International Marketing Study Program 2006
Moet et Chandon
18th January 2006
On arrival at the maison of Moet et Chandon we were immediately impressed by the opulence and sophistication of the historical buildings and surroundings. Based in Epernay, Moet et Chandon is renowned world wide for its champagne. After taking numerous photos of Dom Perignon and the court yard, our group was warmly greeted by Pascal Pecriaux, the Brands Education Manager of Moet & Chandon. Soon after, Pascal began the first part of his presentation which included the detailed history of Moet & Chandon, namely the integration of the Moet & Chandon families.
Once we acquired enough background knowledge on the company’s history, we were then prepared to take a tour through the 18th century cellars led by Naoko Iwatsuki, and were able to appreciate the dedication of the champagne making process practised by Moet & Chandon. We were fortunate enough to not only receive such an insightful tour, but we also had chance to taste their exceptional champagne. During the tasting session, Pascal demonstrated how to taste wine by taking note of the aromas first and the taste second. What was interesting to note was that besides Pascal being a wine connoisseur, he did mention that describing a wine is based on ones own perceptions and the same wine could be described differently depending on the way the taster is feeling.
Our tasting led onto lunch at Hotel Chandon where an extravagant dining experience awaited us. We all enjoyed an amazing three course meal ranging from crab and fennel salad to white chocolate and lime sponge cake and a selection of French cheeses. During dessert we were spoiled further when were given another tasting, this time of their Rose champagne.
After an extremely satisfying lunch – though some were not satisfied enough that they brought dessert down to the presentation room – Pascal continued the second half of his presentation this time concentrating on the Dom Perignon brand. He emphasised yet again the importance of portraying luxury in all their marketing efforts. This was demonstrated when we were lucky enough to get a sneak peak of Moet & Chandon’s new advertising campaign created by Karl Lagerfeld. The objective of this was to reanimate the brand through contact with a great creator who has worked with other luxury brands. Overall, the day exuded luxury, true to the Moet & Chandon image. We left the beautiful grounds of Moet & Chandon much more knowledgeable about champagne, the prestigious brand and the wonderful history surrounding the establishment of Moet & Chandon. What an experience!
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