Message in a bottle

Coty has always been characterised by market-focused thinking and they still haven’t forgotten to think the way consumers think. It is no wonder that the story of Coty began in Paris a hundred years ago. Francois Coty was an ambitious young man not only good in creating fragrances, but also in being aware of what the market needed. He was also aware of the importance of attractive packaging and brand names, as well as the importance of advertising and promotion. He intended to provide cosmetics at an affordable price. Today, the Coty empire is the largest cosmetics group in the world, present on five continents and employing over 8500 people. It is the market leader in the US and several European countries and plays a major role in others. Coty created the first adidas fragrance in 1985. Coty Hungary Kft. began its activities in 1996. Apart from being an importer, it also invested a lot of effort in marketing and establishing a sales network. Coty Hungary Kft. has become the supplier of Coty products to Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Albania and Bosnia. Coty sells 15 brands in Hungary, with an increasing number of upper middle segment perfumes like David Beckham, Celine Dion, Kylie Minogue. Coty also has other skin care products like shower gels, deodorant and after shaves. All brands have an international marketing strategy which is adopted to local markets by subsidiaries – says Zsuzsanna Bakos, trade marketing manager of Coty Hungary Kft. Globalisation only has a limited influence in the cosmetics business, as there are still significant geographical differences between preferences. Certain Coty brands are named after stars, chosen after careful consideration. They choose stars who have already become a carefully and systematically built up brand. – Our HQ in Paris devotes a lot of effort to selecting these stars, using surveys to assess their popularity – says Zsuzsanna Bakos. After choosing a star, the image of the product is adjusted to that of the star and the target group, with the star actively participating in working out the fragrance and packaging. For example, Celine Dion noted that – “So far, I have been using music to reach people’s hearts, but I have found that well chosen fragrances can do the same”. Coty also has brands like adidas, made under license from the owner of the trademark. Marketing campaigns for these are co-ordinated with the mother brand.