Germans love French brands!
“Leben wie Gott in Frankreich”: ‘To live like God in France’, a sage old worldly German adage that duly summarises the strong attraction France and the French way of living have on German people. When it comes to gastronomy, of course, to delicious wines, to the magic of Paris, to voluble French films, to flirting and loving, to beautiful icons like Catherine, Juliette, Audrey or Marion – all of whom symbolise the charming French woman so well – France simply has a strong, sensual appeal to German consumers. The scents of the Provence and the colours of the “Méditerranée” offer compelling associations, too. They factor into some of today’s core needs such as escapism, enjoying life, pampering oneself…
Some concrete proof for all of this? Let’s look at the success of French brands that are deliberately being positioned ‘So Frenchy’! … We’ve chosen 3 examples we personally love (and use…)… A subjective choice but an objective success in the selected categories cosmetics, food and retail… So let’s look at the keys to the attractiveness of these great brands.
L’Occitane en Provence:
Created in 1976 by Olivier Baussan, one of the first French green idealists, today L’Occitane transports the compelling “Provençal” universe to the whole world. Over the past years the brand has opened boutiques in 26 cities in Germany after some hard starts, but finally succeeded in bringing forth a new definition of sustainable cosmetics. The L’Occitane philosophy was revolutionary for Germany: Green beauty is a serious business based on the core values quality, humanity and authenticity, yet it’s also a very sensual and polysensorial one visualised, among other elements, by a premium, highly aesthetic design. When entering the L’Occitane en Provence store at Berlin’s main train station, you step directly onto a meadow in southern France, you smell lavender and rosemary, you forget the time pressure, the noise and odour pollution for a few minutes – you simply escape to a market in the Provence…
Le Jardin de Lydie:
I personally discovered the fantastic jams made by Lydie while enjoying several relaxing days on the picturesque Île de Ré in France. I loved the story of Lydie’s organic garden, of the first wild strawberry jam made by Lydie’s grandmother back in 1920. Comprised of 90% fruit cooked in ancient copper cookware, lovely handmade packaging, surprising, savoury creations: alongside the true story, all this makes for truly delicious products. As the brand and products are still a well-kept secret in France, what a nice surprise it was to find Lydie Colin’s sweet treasures being sold as sets in the “Feinschmecker” (a key German magazine focusing on gastronomy) online gourmet shop… the first step towards the conquest of German gourmets from this small, beautiful island in the Atlantic?
Les Galeries Lafayette Berlin:
No time for a trip to Paris, Bordeaux or Marseille? Then drive to Berlin! Galeries Lafayette in the heart of Berlin is the fabulous alternative to any trip to France. “Le pays du savoir-vivre” encapsulated on 5 floors and 9,000 m² in a fantastic building designed byJean Nouvel.
The motto at the Berlin branch: “Discover the French way of enjoying life.”
Many events focus on delving into French culture: Breton Week, wine seminars, a language course with a French breakfast, oysters for one and all!… combined with the newest international fashion trends, innovative cosmetics, fine foods, books… a highly attractive 360° French experience… a non-daily, polysensorial experience.
Can we find an inspiring leitmotif in these 3 examples? We can.
It’s all about being proud of an origin, about bringing a “terroir” to new life, about reloading positive clichés, about staying strongly authentic though opening oneself and a brand to new experiences and innovative thoughts. Both petite and grand, these French jewels have grasped how it’s done and are now conquering German hearts and minds…
Anne Luneau, Managing Partner Germany.
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