Cultura Marketing Strategy

CULTURA

1st part - Firm presentation

a) Global presentation

The first Cultura shop was created in 1998 by Philippe Van Der Wees. This bookseller’s son has had very early a strong taste for books, the pleasure to discover things and make things be discovered. Moreover, Philippe liked being in touch with customers and all this increased his passion for culture. Creating a new concept of cultural shop, Philippe Van Der Wees has realized his dream: to offer to a majority of people a new approach of culture and a new business of cultural goods. People have an important choice; we can find almost everything in Cultura shops.

There are mainly located in commercial zones, on the outskirts of cities. Their size is between 1500 and 3000mÐ'І and their conception conveys notion such as conviviality, comfort and human warmth.

Cultura creates about 200 jobs per year and the salesmen have a training adapted to the universe of cultural leisure. These ones propose a quality service for customers and have to reflect the Cultura spirit, that is to say certain proximity with the customer.

Thanks to its original concept, Cultura has become in 8 years, the third in the market of French bookshops and has the first place such as distributor of creative leisure activities.

b) Products and services

пЃ¶ PLAC (Papeterie, Loisirs et arts crÐ"©atifs)

It concerns all the manual and artistic activities and we can find several ideas of creation, of apprenticing of new techniques and all the adapted material…One third of the area is reserved for creative leisure activities.

пЃ¶ CD

We can find about 20,000 CDs references, from very known and famous songs to the latest hits.

пЃ¶ DVD

There are about 6,000 DVDs references, from classical movies to the latest ones.

пЃ¶ Books

About 50,000 books are in Cultura Shops and concern almost all the subjects existing. There are also in each shop, books specialized for each region.

пЃ¶ Multimedia

In each shop, there is a complete range of software, (video games and computer games) and we can also find in this area, various accessories for computer or video consoles.

Space organization is very essential for Cultura; it reflects the well-being, put customers in confidence with salesmen, the different areas are favourable for relationships.

пЃ¶ Creative workshops

About 20000 workshops are organized per year. We can participate to these workshops at about the age of 7, it depends on activities. It allows to customers to learn creative techniques, thus, there are actors of their own leisure stimulating their creativity.

пЃ¶ The coffee

It is a place of conviviality, of relaxation. In the smallest Cultura shops, there is a coffee machine with armchairs…and in the biggest ones, it is a kind of a “mini cafeteria” where we can eat something. It is even possible to celebrate one’s birthday!

пЃ¶ The scene

Cultura shops welcome different events, local or national artists (even the beginners). It creates a direct contact between the artists and the public.

пЃ¶ Other services

Near the book area, there are some comfortable armchairs and sofa, to take the time to have a look on a book, to discuss culture with people… There are also subdued lights, “screen flat” TVs…All is done to create a good atmosphere.

Cultura proposes also to book for various shows, to order products missing in the shop, to buy some “present’s cheque” to offer to someone, preparation of scholar lists, sales to communities…

c) Suppliers

The suppliers are different according to the shop domains:

• Books: 80% of inescapable books. For the other, this is the sector chief who orders. He awards an important place to new books and local authors.

• CDs: the sector chief orders the inescapable CDs too. Cultura is the only shop when we can find all the discographies of artists and articles that we do not find anywhere.

• Video: The editors decide for this subject.

• Multimedia: The news is the priority.

• PLAC: 130 different suppliers. The sector chief creates a catalogue and orders products to suppliers.

d) Competitors Advantages

Diversity of all the products proposed because they are the only one to propose all those products (books, CDs, DVDs, multimedia, stationer’s and creative arts).

All the Cultura shops are set up in the outlying of the towns, the access is easier, the car parks are free and people stop there when they go shopping. This explains the familial target.

The selling politic and the manner to approach the client: The personnel are not a force of sell at first but they are passionate by the sector where they work.

They will listen more the clients and better know how to advise them. However, the sellers are not too much specialized because they do not have to be enclosed in a little domain.

The creative workshop which have a big success with the women because the clients realise they can do various things they thought they would not have been able to do. Moreover, the products used in the workshops are all in the shop so you can buy them and do the same at home.

They organise various events with the local artists and authors like organisation of showcases, meeting with the authors, signing sessions, painting exhibitions…

e) Advertising

It deals with national advertising:

• The