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“We want to make sexy products for the market“ |
Dominique Hériard Dubreuil Chairman of the Board Rémy Cointreau |
FRANCE. As rich experiences go, visiting the historic and imposing headquarters of Rémy Martin in September for the unveiling of Diamant, a new Cognac specially created for the travel retail market, takes some beating.
Just a few weeks later, I was sitting with the Chairman of the Board of Rémy Cointreau, Dominique Hériard Dubreuil, in the buzzing lounge-bar surroundings of the French spirits group’s exhibition space in Cannes. As the grande dame of Cognac, Madame Hériard Dubreuil cuts a charismatic and authoritative figure as she walks into the suite.
It’s evident that Mme Hériard Dubreuil’s influence goes far beyond France and the spirits business, and she has certainly forged an extraordinary career. Before joining her family’s company, she was involved in international public relations between 1970 and 1988, successively with Havas Conseil, Ogilvy & Mather, Hill & Knowlton and McCann-Erickson, before creating her own agency, Infoplan, in 1978. In 1990, she became Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of Rémy Martin, and in 1998 Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of Rémy Cointreau, of which she is currently the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors. She is Chairwoman of Vinexpo Overseas and a Director of Vinexpo, and the wider luxury goods industry is also in her blood. Among other positions, she is a member of the boards of the Comité Colbert and Baccarat, the French crystal specialist.
Looking at Mme Hériard Dubreuil’s career path prior to joining the family firm, it is the long spell working at marketing advisory firms such as Hill & Knowlton and Havas that really catches my eye. For, among the many Cognac suppliers, Rémy Martin has shown a remarkable flair for communicating directly with the consumer.
Let’s take the merchandising unit currently installed in the Eurotunnel shop in Calais as a shining example. Displaying eye-catching imagery of the Cognac region of France and the Rémy Martin VSOP and XO Premier Cru products, the stylish, glossy fixture stands out in the Aelia-operated store.
The unit, dressed in signature Rémy red and black colours, sets out to explain to the time-pressed duty free shopper about the DNA of Rémy Martin Cognac. The marketing tagline “˜Heart of Cognac’ is hard to miss as the showcard talks about the house using only the region’s finest grapes. Design aficionados will be excited to learn that Rémy has even developed its own typeface. After more than a decade analysing the travel retail sector, I was struck by the impactful nature of this customer communication.
But back to my meeting with Mme Hériard Dubreuil herself in Cannes. Dressed in a dark soignée suit and a top in Rémy’s signature red colour, which I remark upon, she starts by paying tribute to her team, and particularly Pierrette Trichet, her Cellar Master – or should I say Cellar Mistress, as Mme Trichet is the only female Cellar Master in Cognac.
Mme Hériard Dubreuil recalls how, when her father was seeking a successor to hold the post in 2003, she personally facilitated a meeting between him and Mme Trichet. After a one-hour interview, Mme Trichet duly took her seat among the Cellar Master fraternity, and Cognac history was made.
Mme Hériard Dubreuil then goes on to explain the difficult nature of the Cellar Master’s job – combining emotional and ephemeral “˜nosing’ and tasting with military-style organisational and management skills. (I’ve seen the thousands of barrels lined up in the vast Rémy Martin cellars which the Cellar Master has to keep track of, as well as taste, each day.)
Having also observed during my visit to Rémy Martin’s Cognac headquarters the passion that goes into creating this centuries-old spirit, I discover that Mme Hériard Dubreuil embodies this same heart-felt enthusiasm. This also brings some challenges, she notes, as this intimate knowledge has to be passed down to the next generation.
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Sky Connection unveils the first permanent display in Asia for Louis XIII de Rémy Martin at Hong Kong Airport (July 2010) |
In the run-up to the Cannes show, Rémy Martin Chief Executive Officer Patrick Piana explained that two planks of the company are value creation and innovation. Mme Hériard Dubreuil adds simply: “We want to make sexy products for the market.”
This is evident in how the brands are perceived by the consumer. As I made my way to our meeting, I bumped into some fashion industry experts, and they instantly recalled the vivid images of Cointreau’s high-profile “˜Cointreauversial’ ad campaign starring the burlesque performer Dita von Teese as the brand’s muse.
The latest incarnation is Rémy Martin Diamant (French for diamond), whose glass bottle recalls a faceted diamond nestling in a jewellery box. Choosing a diamond is indeed one of life’s sensual pleasures.
A few days after our meeting in Cannes, on other business, I am admiring the elegant surroundings of the newly opened Crystal Bar at the Hôtel Hermitage in Monte-Carlo, where sparkling Baccarat crystal creations line the walls and ceiling. I spot a bottle of Louis XIII Cognac de Rémy Martin, dubbed the King of Cognacs, sitting in regal splendour on the bar. Like Mme Hériard Dubreuil herself, this Cognac house makes quite an impact.
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Left: DFS Group’s Cointreauversial campaign cocktail sampling campaign at Singapore Changi Airport (April 2010); Right: Louis XIII Cognac de Rémy Martin brand activation at Singapore Changi Airport (November 2009) |
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World Duty Free presents Louis XIII Cognac de Rémy Martin in a dedicated wall display highlighting its Baccarat crystal decanters and premium red-coloured coffrets at London Heathrow Airport (June 2010) |
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Above right: The Cointreau pop-up showcase in SYD Airport Tax and Duty Free at Sydney Airport (November 2010) forms part of a cross-category promotion with The Nuance Group, also showcasing Paco Rabanne’s fragrance Lady Million |
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