Veuve Clicquot, the storied champagne maker under the LVMH umbrella of luxury brands, has launched a new product to tap into the ongoing popularity of cocktails and mixology.
The new champagne, called Rich, carries a higher price tag and has been designed with a different grape blend and higher sugar content to marry its flavour with added ice and a range of recommended flavours including cucumber, pepper, tea and pineapple.
It’s a rare product launch for a champagne house that prides itself on history and traditions. The brand’s core marketing is tied to sponsorships and design collaborations and the last time it made a splash with a new product was a decade ago with the launch of a rosé, explains Jean-Marc Gallot, Veuve’s president who was in Toronto promoting the launch.
The initial launch in Paris took place in April and Veuve’s all-digital marketing campaign has focused on partnerships with bloggers and key restaurants in London, Berlin, Milan, Sao Paolo, Paris and Montreal.
The launch of Rich took five years to carry through and bring the product to market after extensive testing. Veuve is investing a lot of effort on education at the front lines in restaurants and bars to ensure staff understand the three recommended recipes for flavours (based on vegetable, fruit and tea, respectively).
While the new product is innovative, Gallot insists it’s on brand for the prestige champagne house and says he expects Rich to find a new market for a younger demographic and for those who tend to reserve their champagne drinking for special occasions only. “It’s just adding a new baby to the family.”
The U.S. is Veuve’s top market globally, followed by the U.K. Outside of Europe, Canada is its third largest market, where it is the category leader, commanding a third of champagne sales by volume. While champagne sales have been flat in recent years, Gallot says Brazil is seeing very strong growth and Africa holds considerable upside longer term.
Several years ago, Moet et Chandon, also in the LVMH stable of brands, was the first to introduce a champagne structured to hold up when served on ice. But, Gallot says he doesn’t expect Rich – with sugar content a third higher than the classic, trademarked orange-labelled product – to be popular served on its own, even on the rocks. “I would not recommend it at all.”
While he sees Rich’s fortunes tied firmly to the ongoing popularity of cocktail mixology, Gallot insists consumers should never expect to see actual flavoured champagne at their local liquor store. “A flavour in a bottle of champagne would be a shame, a disgrace.”
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