The Champagne’s on ice

It’s been a record year for Pernod Ricard’s Champagne brands. César Giron, chairman and CEO of the French spirits group’s affiliate MMPJ, which is responsible for Cognac Martell and Mumm and Perrier-Jouët Champagne houses, said: “Our Champagne brands performed very strongly, with Perrier-Jouët posting its best-ever performance and Mumm its highest volumes in 25 years, collectively reaching over 1m cases.”

He added that both brands had achieved double-digit growth, outperforming the global market (+13% for Mumm and +11% for Perrier-Jouët according to Pernod Ricard’s annual results to the end of June 2015) with growth in all regions.

MMPJ chairman and CEO César Giron

Noting the record-breaking performance for Martell Cognac, Giron continued: “In its 300th anniversary year, Martell also reached record volumes of above 2m cases. It experienced a good return to growth (+8% in volume according to Pernod Ricard’s annual results to the end of June 2015) and in line with our geographical diversification strategy, performed well in all regions.”

MCM pops up in Seoul's indie music district

MCM has opened a pop-up store in Hongdae, in the heart of Seoul’s urban arts and indie music scene and a multi-cultural metropolitan attraction. Taking a cue from Bauhaus culture, MCM’s latest store references laboratories, craft ateliers and design studios. Dubbed a mini megastore, the space integrates exhibition spaces, workshops and installation displays, and seeks to offer original experiences with each visit.

MCM's pop-up store in Hongdae, Seoul

Experimental atmosphere

Designed with an industrial touch, the latest pop-up features exposed rafters and open ceilings, perpendicular to murals of uncovered walls and wooden joists. Fitted with iron girders adjacent to metallic supports, each wall is fixed with configurable hooks offering limitless options for unexpected displays. The latest space also features chalkboards and ladder shelves, enhancing the experimental atmosphere.

The unconventional layout features a first-time floorplan that can be reconfigured and rearranged in sections. Transforming from an exhibition space to a workspace, MCM’s pop-up is fitted with moveable furniture that can be deconstructed and assembled like jigsaw pieces. From tripod shelves to scaffolding mantelpieces, the pop-up destination features podiums composed of taping boxes and packing crates as well as plastic buckets and wooden palettes. Emulating a construction zone, the latest space serves as a canvas for creativity, welcoming visitors to experiment with their styles and explore fresh ideas while encouraging recycling and upcycling through its renewable materials, MCM said.

MCM's pop-up store has an industrial feel

Gallery space for artists

The pop-up playground also serves as a gallery space for artists and innovators from the company’s M:AZIT KUNST project. Situated alongside plastic boxes, fence walls and MCM’s lifestyle collections, the store features an array of books, sculptures and 3D installations amid the pop-up’s interior palette of contrasting primaries and neutral tones. 

The outer façade is designed with an asymmetrical series of tessellations, inspired by the signature diamond in the MCM logo. Fitted with a perforated metal panel, the exterior serves as a nod to the leaves in the MCM laurel, complete with a Bauhaus-inspired geometry. The exterior pays homage to the interior constructionist concept with a series of diagonal contours. By nightfall, the outer support framework glows with a series of incandescent LED backlights that alternate between cobalt hues and lilac tones.

The interior serves as a gallery space for artists and innovators

Renowned for its eclectic themed cafes and nightlife culture, the Hongdae district has achieved notoriety for its street arts, underground musicians, festivals and performances, as well as music concerts featuring independent artists and mainstream entertainers alike. Hongdae is also home to independent clothing stalls and vintage shops alongside upmarket brand stores.

The store is open from August to December 2015.

Dewar’s creates a gold rush at Dubai Duty Free

Bacardi has staged a Dewar’s Scotch whisky promotion with Dubai Duty Free to showcase the launch of its 15yo expression – a newly released variant, positioned for premium gifting. The travel retail exclusive presentation comes in an ornately embossed golden gift tin to maximise its on-shelf appeal.

