Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/30945
Champagne houses have been slow to embrace social media as a free platform for their outreach and marketing. But, last October, notoriously marketing- savvy Nicolas Feuillatte, the fifth-most sold champagne in the U.S., launched an iPhone app called MobileToast, which entertains users while leading them, with a search engine, to the nearest retailers and restau- rants carrying Feuillatte bottles. The app lets the user cor- rectly “open” a bottle of cham- pagne. With one fingertip, the user unwraps the foil and uncorks the bottle. The cork pops and fizzes with a satisfying sound effect, and the user can even simulate pouring the champagne into the flute of another iPhone user. The app also contains a detailed fact page with food-pairing suggestions for every champagne bottling— from the Nicolas Feuillatte Brut to the top-of-the-line Palmes D’or. Pascal Boyé — Feuillatte’s director of sales for North and South America and the face of the brand in the U.S. — realized ten years ago that giving the trade and media a chance to meet the cellar master was integral to building brand under- standing and loyalty, especially given the mystery and competitive branding around champagne. Boyé calls this the “direct translation.” Every other year in April he hosts a themed event in New York for cellar master, Jean-Pierre Vincent. Last year’s theme was “compo- nent wines,” which anyone outside of Champagne rarely gets a chance to taste. These are the types of marketing strategies that will distinguish a brand in the retailer’s mind. T Year-Round Programs he market leader and most recognized cham- pagne label, Veuve Clicquot, has worked out a year-round “seasonal platform” program which covers all the in-between holiday months. December to March is “Clicquot in the Snow,” May to October is “Veuve Cliquot Polo Season” and Halloween to the end of October is “Yelloween.” In this way, Veuve Cliquot ties champagne to lifestyle, remind- ing consumers that there are reasons to enjoy cham- pagne all year round. Nicolas Feuillatte is one of the companies that has launched an iPhone app, called MobileToast. “With ‘Clicquot in the Snow,’ we were planting the seeds for people to think of drinking champagne après ski, like in Europe,” explains Vanessa Kay, Vice President of Clicquot USA. This year in New York City, Clicquot adopted the “après skate” concept with a pop- up lounge in Bryant Park for post- skating relaxation. In Vail, Clicquot provided champagne at the Snow Tube-a-Thon. Last summer, Clicquot hosted its third-annual Polo Classic on Governors Island. This is an event studded with stars (among them Prince Harry, Susan Sarandon and Mary J. Blige), but open to the public. The message was very much about making champagne part of your summer. Clicquot also has been quick and savvy with the use of social media to reach its audience. With close to 14,000 followers, “@Veuve_Clicquot” is one of the most active and most followed Twitter accounts among champagne brands, giving the brand day- to-day presence in the lives of its loyal clients and helping to draw in new clients. The tweets make the yellow label dynamic and alive, and they keep the drink on the minds of their audience, from Hawaii to Abu Dhabi. Also, Kay explains that Veuve Clicquot’s Facebook fan page holds fans captive by focusing on “social engagement and a personal experience.” Now there is a “Clicquot Cam” on the page featuring flip cam videos of Clicquot events and experiences — a more intimate look at the brand. How about playing with bottle sizes as a marketing strategy? Pol Roger came up with a clever idea for Mother’s Day: half-bottles for Moms! The message is that all Moms deserve a few sips of champagne for a break during their day, and a half-bottle of the entry- level NV White Foil won’t break the bank nor seem decadent. Champagne’s static and stuffy image seems to be loosening up. From the champagne houses to the importers and retailers, everyone is coming up with cre- ative ways to move champagne from the oh-too-rare- special-occasion wine list into everyday life. And it seems to be working. s Beverage Dynamics • www.beveragedynamics.com • May/June 2011 • 53