms of turnover – the opportunity to show what it can do.
“When we saw this concept on paper we knew it was exactly in line with our key objectives, namely to improve and highlight customer service.” |
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The external podium has been designed to resemble a typical Provençal garden, complete with a soothing cicada soundtrack and indigenous Mediterranean plants |
“When we do this sort of airport promotion, the [existing] sales of the brand don’t matter that much,” underlines Gebr Heinemann’s Kay Spanger, who eschews a typical job title but describes himself as Member of the Board Responsible for All Categories. “Rather, what we recognise is the technique of the brand, and the attraction for the consumer.
“This event with L’Occitane incorporates both. The visual impact is super-strong, and the gifts on offer, in conjunction with the free hand massage, is a fantastic approach. It’s the complete package.”
He added: “Following on from other promotions, such as last year’s Beauty Lounge event, we decided to risk not making a super turnover [with certain events], but to stimulate people to notice and talk about us. Having said that, pieces-wise, this promotion is one of the best we’ve ever done, and will possibly be the best by the time we have the final results.”
Spanger is hopeful that such success – and especially such innovation – will inspire others to follow suit.
“With one or two exceptions, like Game For You and Airport Specials, we are still not getting from the top brands ideas for really active, true consumer-oriented promotions,” he noted. “That needs to change.
“L’Occitane, however, was very open, very flexible. Whatever we suggested, they said OK, great idea, let’s do it, let’s try it.”
“The podium outside is stopping people in their tracks, and then directing them into our main shop. That is increasing our overall penetration, which is beneficial to everyone.” |
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The Provençal theme creates a perfect atmosphere and eases the consumer into a good mood |
And if the event is to be repeated with Gebr Heinemann, Spanger already has yet more ideas to make it bigger and better.
“The original idea was to feature some other typical Provençal products, such as honey and olive oil,” he revealed. “Unfortunately we were not well prepared internally, and decided that if we couldn’t do it well, better on this occasion to not do it at all.
“But if we do this again next year we will use other products, perhaps even special presentations of Anis or Ricard – although we have to be careful how we combine alcohol with other products – to create even more of a generic Provençal atmosphere.”
NOTE: Look out for the full interview with Gebr Heinemann’s Kay Spanger, to be published in the October issue of The Moodie Report print edition, out soon.
MORE STORIES ON L’OCCITANE/GEBR HEINEMANN BEAUTY EVENTS
Gebr Heinemann partners with Victoria’s Secret Beauty – 07/09/06
Gebr Heinemann unveils ‘Airport Specials’ as it underlines the value of exclusivity – 25/04/06
L’Occitane prepares to open new travel retail doors – 08/11/05
