Marketing Management： The Analysis of Breitling Watches in The Luxury Watch Market

王麗聞

【Abstract】This essay will critically review the general situation and positioning of Breitling timepieces in the global market； It will begin with the background of Breitling to facilitate an understanding of the object. Initially， the target marketing of Breitling will be discussed by a number of assumptions in view of online researches. Subsequently， four aspects of the marketing mix will be analysed by comparing with its competitors to realise the latest conception and positioning of Breitling. Consequently， the elements that drive the purchase behaviour will be presented to reveal Breitlings competitive advantages in the luxury watch market.

【Key words】Marketing Mix； Positioning； Target Marketing； Breitling

Background

Breitling is a Swiss family business launched in 1884， initially as a manufacturer of aircraft cockpit instruments. Throughout more than one hundred years， Breitling remains recognisable as a leader in the production of highly technical watches and chronographs， which is the only major watch brand to equip all its models with chronometer-certified movements and produce its own mechanical chronograph movements in its workshops. Since the brand was built， it has devoted itself to creating precision instruments for leading professionals.

Current Position

The initial observation of Breitling concentrates on the decorative style of its flagship boutique. As a crucial means of incubating a public image for brands， the decoration tends to convey its core characteristics to customers. As for Breitling， that is always “Frederic Legendre-designed triplex featuring Kevin Kellys aviation-themed pop art， a bar， a museum of vintage Breitling timepieces， and a few counters that actually sell watches” with its representative branding colour-yellow and black. It seems that Breitling has been somewhat apart from the mainstream. Originally served as a brand for aviation instruments on private and commercial planes， Breitling always sustains its precision superiority to enlarge its business target market from fields of aviation and flight to sailing， underwater diving and space exploration. The positioning of Breitling that is associated with military characteristics reveals a significantly different attitude toward other brands in luxury watch business. The decoration of Rolex and Omega boutiques looks more like a splendid palace， transforming the positioning of a noble and elegant life to customers， nonetheless， Breitling focuses on expressing its competitive advantage on the persistence of precise timing manufacture and sophisticated technology.endprint

The target market of Breitling was segmented based initially on psychographics centred on the attributes of customers occupation to fulfill their requirements. For instance， Breitling wristwatch is able to allow pilots not only to have precise timing to even in altitudes of over 30， 000 feet， but collect flight data involving the rate of decent， average consumption and so forth. Somehow Breitling is part of being a pilot， intended as an indispensable partner to satisfy their need for efficient performance and sense of security. Additionally it is thought to be one of the rewards of becoming a pilot. Through the effort made to maintain a high level of precision in timekeeping， Breitling had set up strong brand awareness and gained the capability to distinguish itself in a particular market where other competitors cannot readily access.

Then the target business market expanded， in addition to the senior ranks or fanciers enthusiastic in precise instruments， it added in the segmentation based on demographics concentrated on gender and income， successful males who attempt to achieve a sense of self-esteem and wear the wristwatch as a status symbol. Basically， as the only jewelry that a man can wear， the luxury watch market has an irresistibly enormous potential so that several luxury watch brands struggle to share more revenue where includes Breitling， Hublot， Rolex， Omega， Tag Heuer and others. Hence， Breitling has started to evolve its prominent brand image of strictly instrumental aviation timepieces to navigational wristwatches competent of multiple functions. Through inheriting and developing its consistent professional attitude， Breitling enables to supply high-end and extremely accurate chronographs and watches for high-status men who are striving for authority and preciseness. Over a long period of time， Breitlings value proposition has been adhering to providing intricate and technical wristwatches unchanged， but at the same time， the rest of the watch industry has been competing to devise and produce the cleanest， simplest and smallest chronographs such as Rolex and Tag Heuer， which nearly simplify their wristwatches to the point of abstraction. Accordingly， the targeting is apparently different from the major competitors that work for more common consuming markets. For instance， Hublot， Omega， and Tag Heuer are more likely to capture the attention of the customers who purse aesthetic appreciation， fashion designs， or leisure affections while Breitling tend to attract the business elite and sport superstar who seek for reliable performance and professional function.endprint

Among competitors， Breitling has to share the overlapped market with Rolex， since Rolex equips with analogously refined manufacture competent in the areas of extreme deep-sea divers and world travellers. While as discussed above， the disparate positioning absolutely distinguishes two brands. In order to accommodate more accessible to the mass market， Rolex stresses the importance of coordinating sophisticated technology with daily life. By means of simplification， Rolex offers an inclination that customers enable to enjoy hedonistic and high-end lifestyles. Nonetheless， Breitling sticks to placing an emphasis on its classical and consistent characteristics that reliable performance and professional function of chronographs are of importance. Hence， although there exists some resemblance related to the specific product portfolios between two brands， obviously， the extent to which the customers preference for a more enjoyable or a more functional one would determine their purchase behaviour.

In order to realize positioning， Breitling is supposed to coordinate a series of marketing features with suitable product， price， distribution channel， and specific communication strategies. Through describing the marketing mix， the latest conception and positioning of Breitling brand are created.

The products offered by Breitling are one of its most valuable assets in the marketing mix. Since its stringent specification toward precision in timekeeping， all of Breitlings timepieces are 100% Swiss-made and chronometer-certified， which is unique in the entire luxury watch market. The data illustrate that only five percent of the watches produced in Switzerland are chronometer-certified and the competitors cannot offer such professional certification to apply strong guarantee. The existence of the commitment of quality creates a differential advantage for Breitling beyond its competitors. In addition， Breitling provides an exceptional five-year warranty， compared to two-year and four-year warranty offered by Rolex and Omega respectively. An outstanding service after purchase is what luxury customers are seeking for and Breitling enables to bring greater commitments and better services to them in this way.

