Yves rocher : international marketing

The Yves Rocher Group was created in 1959 at La Gacilly in Britany (France). Nowadays, the group is composed by eight brands: Yves Rocher, Petit Bateau, Stanhome, Dr Pierre Ricaud, Daniel Jouvance, Kiotis, ID Parfums and Flormar. The brand Yves Rocher is internationally well-known. With its expansion, the brand has decided even though to keep La Gacilly as its centre of operations: it claims its Britany origins. In France, Yves Rocher is the number one of cosmetics. Yves Rocher controls all the phases of the creation of its products: organic agriculture, search, production, packaging… The brand sends its products by correspondence, on the internet and in shops. The most important in the Yves Rocher’s products is the plant. This understanding is its force. Yves Rocher has a large range of products and services. The brand sells shampoo, perfumes, make-up and cream for women and men. In its salons, Yves Rocher proposes also face and body cares, and depilation. The brand is also involved in many human causes. The products are not tested on animals since 1989. And the Yves Rocher Foundation (2001) works for the planet’s protection, women…

Yves Rocher: an international success?
The Yves Rocher Group is present in 80 countries in the world. In 2012, the Group has realized 65% of turnover in Europe. There are many reasons which could explain this international success. First, Yves Rocher is a French brand. And in the other countries, France represents mode and beauty. Also, French products are recognised as quality and healthy. So, a lot of consumers are connected with this French brand. The second reason is the characteristics of Yves Rocher’s products. In fact, they are all produced based on plant, so they are natural beauty products. And this, is the marketing positioning of the brand Yves Rocher. And the last reason of the success comes from its marketing strategy. Yves Rocher has developed a big strategy of promotion. Consumers receive a lot of offers on the products by e-mailing and mailing. The brand attracts its customer offering lot of free gifts (bag, jewellery, pens…). And the price strategy is as well important. In fact, Yves Rocher guarantees the best quality but at a low price. The place is also important. Yves Rocher uses different lines of distribution. We could buy the Yves Rocher’s products on internet, in shops and by correspondence.

But the international growth of the Brand Yves Rocher is not finished. In fact, the aim of Brice Rocher, the new president of the Group since 2009, is to realize 50% of turnover in matured countries and 50% in emerging countries. In the next few years, the group wants to develop its shops in China and Russia. In fact in 2012, there were only 50 shops Yves Rocher in China.

The limits of the international experience
It exists many market conditions which may limit the company’s international experience. First, is the politics context. Indeed, in some countries, laws and habits are different. And that’s way Yves Rocher had some political problems with Russia. On December 2012, Bruno Leproux, the managing director of Yves Rocher Vostok, had been criticised by the anti-Poutine opposition. This affair concerned a clash about a haulage company that Yves Rocher payed too much. Now, the opposition wants to boycott the Yves Rocher’s products in Russia. So, this is a bad publicity for the brand. An other condition is that Yves Rocher has a lot bated on selling by correspondence. But with the development of sells on internet, this way is compromised. The brand has to change its mailings model. They have to be more interactive and up-to-date. The last limit concerns the positioning of the brand in the other countries. In fact, in France, Yves Rocher’s products are reachable. But in some countries like China, Yves Rocher needs a top of the range image in the importing model. And this could have an impact on the global image of Yves Rocher. To have two brand’s images different could lose consumers. Interesting article Deronde International

Sources :
Dromard, T 2012, ‘ Le pari international d’Yves Rocher’, Challenges, 27 November, viewed 20 September 2013, .

The Yves Rocher’s website (2013), ; http://www. yves-rocher. fr;.

Grynszpan, E 2013, ‘ Yves Rocher s’est-il fait piéger par Poutine?’, La Tribune, 2 February, viewed 20 September 2013, .

Garnier, J & Kupferman, P 2010, ‘” Dans vingt ans, Yves Rocher sera toujours une entreprise familiale”’, La Tribune, 17 February, viewed 20 September 2012, .