Gilt-edged: Dewar's Gold Rush activation at Dubai Duty Free

Disruptive in-store activation

Emphasising the association between Dubai and gold, the Dewar’s Gold Rush promotion seeks to leverage the international appeal of Dewar’s as the world’s most awarded blended Scotch whisky and as the holder of the longest royal warrant for blended whisky since the initial award from Queen Victoria in 1893.

Unable to offer sampling in the Middle East airport, Bacardi and Dubai Duty Free worked together to create a disruptive in-store activation to attract attention in Terminal 3 departures and arrivals stores. Reflecting the design of the Dewar’s 15yo gift tin, the promotion centres on the operator’s central promotional pillar, wrapped in a metallic gold facing and with enhanced lighting.

Led by brand ambassadors who explain the brand’s heritage, the promotion rewards all Dewar’s purchases with a scratch card and the chance to win a valuable measure of gold, with one top prize of a 100g gold bar and 30 bars of 5g. Any spend on Dewar’s over US$95 is further rewarded with a premium trolley case.

Dewar's 15yo blended Scotch whisky comes in an ornately embossed gift tin

Compelling and interactive with a sense of place

Dubai Duty Free executive vice chairman Colm McLoughlin said: “At Dubai Duty Free we are always looking to create compelling, interactive experiences for our consumers to attract attention and ultimately help drive purchase. Our team has worked closely with Bacardi Global Travel Retail to develop the business and strengthen brand awareness within our retail operation. We think this promotion will appeal greatly to our customers and we look forward to rolling it out.”

Sharon Beecham, manager – purchasing and vendor support at Dubai Duty Free, added: “It’s fantastic to offer a simple yet exciting promotion like this with a prize that clearly reflects the association of gold with Dubai, drawing shopper interest to drive category excitement and sales. We’ve seen great enthusiasm amongst our guests, which I’m sure is fuelled by the sense of place the promotion creates and the appeal of Dewar’s as a discovery brand backed up by its incredible award-winning status. There’s no doubt this will create a positive memory of Dubai airport – and that’s the kind of experience we at Dubai Duty Free are passionate about creating.”

Philippa Coleman, regional manager Middle East & Africa at Bacardi Global Travel Retail, enthused: “Dewar’s has enormous potential as a significant driver of value within the Scotch whisky category, tapping into the growing desire amongst consumers at the second stage of luxury to discover alternatives to mainstream whiskies. The range offers several powerful purchase triggers which appeal to this group, especially in the rarity of finding an aged blend and its unique heritage as the longest held royal warrant for whisky and its status as the world’s most awarded blended Scotch whisky. Dewar’s 15yo is a great trade-up proposition, perfect for gifting and as a self-treat.

“We shared a desire with Dubai Duty Free to leverage these brand values and, working together, we came up with a promotion to harness desire and drive impulse amongst shoppers. At the heart of the campaign is the dual appeal of Dewar’s 15yo as a great gift purchase and the opportunity for the shopper to receive a reward themselves, all wrapped up with the allure of winning a precious measure of gold.”

Separately, Bacardi reports that a biomass boiler has been installed at John Dewar & Sons' Aberfeldy distillery in Scotland, which is already achieving a 90% reduction in carbon footprint.

MCM robots land in-store

German luxury brand MCM has launched its Roby Collection of outer space-inspired robot bags for Autumn/Winter 2015. Crafted in acrylic with gold-tone detail, the moulded clutch features Swarovski crystal eyes and a snake-like chain strap to add elements of glamour to the look. 

MCM's Roby Collection

Ultra-modern design

The Roby features a top magnetic closure and suede lining finished with an oversized signature brass plate, creating a playful minaudiere that can be toted in your hand or carried cross-body.

Available in a series of shapes, the ultra-modern, machine-like design is available in black, silver, blue, green and wine. Cosmic!

The art of successful leadership

Sung-Joo Kim, CEO and founder of Sungjoo Group, has been included in a prestigious new book about business leadership called COLLECTIVE GENIUS: THE ART AND PRACTICE OF LEADING INNOVATION, published by Harvard Business Review.

