INTERVIEW
Ashish Gandham on writing the new chapter for Courvoisier
Beam Suntory Global Travel Retail Director Ashish Gandham talks about Courvoisier’s ‘Joie de Vivre’ brand refresh, its premiumisation drive and its milestone opening in Hainan with China Duty Free Group.
As Courvoisier seeks to reinvent the Cognac category by adopting a more vibrant and inclusive brand voice, Gandham talks about how luxury is evolving and underscores the need for a consumer-centric approach to business.
INTERVIEW
Ashish Gandham on writing the new chapter for Courvoisier
Beam Suntory Global Travel Retail Director Ashish Gandham talks about Courvoisier’s ‘Joie de Vivre’ brand refresh, its premiumisation drive and its milestone opening in Hainan with China Duty Free Group.
As Courvoisier seeks to reinvent the Cognac category by adopting a more vibrant and inclusive brand voice, Gandham talks about how luxury is evolving and underscores the need for a consumer-centric approach to business.
Maison Courvoisier is undergoing a significant transformation as it seeks to transcend the category and become a Cognac brand for tomorrow. “The Cognac world hasn’t really gone through a significant transformation in years,” Gandham says as he ponders the factors that led to the house’s major revamp.
“Whisky for example, has reinvented itself, as has gin and tequila. I think Cognac is ripe for a major transformation and that offers a great opportunity for a brand like Courvoisier, which has a rich history and heritage, to take the leap and lead that change.”
According to Gandham, Courvoisier’s refresh is a reflection of how luxury has evolved in recent years. “Historically, Cognac is a male dominated category,” he explains. “In my view, the luxury cues in Cognac are the same cues that existed a hundred years ago. It’s dark, exclusive and very status-driven. Today, luxury has evolved, it’s about understanding sophistication, personalisation and inclusivity.
“In this new era, we didn’t want Courvoisier to have a kind of ‘nose up in the air’ brand voice, but to be more open, vibrant and exuberant. Luxury has changed and it’s about time that a major Cognac brand like Courvoisier brought that same enthusiasm, sophistication and exuberance into the Cognac world.”
“Cognac is ripe for a major transformation” – Ashish Gandham
Courvoisier’s refreshed brand world is centred around the ‘Joie de Vivre’ of the Cognac house. By March 2023, Courvoisier’s complete range will have fully transitioned to the new look and packaging. The brand is also rolling out some high-profile activations in the run-up to New Year and Lunar New Year. (see page 5)
“The essence of the Joie de Vivre campaign is the enjoyment of life. This gives us a lot of elements that we can express in travel retail in a much grander scale compared to the domestic market. For example, if you look at our new boutique in Haikou, you can really see our brand world come to life. The store was designed to recreate 18th-century French royal gardens, whilst having a light and sophisticated feel to it.”
The opening of Courvoisier’s Hainan boutique — its first on the travel retail hotspot — represents a major milestone for the brand. The boutique was launched in partnership with China Duty Free Group (CDFG) and located in the magnificent new cdf Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex. For Gandham, the opening is Courvoisier’s ‘statement of intent’ to solidifying its leadership position in the category. He says: “The boutique is just the first step, as we have more boutiques planned in China and across the world.
“CDFG is trying to take consumer experience to the next level. The cdf Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex is the biggest travel retail mall in the world and it’s been a real honour to collaborate with CDFG on our first travel retail boutique in Hainan. The store is a statement of intent that says, we want to deliver the best products and customer experiences by teaming up with the best partners in the world to bring our brand world to life.”
Indeed, the new cdf Haikou International Duty Shopping Complex shows the new heights being reached in the world of travel retail, but for Gandham the channel itself is an excellent platform for brand-building. He says: “Travel retail is the channel that can really bring our ‘Joie de Vivre’ to life through bigger, more immersive executions in multiple locations. It is an elevated channel where we can deliver new luxury cues, which is why both the brand and in-store experience are elevated.
“The Hainan boutique is just one expression, you will soon see our Joie de Vivre come to life in small, medium and large formats in key travel retail locations globally including Paris, Hainan, Singapore and Dubai – so watch this space.”
Statement of Intent
The boutique at the magnificent new cdf Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex expresses the brand’s ambition to deliver the best products and customer experiences with the best partners in travel retail. (see page 6)
Maison Courvoisier’s Joie de Vivre campaign notably includes the ‘We Found Joy’ campaign, starring ‘Ambassadors of Joy’ from different creative fields that each interpret the theme through different mediums. “Joie de Vivre is about joy,” Gandham explains. “We are bringing this to life through immersive experiences that highlight what makes Courvoisier unique through dynamic and elevated liquid expressions, sampling and gifting.
