The world-famous company LVMH Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, uniting some of the most iconic luxury brands, continues the presence of its brands on the Bulgarian market in partnership with Avendi, part of VM Finance Group. The two companies renewed their cooperation agreement for the next 5 years.
Thus, Avendi continues its long-standing successful work on the marketing and distribution of the brands from the LVMH portfolio.
The company maintains the distribution and marketing of Dom Pérignon, Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart, Moët & Chandon, Krug, La Grand Dame champagnes; Hennessy cognac; Belvedere Vodka; Glenmorangie and Ardbeg whiskey; and wines from the famous Cloudy Bay and Terrazas Cellars.
Moët Hennessy's brand new product, Chandon Garden Spritz, has been recently added to this portfolio, an exciting combination of ultra-sparkling wine with fresh orange bitter liqueur.
The partnership between Moët Hennessy and Avendi began 20 years ago with the import of the iconic Dom Pérignon and Moët & Chandon to the Bulgarian market and continues to this day with the gradual expansion of the offered products.
This 20-year shared history of trust and success can be told in many different ways. Avendi offers us one of them, emphasizing on the importance of good partnership these days. This is how:
Courage and common direction are necessary for trust to keep growing. This is the case of the partnership between Moët Hennessy and Avendi, part of VM Finance Group
The classic, generally available and probably generally valid definition of a business partnership consists of co-operation for the sake of affirming mutual interests. However, there is no successful partnership which can be categorized into pre-set parameters. The truth is that at the heart of a successful and time-tested partnership are results - what you did yesterday affects every conversation you will have today and every handshake that awaits you tomorrow.
But sometimes tomorrow comes without any of what was certain yesterday. And then again, the results manage to bring stability back and sort out the business sense behind everything an organization does. Since the beginning of 2020, the world has changed and it has become particularly important for business leaders not only to have their companies resilient and stable, but to have equally resilient and stable partners. In this sense, the reaffirmation of a business partnership in a situation like this is not just a formal act of continuing an agreement made over time, but a contract that celebrates the trust earned and strengthened over the years.
This is exactly the partnership between the leading company in the marketing and distribution of fast-moving goods, Avendi, part of VM Finance Group, and the world leader in the production of high-quality drinks, Moët Hennessy. Both companies valued their mutual work, signing a new 5-year contract, which confirmed their desire to continue working as trusted allies in order to strengthen the brands in the Moët Hennessy portfolio.
Introducing brands such as Dom Pérignon, Moët & Chandon, Hennessy or Veuve Clicquot to the Bulgarian market is not an easy task because of the huge responsibility, tradition and work behind them, but also because of the innovation, creativity and adaptability of the company that unites them. The Avendi team sees all this as an exciting and meaningful professional challenge and stands with confidence next to its world-famous partner, sharing the responsibility for its brands and its philosophy.
"Having a partner like Moët Hennessy brings countless opportunities. Globally, LVMH is an innovator, an initiator of ideas and is not afraid of change. I believe that any company that has stood the test of time has succeeded because of its ability to adapt to a changing, dynamic, and competitive environment," says Lila Pavlova, Brand Manager for Moët Hennessy at Avendi. She is the person who knows the brands in the Moët Hennessy portfolio down to the smallest detail. However, her work includes knowledge not only about the product, but also about the user - about his desires, ideas, taste.
"We develop the brands of Moët Hennessy portfolio according to global guidelines and global recommendations, but also according to the needs of our market and consumers. My practice shows that not every global initiative can bring the expected benefits to the Bulgarian market. Here, Avendi as a partner can assess the potential and share its expertise," says Lila. Mainatining Moët Hennessy's brands involves not only 'protecting' the brands' reputation, but also developing them in the local market in the most appropriate way for the culture and environment, with a willingness to change the game when necessary.
Most of Avendi's initiatives and campaigns related to the presentation of the brands in our country rely on innovation and a bold approach to customers and partners. That's why Lila Pavlova and the company's team are trying to create a new trend in the consumption of champagne. Their goal is to expand the field by "taking" it, apart from the nightclubs, where it is traditionally present, and to a restaurant. The idea is to build the culture of "a glass of champagne" in Bulgaria, as it is popular in many developed European countries.
Whiskey is a preferred drink by Bulgarian consumers and an innovative approach to present the drink is choosing a new direction of communication. The market is saturated with a variety of whiskey brands which led to a saturation of messages and "expert" opinions. That's why Glenmorangie, the brand part of Moët Hennessy portfolio, shifted the focus to the experience itself and to the consumer's desire to try something which feels familiar so that they can easily answer the question "Do I like this?" And if "Yes" follows, no further explanation is needed, "It's just delicious!" is enough.
When it comes to cognac, Avendi also tries to turn the point of view. The stereotype is that cognac is usually drunk in the winter months during the holidays. This is also supported by the numbers - about 30% of Hennessy's annual sales are realized in the November-December period. But the truth is that you don't have to wait for Christmas to enjoy quality cognac. For this reason, Avendi and Moët Hennessy set the ambitious goal that within 5 years the Hennessy brand will go beyond the limitations of the cognac category. This change has already begun with the series of events "Oh So classic cocktails" and continues in 2021, when cognac will break out of stereotypes to enter cocktails and the hearts of connoisseurs as a drink worthy of enjoyment all year round.
"Behind every campaign there's a lot of hard work and persistence from the entire Avendi team - marketing and sales force. Thanks to the sales team, we manage to realize and position the Moët Hennessy brands in the best possible way," Lila Pavlova is convinced, and everything she says is confirmed by the good results achieved by the company. She herself has an insight into working at Avendi not only as brand manager of Moët Hennessy, having been part of the firm for several years now. In fact, Lila took over the portfolio of Moët Hennessy at the beginning of March 2020, when everything was closed, and her work became practically impossible. How do you manage to adapt in such situation, when you're supposed to develop brands whose positioning and communication seems completely impossible? "We had to adapt the whole strategy, to try to change the habits of consumers, who used to think that champagne is consumed in night clubs only," says Lila. And then he adds that the difficult situation pushed them to look for new ways to meet potential customers, and in the end the results turned out to be much better than expected. She also adds that the challenging situation inspired them to look for new ways to find potential customers, and in the end the results turned out to be much better than expected.
"We have created occasions to communicate 'at home', we have allowed more and more people to touch our brands through e-commerce and various off-trade activities," Lila explains. This resulted in wider brand recognition among new audiences, new fans, and new opportunities for development – both for Avendi and for their partner Moët Hennessy. Being confident that every step forward for your partner is a step forward for you as well is also a part of a successful partnership.
Although the current situation is challenging for everyone, the excitement of working with such brands is never absent, as Lila confirms. "The end of last year was very exciting when Moët Hennessy chose Bulgaria to be one of several test markets in Europe for the new brand in their portfolio - Chandon Garden Spritz," says Lila. Now she is part of the whole process of introducing and positioning it in the market, which is among the most valuable moments in her work, because it brings her motivation and energy. She also gains more knowledge, new horizons and opportunities to communicate with some of the biggest professionals in the fast moving (FMCG) sector, but also something perhaps more important – inspiration. Lila talks about the brands from her entrusted portfolio with sincerity and care, which reveals one thing - she loves her work, but her work is also endlessly exciting. And when people like Lila and the Avendi team along with a company like Moët Hennessy stand on both sides of a business partnership, it is bound to succeed because work becomes a cause and trust is the real bargaining chip – not just a signature at the end of important document.
