Branding of bubblies: sparkling marketing trends

Silvana Bottega

Whilst there is a plethora of internationally renowned champagnes now on the market (including Bollinger, Bruno Pailliard, Duval-Leroy, Jacquesson, Pol Roger, Mumm, Taittinger, Lallier and Moët & Chandon) there is equally a growth in the selection of local cuvées including favourites from Boschendal, Bon Courage, Graham Beck, Jacques Bruere, Hazendal, the House of Krone, Môreson, Pierre Jourdan, Desiderius Pongracz, Pongracz, Simonsig, Steenberg and Villiera. More recent cap classiques that have popped onto the market include Constantia Uitsig, Waterford, High Constantia and Colmant.

But with the increase in choice available to consumers, what strategies are brands engaging to differentiate their bubbles on a global stage in this sparkling sector? Whilst size of the bulles (French for bubbles), bouquet and balance count once you have your flute in front of you, this article explores how the power of branding can drive awareness for bubblies and shares a few of the trends shaping the marketing landscape locally and abroad for this luxury item.

• Tap into consumer insights

  It is well known that in society, flutes of champagne often signify romance and are used for proposals and intimate moments. Veuve Clicquot has cleverly tapped into that insight and worked with world acclaimed designer Karim Rashid to create the Loveseat: two pink loveseats between which nestles an ice bucket to house their precious pink champagne. Love clearly comes at a price with the entwined duo-seat retailing for US$10,000 at the Conran shop. Rashid further reinforced the romantic nature of champagne in consumers' lives by using the candle-lit moment for inspiration. Globalight takes the concept of the candelabra and creates a limited edition wine cooler that highlights the champagne under the soft glow of an LED light, with the added functionality of keeping one's bottle of Veuve Clicquot Rosé chilled for four hours.

• Create and own a ritual

  In the same way that Coca-Cola made Christmas, so have bubbles owned the commercialization of the ritual of New Year and other joyous festivities. Whilst Christmas feels like Christmas with a red Santa going “Ho-ho-ho” so too does “3-2-1 Happy New Year” tend to include the sounds of champagne corks popping. Champagnes have effectively targeted occasion-based rituals and every year, almost religiously, people walk towards the stores and actively seek out their bubbly to celebrate this annual ritual. Whatever the ‘joyous occasion' - from proposals to marriages, business success through to sporting victory - through its effervescent, sparkling nature, the bubbles tend to keep spirits up. In fact, upon two grand occasions in history, South Africa's own Graham Beck Brut NV was sipped upon first in 1994 to celebrate the inauguration of Nelson Mandela, and at the end of last year by Barack Obama and close friends to celebrate the success of the US November elections. Beyond happy and victorious occasions, it was also in defeat that both Napoleon and Churchill sought solace in champagne, with Churchill noting that: “In victory we deserve it, in defeat we need it.”

  Driving usage during specific occasions is the “when” of creating a ritual; but similarly one can use the “how” as a startpoint for a unique experience. Even the process of opening and enjoying champagne can be unique. One can open champagne in different ways, this can range from very slowly with a “soupir amoureux” or loving whisper or using the “Sabrage” method like at Haute Cabriere when one uses a sabre to cut off the top of the bottle, or very simply shaking and deliberating spraying the champagne as a symbol of extravagance and victory, made popular at key sports events at Le Mans. This decadent splashing has reached new levels where, at the infamous Nikki Beach clubs in New York and St Tropez and at Flavio Briatore's Billionaire Club in the Costa Smeralda, partygoers even spray the likes of vintage Crystal.

• The rise of champagne bars

  Champagne that was once used more for rare or seasonal occasions, has been successful in democratizing that special moment whilst still keeping its allure with a range of new champagne bars around the world taking champagne from a drink on a menu, to the only drink on the menu. Champagne exclusive bars are popping up across the globe from Hong Kong's Krug Room: a private chamber at the Mandarin Oriental to the stylish Veuve Clicquot bar at the Hotel Sezz in Paris. Harrods in London has also introduced a Veuve Clicquot bar & boutique allowing one to view fashion must-haves while sipping in-demand cuvées.