“Gifting is a major purchase driver in travel retail, especially in the lead up to Lunar New Year. So, we are collaborating with several artists to add zest to our gifting offer through colourful, personalised packaging and in-store gifting experiences.”
Amidst its reinvention drive, Courvoisier is looking to elevate its own portfolio by launching exciting new releases that push the boundaries of Cognac. Mizunara is one such expression, as it combines the know-how of Courvoisier Master Blender Patrice Pinet and House of Suntory Master Blender Shinji Fukuyo. (see page 8)
“This is a first and it’s done by two legends from different parts of the world. Shinji is a legend of Japanese whisky and is responsible for Japanese whisky’s renaissance. These two legends have come together to create a Courvoisier expression that is unique in many ways.
“The wood is such an important part of the ageing process and these two legends had a blast experimenting with Japanese Mizunara oak to reveal new facets in the liquid. The second part is blending. These two elements — the selection of oak and the art of blending — come together by mixing different styles to create something truly special. Mizunara is the first of its kind, but not the last. We will continue to experiment and release exciting new expressions like this.”
Another important release, XO Royal, goes back to the royal roots of Courvoisier. Made from King Edward VII Reserve, XO Royal is full-bodied Cognac that combines 30-year old Grand Champagne with Fins Boise de Jarnac. (see page 9)
According to Gandham, XO Royal is a reflection of Beam Suntory’s wider premiumisation strategy and caters to increasing consumer demand for prestige expressions. “XO Royal is exciting because it goes to the heart of what the consumer wants today. This reflects the consumer trend towards premiumisation, luxury and prestige.
“In travel retail, the prestige segment in Cognac will become the fastest-growing one. From a price point perspective, this is a prime moment to launch an expression that underscores this demand for ultra-premium liquids.
“We are seeing more and more consumers moving towards VSOP from VS, there is a natural shift seeing customers move up from standard to premium, premium to premium-plus and then premium plus to prestige. It’s happening across segments and geographies. For Courvoisier, catering to that premiumisation need through our liquid, packaging and in-store experience is crucial.”
Historically, Courvoisier has enjoyed strong brand equity in Asia and to better engage with Asian customers, the house recently appointed Japanese-Taiwanese actor and singer Takeshi Kaneshiro to become its regional face. “Looking at where we’re trying to go as a brand, it’s clear that Takeshi brings an understated elegance and sophistication to Courvoisier. This reflects our brand values and I think there is a lot of synergy there.
“In terms of where Cognac as a category is moving, it’s clear that the centre of gravity is in Asia. China is incredibly important for Courvoisier and we are doing everything possible to cater to our customers there. We do this through cultural cues, premium gifting and clienteling.
“Outside China, there are corridors in Asia Pacific where Cognac is equally important such as Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan. Outside of Asia, Courvoisier has historically experienced great equity in the US. In Europe, France is a key hub as that is our home country and will be a key focal point as we express ourselves in other European destinations.”
As Courvoisier writes its new chapter, finding and nurturing meaningful Trinity partnerships is essential. Gandham says, “We sometimes use the word partnership quite frivolously. If you look at the Trinity model, it’s all about profit maximisation and communicating with each other. Have we done that as much as we need to? I don’t think so.
“The pandemic showed a different side of partnership. As we move into a high-inflation, supply disruptive and politically unstable world, partnerships need to go back to what the word itself means at its core. Partnership is about having open dialogue about every aspect of business. We should not have no-go areas, nor make assumptions about what our partner is trying to do.
“To thrive in this uncertain post-pandemic world, the Trinity needs to put everything on the table and find solutions which are far more inclusive and beneficial to all. That openness, honesty and transparency need to be in every dialogue, otherwise we can’t overcome the barriers that we are seeing on the horizon.
So how is Courvoisier planning to navigate all the uncertainties? Gandham says it’s all about customer-centricity. “We need to constantly listen to our customers and understand if our efforts are connecting with them. We must constantly evolve and refine our offer and keep pace with customer demand in terms of in-store experience and digital communications.
“One of my biggest priorities is having a consumer-centric approach to business. We have to remain agile. The world will change and so we must be willing to adapt to what tomorrow brings, whatever that may be.”
“Luxury has changed and it’s about time that a major Cognac brand like Courvoisier brought that same enthusiasm, sophistication and exuberance into the Cognac world.”
- ASHISH GANDHAM
Spotlight Series - January 2023