prof. Piotr Płoszajski, SGH
Marcelina Polok, L‘Oreal
Marlena Sobierajska, L’Oreal, HR Director,
Katarzyna Jaszczak, L’Oreal, Employer Branding Manager
Developing a winning sales and marketing strategy with L'Oréal Polska
(CEMS)
Course description and program:
The course introduces students to the business reality of a multifunctional company using
L’Oréal as best-in-class example. Students are assigned to a multifunctional team and work on a
plan to develop a sales and marketing strategy for one of the Group’s brands. Managers from
marketing, trade marketing, category management and sales departments introduce students to
their everyday business challenges and share expertise and tools necessary to successfully
manage a brand. Students work in groups reflecting multi-functional team set-up to recommend
new strategy sales and marketing for the brand. The outcome of the course will be presentation
of each group’s business priorities and actions recommendation to the executive board.
Course objective:
Introduce students to the strategic and operational reality of a multinational company based on
L’Oréal example.
 Make students familiar with key roles and tools used by different departments of the
company
 Give them the opportunity to apply the acquired skills in the real business case
 Train soft skills like presentation skills, teamwork, analytical skills
Final grade criteria:
- Groups’ presentation and individual participation and contribution to the team’s
outcome
APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
The course is dedicated to I and II year Master Studies students (including foreign students on
exchange programs), with good working knowledge of English.
Students interested in taking the course are required to send their CVs and motivation letters to
winningstrategywithloreal@sgh.waw.pl or to prof. Płoszajski at: pplosz@sgh.waw.pl .
Deadline for applications is Oct. 5, 2015.
The list of the students selected for participation in the course will be ready by Oct. 9, with all
applicants notified of the decision immediately after that.
Size of the class is limited to 30 students.
Case description
During the course students will work on the real life case and will develop wining marketing &
sales strategy for L’Oreal Paris ELSEVE brand in Poland.
The course will cover problems related not only to a purely marketing positioning of the brand,
but mostly on the elements of the brand’s business model.
Following areas will be presented, discussed and examined during the semester:
-
Brand identity: brand’s history, image, values, USP, brand’s positioning; product
priorities and segments
HairCare Market – overview, segments, drivers & barriers, valorization, trends,
where to play =>choosing the right segment & products; competitive overview
Competitive overview
Consumer: profile characteristics, recruitment pools and potential, usage& attitude
towards category
Communication: media strategy, choosing the right media mix, touchpoints relevant
for the category, growing role of digital
Sales & Distribution: overview of distribution channels, main characteristics and
challenges, role of Drugs & Discounters, choosing right format per channel, category
management, developing winning sales strategy
Course curriculum:
Meeting 1 – 22.10 (5 hrs), starts at 12:00
- Introduction to the course – rules, agenda
- Introduction of the Mass Cosmetics Division
- Introduction to L’Oréal Paris ELSEVE Brand
- L’Oreal Paris ELSEVE brand vision
- Task 1: Brand image research
Meeting 2 – 05.11 (5 hrs), starts at 12:00
- Presentation of task 1
- Polish HairCare Market overview
- Main Market Segments, drivers & barriers, trends, valorization
- Competitive Overview – global vs. local players
- Task 2: Analysis of Competitors and portfolio mix
Meeting 3 – 26.11 (5 hrs), starts at 12:00
- Presentation of task 2
- Consumer profile: presentation and interactive tasks in groups
- Communication touchpoints– category & brands media strategy, media plans,
growing role of digital in the communication, in-store comm.
- Field visit
- Task 3: Analysis of consumer & defining media mix reaching the TG
Meeting 4 – 10.12 (5 hrs), starts at 12:00
- Presentation of task 3
- Sales & Distribution – channel specifics overview, role & challenges per channel,
developing winning strategy
- Role of Discounters
- Task 4: Distribution Analysis & Portfolio reco
Meeting 5 – 14.01 (5hrs), starts at 12:00
- Presentation of task 4
- Negotiating the Contract with major Client – work in groups
- Fine-tuning the L’Oréal Paris ELSEVE Strategy
- Conclusions and Q&A session
Meeting 6 – 21.01 (5hrs), starting time TBA
- Final presentations
- Closing dinner
…………………………………………………………….
Students will be divided into 5 groups by 6 participants each.
The team tasks will refer to 5 different product ranges of the brand, so that each group’s
work will be unique.
Staffing:
SGH:
- Professor P. Płoszajski: supervision of the course and presiding the “Steering Committee”
L’Oréal:
- 1 HR manager coordinating the course on L’Oréal side
- Managers from Marketing, Commercial Department, Communication Department, Category
Development Department as well as representatives of media and communication agencies
Timing: Course starts in 2015 winter semester (22 Oct. 2015).