  Similarly in Cape Town, we hear whisperings of a Veuve Clicquot Private Dining Room at Myoga at the Vineyard Hotel. For this season, Moët & Chandon have gone one step further by creating a “pop-up” or temporary boutique presence entitled “Atelier Moët” at 70 New Bond Street where one can purchase a bottle of beautifully hand-customised Moët & Chandon adorned with your name, monogram or date in delicate Swarovski crystals. As bubbles rise to the surface and the world moves up, it seems only natural that at Heathrow's destination Terminal 5 has their own Champagne bar for the discerning traveller.

  Beyond bespoke champagne bars created by brands, there are also a series of champagne bars, such as Dion in London or our own Planet bar at the Mount Nelson in Cape Town, offering a diversity of champagnes to tickle one's palate. Locally the modern design of the JC Le Roux tasting room and Graham Beck's rich, ebony tasting room offers lovers of cap classique an entrée into this world of sparkle.

• The power behind promotion
  

  Strategic linking to key style calendar events such as fashion events and premieres also helps to drive consumption. In the US, Bollinger has linked up with 007 in the new movie release for the Quantum of Solace reinforcing that men of style select Bollinger. Brand endorsements by celebrities abound as do brand extensions to keep the brands active in consumers lives beyond just in liquid format. Krug has created limited edition pens from the wood of their barrels; Veuve Clicquot has created a limited edition Ice Jacket using Clicquot yellow neoprene, Pommery have stretched into singles “Pop”. Bringing together traditional craftsmanship and avant-garde design Moët & Chandon commissioned Camille Toupet to create their latest glamorous accessory - the limited edition (one of 100 cases) Midnight Gold sheath created using golden lambskin and covered with Swarovski crystals and gold beads to evoke champagne bubbles. The removable tie can be uses as a bracelet and is available at Selfridges. Now, on a local stage, we are also seeing brands like Pongracz step up the mark in creating unique gifting boxes.

• Selecting unique channels

  One person who has garnered a lot of PR recently for her role in augmenting the growth of niche champagnes in South Africa, is Stellenbosch-raised Inke Gouws who has recently set up her own importing business as a Negociante after a short internship at Moët & Chandon. To bring her selection of champagne houses to market, Gouws has strategically aligned with key retailers to develop tasting evenings at landmark restaurants to help grow the market for champagnes through retail stores. Her latest series of events includes a champagne and fine dining evening hosted alongside Carolines at the Twelve Apostles. Increasingly she is finding new paths to market, with Gouws trying her hand at marketing her unique selection of imported niche champagnes through direct telephone sales through the Wine Specialist and developing gifting occasions.

  Colmant, which started as an importer of champagnes such as Tribault, has recently released their first cap classique and focus their distribution on private clients and corporate client events with the likes of Investec. This boutique, managed by Jean Philippe and Isabelle Colmant, has gained significant exposure by being one of the first “houses” to offer imported champagne within a tasting room environment, albeit by appointment.

  

  By contrast, in Plettenburg Bay, Moët & Chandon has successfully marketed their ‘Fabulous Butler' service that provided Plettenberg residents with a complimentary bubbly delivery service using Moët-branded Mini Coopers. Beyond this, on a national level, Moët & Chandon has been innovative in hosting a series of events termed the “Moët Table” which included high-profile individuals such as GT Ferreira of the First Rand Group, Tim Modise and Francois Piennaar as speakers at hosted events.

  In the last few months, we have also seen a strategic alignment between Krug, Moët, Dom Perignon and Veuve to take window space within leading jeweller, Charles Greig, at the V&A Waterfront shopping mall; creating eye catching displays which visually reinforce the brands colours and yet elegantly portray the various jewellery ranges.

• Provide a reason to toast

  Similar to the J&B campaigns where one should “Start a party”, champagne is actively giving consumers more reasons and more occasions to raise their flutes. In the last few months, locally we have seen a series of events around bubbly bottles, including - The Johannesburg ABSA Champagne Festival, The Johannesburg Cap Classique Festival in November, Chefs and Champagne and the annual Franschhoek Cap Classique & Champagne Festival held in the Cape in December.

  And if the marketing around bubbles doesn't compel you, fortunately what is in the flute will.