The appearance and packaging play a crucial role in conveying the image and communicating with customers. Every specific design of Breitling watches reveals an essential targeting of its business that it adheres to craft for professionals with accomplishments. The watch box colour is brilliant yellow， which is thought to be somewhat apart from the mainstream through comparing with bottle green or deep red represented by Rolex and Omega respectively. While the strikingly symbolic colour spreads a sense of fresh and vibrancy rather than extremely extravagant visual effect toward customers， which apparently distinguishes itself in the market. Additionally， different from likely jewelry decorated ones of Rolex and Omega， watches of Breitling offers a more openhanded and modest design. Moreover， the design is not giving an attractive impression， but assure the quick and efficient read-off capability. Sapphire crystal resist scratches and strong lights， hence to ensure the optimal reading competent. These traits are devised to ensure timepieces work reliably and durably of the demand for aviation， which is the basically professional field that Breitling has served. The design of watches and chronographs is supposed to closely interrelate to the positioning of the brand so as to satisfy its purchasers functional and psychological requirements.endprint

Price shall keep in consistence with the level of product positioning. The price range depending on the model varies from approximately ?1000-?36000 for more exclusive model， limited editions or extra functions. Comparing similar models with Rolex and Omega， which fluctuate between ?2000-?42000 and ?900-?18000 respectively （Forums， 2005）.

Breitling sell its products via various channels. Breitling owns and operates a retailer in both various emporiums and official websites. Over recent years， Breitling has opened a number of flagship stores located in diverse capital cities such as New York and Las Vegas in order to convey the heritage and value of the brand toward customers， particularly its link to aviation （Klara， 2011）. This is an attempt for Breitling to transform the brand from the particular market into the mass market， which is not only the simply conventional collaboration with manufactures where requires a timepiece， but the targeting to satisfy the customers who are striving for customised and order special edition. These extended channels enhance its position and fame in the luxury watch market， and simultaneously， through the unique decoration and professional function related to aviation， Breitling still enables to be differentiated among competitors.

To fulfill the positioning of the target market， there exists the demand for consistently interacting with the customers. Unlike Rolexs promotion strategies that create the radically extravagant and elegant atmosphere in the advertising to stimulate the consumption among the prestigious and wealthy individuals， Breitling promotion adds in the theme elements interrelated to various models of watches presented in the advertisement such as military characteristics. For instance， the Colt series of Breitling was devised to meet the rigorous criteria of military life. In order to accentuate the legacy， Breitling published a video featuring military references and also successfully attracted attention from a fairly large number of customers by referencing the hit television series Breaking Bad. These strategies create a tasteful and reliable image on customers， which meet the positioning of the brand. Otherwise， Breitling keeps investment in AOPA organisation by offering Aviation Scholarship Fund to support pilots of all ages， as well as， protecting the right to fly and ensuring the safety of air traffic. Breitling use its history of aviation as a way to communicate with enthusiasts on social media， through which， it not only improve the its influence on the market， but strengthen the value and reputation of brand among among pilots who are served as its significant customer group. In addition， Breitling invited actor John Travolta as its ambassador who is well known for his private interest in owning and flying planes. This familiar household name of the spokesman helps to boost customers awareness of the brand and to keep consistent brand associations with the concept of aviation.endprint

Conclusion

The positioning of Breitling has evolved throughout more than one hundred years and it has been one of rare private Swiss watchmakers remained in the luxury watch market. There exists no doubt that Breitling successfully achieve its target attainment through its suitable positioning. With heritage of the original philosophy， Breitling has been consistently insisted on crafting timepieces accompanied by its remarkable quality with focused attitude. Moreover， it succeeds in expanding its particular market to the mass market by clearly identifying a series of needs and wants from customers and positioning itself by opening flagship boutiques to gain improved fame and attention. Line extension has also been able to position itself as more than aircraft watches and chronographs and push into a wider market of luxury timepieces. The characteristic promotions associated with different theme models of timepieces enable to transform Breitling unique image on customers that can be readily differentiated in the market and at the same time， the cooperation with aviation organisation combines its specialised value of brand with the promotion strategies perfectly that strengthens the reputation. Most importantly， Breitling has been always devoting to its core value that creates precision instruments for leading professionals through the entire progress and all of positioning is centred on that.

Overall， the rigorous attitude， consistent adherence， enlargement of segmentation and suitable adjustment of positioning lead Breitling to achieve success.

References：

[1]Benet，L.（2010）.‘Breitling Opens First Store，WWD： Womens Wear Daily，200（128），pp.10-11.

[2]Forums，R.（s.d.）（2005）.‘Rolex Current Price List in USA.[Online]Available at：http：//www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php？t=1138（last accessed：16 June，2016）.

[3]Friedman Marsha（2010）.‘Marketers Should Not Ignore the She-Conomy.[Online]Available at：http：//emsincorporated.com/marketers-ignore-sheconomy-women-key-buying-decisions-home-work/（last accessed：16 June，2016）.

[4]Klara Robert（2011）.‘Man of the Hour Thierry Prissert is rewriting the marketing playbook for Breitling，the luxury watchmaker.[Online]Available at：http：//www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/man-hour-133473（last accessed：16 June，2016）.endprint