Creation of appeal and the pursuit of excellence
Exceptional quality and accelerated growth
Once again this year, Rémy Martin recorded remarkable double-digit growth in value, due to a combination of price increases, the continued move upmarket and the excellent performance of premium cognacs, particularly in Asia. Europe was revitalised by Russia and also by Western Europe. In the US, the sales growth trend was favourable for very superior quality cognacs. The travel retail market was an important growth driver, supported by the increase in international tourism and high-impact, value-creating merchandising approaches. Rémy Martin strengthened its position in the premium sector of the global market.
Rémy Martin also confirmed its excellence in the “intermediate” categories, which create the desire to discover exceptional qualities. Cœur de Cognac in Europe, Club in Asia, and 1738 in the US have contributed to increasing the desirability of the brand among consumers seeking to move upmarket.
Furthermore, with the great success of 1898 in China, where its performance more than doubled, Rémy Martin today has a unique potential to appeal that underlines the exceptional character of its rarest qualities at very high prices.
In an improving business climate, the House continued its strategy of value creation with the objective of creating appeal. By reinforcing an ambitious development policy, it asserted its exceptional positioning, at the core of its local roots and expertise.
The best cognac in the world now has its own “Academy” which trains and welcomes colleagues, suppliers, customers and journalists. Its mission is to remind consumers of the exceptional quality of Rémy Martin cognacs, the eaux-de-vie used to make them, a product of the best grapes from the two prestigious appellation regions, Petite Champagne and Grande Champagne, and the rare and selective attention from the Cellar Master of the House of Rémy Martin.
Desire driven by innovation
The Rémy Martin brand continued to grow in popularity with activation programmes among young adults. In the US, its second largest market, Rémy Martin established partnerships with international hip-hop and R’n’B stars that are consistent with its communication platform “Things are getting interesting”. T.I. and Jay Z are already aficionados of the brand, and this year Rémy Martin VSOP was Usher’s partner whilst touring in America and Europe, and became the official sponsor of his exceptional after-parties. In China and South-East Asian countries, the increasing number of Rémy Dance Parties and the creation of limited edition VSOP Rémy Graffiti parties gave new consumers the opportunity to appreciate the vitality of the brand and to discover the different ways of enjoying cognac.
The limited edition series of the famous VSOP bottle were also noted innovations. Following the success of the limited edition signed by David La Chapelle a few years ago, the launch of the limited edition Red Holidays broke sales records at the end of the year in its major strategic markets. Finally, the new limited edition in honour of the Cannes Festival in May was a great success.
In terms of its innovation policy, Rémy Martin benefited from the 2010 launch of Centaure de Diamant in Singapore, for Travel Retail, a new tribute to the excellence and character of Cognac Fine Champagne. With its decanter cut like a diamond, Centaure de Diamant is the contemporary expression of the ancestral expertise of the House, where time is at the heart of the excellence of the best Fine Champagne cognacs.
Louis XIII, a policy of rarity
Louis XIII was created in 1874 with the aspiration of offering the best and the oldest Cognacs of Grande Champagne to the most prestigious and influential connoisseurs in the world.
Today, thanks to a required policy of rarity for an exceptional product, supported by an ambitious price policy, Louis XIII benefits from an exemplary and continued increase in value.
Louis XIII is the result of a blend of 1,200 aged eaux-de-vie, exclusively from Grande Champagne, some of which have been aged for more than 100 years.
Served in 1929 on board the Orient Express and in 1935 on the Normandie for its inaugural voyage, it is still served in the most prestigious locations on the planet.
Its aficionados know each other all over the world. Whether they are travellers, experts or collectors, their tastes and their expectations are becoming more and more sophisticated. For Louis XIII, rarity is a measure of the exceptional.
Dynamic outlook
In a much more serene worldwide economy, Rémy Martin is in an excellent position to continue to profit from the revitalised Asian markets and from the confirmed American recovery, as well as seize opportunities for growth in major traditional markets. The House of Rémy Martin will continue its ambitions for growth with its Rémy Martin and Louis XIII brands, by accelerating its investment policy and by enhancing its marvellous eaux-de-vie, thereby asserting itself as an extraordinary creator of appeal among consumers throughout the world.