Written by Harvard leadership scholar Linda Hill with co-authors Greg Brandeau, Emily Truelove and Kent Lineback, this fascinating book demonstrates that sustained innovation requires a special kind of leadership, as exemplified by Sung-Joo Kim and other renowned business leaders. Linda Hill spent a decade studying leaders of innovative firms in the US, Europe, and Asia, including such companies as Pixar, Google, IBM and Sungjoo Group.

Collective Genius captures best practices from global leaders in a compelling and concise manner and demonstrates the opportunity to apply a common business ethos across diverse industries. In chapters that take the reader deep into the worlds of these extraordinary individuals, Collective Genius reveals how they think and what they do to unleash and then harness the “collective genius” of those they lead.

“Innovation is not the domain of one individual in an organisation; it occurs where there is empowerment and teamwork,” concludes Linda Hill.

Linda Hill’s words have been echoed by Sung-Joo Kim throughout her illustrious business career, in which she attributes the success of her company to her mission-driven approach. Collective Genius traces Sung-Joo Kim’s unique family background and rise to career success through persistence and extraordinary vision. Rejecting her traditional Korean family’s desire for her not to pursue a career, she overcame myriad obstacles and founded a billion-dollar company that competes with today’s luxury behemoths.

Inclusive corporate culture

Through her ownership of the global luxury brand MCM, Sung-Joo Kim succeeded in creating a new kind of luxury that symbolised the freedom and empowerment of women. As she states in the book: “I wanted to define a 21^st century luxury – for the stylish working woman who had multiple identities and craved luxurious, high quality products that could help her live a better life.”

Sung-Joo Kim, who grew up in a male-dominated, patriarchal Korea, set out to create an inclusive, welcoming corporate culture, hiring women like herself. “I believed the only way Korea could strengthen its global competitiveness was by waking up its women and equipping them with world-class capabilities.”

She is also a great believer in how overcoming adversity can instil in women an “emotional quotient” that enables them to do great global work. Encouraging open debate and finding ways to bring teams together to collaborate – and innovate – are also cited as among the many secrets to her company’s success.

Collective Genius has been awarded the gold medal in the Leadership category of the 2104 Axiom Business Book Awards, the largest and most respected critical guidepost for business books in today's new world of publishing.

Author Linda Hill gave a TEDx talk about Collective Genius and it has had 1,100,000 views in just a few months since it went live on the TED website. Collective Genius has been translated into four languages with more to come, and has had three reprints.

Exclusive Bacardi rum collection seeks to emulate single malt success

Bacardi has launched a travel retail exclusive collection of Single Cane Estate Rums, consisting of premium, aged rums from exceptional sugarcane estates across the Americas. By crafting each rum entirely at a single source in small batches, each expression is unique and fully captures the distinctive character of its home. 

The range is targeted at rum enthusiasts as the rum category equivalent of a single malt whisky, echoing the malts category’s detailed emphasis on quality, provenance and education. The collection will initially be available in German travel retailer Gebr Heinemann’s airport stores in Frankfurt, Hamburg, Berlin, Vienna, Oslo, Copenhagen, Istanbul and Riga.

Single Cane Estate Rums' Worthy Park Jamaica

Exciting and energetic category

Rum is the third largest spirits category in global domestic markets, representing a 12% share, yet it commands only a 5% share of spirits in global travel retail. As market leader, Bacardi wants to grow the rum category through premiumisation, shopper education and communications, with Single Cane Estate Rums addressing the single malts positioning opportunity for the rum category.

Mike Birch, managing director of Bacardi Global Travel Retail, commented: “Only 24% of current rum sales in global travel retail are high value compared to 76% for total spirits, and we are confident there’s a major opportunity in travel retail for this exciting and energetic category. Single Cane Estate Rums are a key component in Bacardi’s strategic drive to create category differentiation.”

The initial launch comprises two variants: Worthy Park Estate from Jamaica and Consuelo Estate from the Dominican Republic.

Worthy Park Estate rum is a warm amber rum distilled in small batches using sugar cane harvested from the Lluidas Vale in the temperate microclimate of the Cockpit Mountains in Jamaica, 1,200ft above sea level, which slows the ageing process and allows the smooth and rich flavours to develop gradually. After fermentation, traditional pot stills are used to create the base rums that are selected for ageing in American white oak casks between two and five years. Worthy Park Estate rum is available in one-litre bottles, retailing at  €29.90.

Consuelo Estate rum is a smooth golden rum made from the juice of virgin sugar cane, grown in the coastal plantations of south-eastern Dominican Republic, where local farmers have harvested the sugar cane by hand for generations. The rum is shaped by a microclimate whose lush fields are exposed to Caribbean sun and cool winds from the sea, resulting in ideal ageing conditions. Consuelo Estate rum is available in one-litre bottles, priced at €27.90.

The bottle design is sleek and contemporary with embossed lettering in the glass and comes with a distinctive gift box complete with the exact latitude and longitude of the estates where the cane is grown, processed and distilled.

Tasting notes

Worthy Park Estate rum has a warm amber hue and a medium body that forms a few quick legs that hang briefly on the glass. The bouquet smells of banana crème, vanilla and plums. As the rum is allowed to breathe, it begins to showcase traits normally associated with sweet Speyside whiskey, such as honey and soft violet. On the palate, Worthy Park exudes notes of dried honey stone fruit, tobacco, and Spanish cedar with subtle floral undertones. The finish is clean, long and smooth.

Consuelo Estate rum has a heavy body with a golden hue that briefly hangs on the glass before developing rich legs. On the nose, it carries notes of honey, dried stone fruit, figs, a sweet toasted nuttiness, and a slight hint of floral, almost white tea-like in nature. On the palate, there is a balance of flavour, heat and smoothness. With notes of honey clusters, dry cocoa, sweet oats, and a slight hint of citrus, this blend finishes smooth and long with a lingering note of sweet oak.

Both variants are best enjoyed served with a dash of spring water to open up the aromas and delicate flavours.

Dewar's opens first whisky emporium in Asia

Bacardi, in partnership with Taiwanese travel retailer Ever Rich, has opened a shop-in-shop version of its John Dewar & Sons Fine Whisky Emporium at Taoyuan International Airport. This is the first showcase for the Dewar’s Emporium in Asia and signifies the importance of the Taiwanese market for quality blends and single malts.

John Dewar & Sons Fine Whisky Emporium at Taiwan Taoyuan airport

Strong potential for growth in Taiwan

Bacardi believes there is strong potential for future growth in Taiwan due to the high proportion of shoppers who are motivated by the discovery of rare, aged malts and blends featuring brand intrinsics such as age statements, great provenance and heritage.  The lead brand is Craigellachie with 13yo and 19yo variants featured.

The open-fronted store is next to the concourse and attracts considerable footfall. Inside the store, design cues play to Dewar’s Scottish heritage, recreating the original Dewar’s wine and spirits merchants store with traditional-style wooden display cabinets and flooring, and a vintage cash register.  The lighting is enhanced by two backlit windows which appear to look out on to the Aberfeldy distillery and the surrounding heather-clad countryside.

Meanwhile, brand ambassadors guide shoppers through the Dewar’s range of Craigellachie, Aberfeldy, Glen Deveron and Dewar’s via tutored tastings using whisky barrel staves, along with a demonstration that recreates Craigellachie’s famous worm tubs.  In-store gift services include bottle-neck wax dipping in the signature Dewar’s red wax.

Irving Holmes Wong, regional director Asia-Pacific and MEA at Bacardi Global Travel, said: “We are delighted with our first John Dewar & Sons Fine Whisky Emporium at scale, brought to life with a stunningly professional execution through our partnership with Ever Rich at Taiwan Taoyuan, a location we regard as one of the very best shop windows in Asia.

“I believe the high quality theatre inside the store is critical to its success, and we are witnessing how this positively impacts shoppers.  They are definitely spending more time browsing to explore the Dewar’s range in detail, interacting with our brand ambassadors to learn more about the individual whiskies, their provenance and respond positively to the importance we place on age statements in both the single malts and Dewar’s aged blends. This authentic story-telling shopping experience helps create personal memories of their travels, and the resulting strong conversion levels are excellent.”