Pierre-Louis Araud is the business development manager and global brand ambassador for Moët & Chandon. He spoke with Maryanne Maina in Reims in the Champagne region, on the growing African market for champagne.

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As ambassador for Moet & Chandon, what is the most important aspect of your role?

My role is to ensure Jean-Remy Moët’s lifelong goal, “To share the magic of champagne with the world.”

Specifically, to share the spirit of Moet & Chandon with Africa and to translate the emotion of joy through our champagne. I spend a lot of time in bars, clubs and parties monitoring how the product is being appreciated.

How do you define the product?

Moët & Chandon is champagne, not just sparkling wine. There is a big difference as champagne is very exclusive and demanding in the production process. You can only make champagne in Champagne.

What is your general overview of the Moet & Chandon business in sub-Saharan Africa?

I believe that as African economies improve and the middle class grows, consumption of champagne increases as tastes and lifestyles evolve.

There is a change in attitude and the affluent African is now very concerned about personal growth, the environment, social responsibility and is willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products.

Champagne is a luxury product and we are here to make people’s dreams come true. We hope with better economies, the purchasing power of consumers will increase. There’s a deep interest in the African market.

What are the Moet & Chandon products that are available in the African markets?

A wide range: Moët Impérial, Moët Nectar Rose Impérial, and Moët Nectar Imperial, which are working very well.

We noticed the demand for the high-end products and top range products; hence these are the reasons why we chose to propose them as well as the new ones in our range of products that we call MCIII.

MC stands for Moët & Chandon, while the Roman numeral III reflects the three centuries that span this production house’s existence.

It actually symbolises three different techniques, or as the company refers to them, “strata” of creation.

MCIII is the result of ageing and combining a number of Moët’s best Grand Vintage wines into what results in an ultra-luxurious, non-vintage champagne.

The maturation of these various vintages has been divided into a trio of ageing vessels encompassing wood, glass, and metal. This innovative process took Moët’s Chef de Cave Benoît Gouez and his team of winemakers more than 20 years to perfect.

Is it true that Nigeria is your leading market in regards to champagne consumption?

Nigeria was very interesting for me. I had heard that Nigerians drink champagne all the time and I needed to see this for myself.

I travelled these and confirmed this. There are online companies that even deliver the drink to your location. Nigerians party day and night, and is therefore a strong market for our products.

Beyond parties, weddings are big in Nigeria. There is also the practice of having Moët & Chandon for lunch or dinner, for people who appreciate it.

This lifestyle is similar to that of Cote d'Ivoire. In the capital Abidjan there is a club called 40/40 that caters to Moet. The club has huge slabs designed with the word Moet.

The main difference in these two countries is the size of the market. Nigerians have a larger population than Cote d'Ivoire, hence bigger consume numbers.

How about the growth of Moet & Chandon consumption in East Africa?

Kenya has realised great growth and is leading in East Africa. It is a stable market in regards to its economy, quite sophisticated in development and caters to a lot of foreigners too.

As the economy keeps growing, more people want to enjoy the finer things in life. This makes Kenya our leading champagne base in East Africa. We consider Tanzania an upcoming market.

Which are the leading champagne markets and is there a difference in their tastes?

Nigeria is the leading champagne market in sub-Saharan Africa, followed by South Africa and in third place we have three countries: Angola, Cote d'Ivoire and Kenya.

The tastes differ in each market in that South Africans appreciate a sweet taste just like Kenyans. In these two markets we have Moët Nectar and Moët Brut.

What are your expectations for your products in sub-Saharan Africa and how would you assess the performance of your products in the region?

We want our products to be the brand of choice for the Africans. We know the market and that is why we are going deeply into it.

Of course, we have competitors but we have a beautiful brand that is known for celebration and Africans love to celebrate, therefor this is the perfect brand for happiness.

In essence, your brand is meant to make people enjoy and celebrate life, isn’t it?

Exactly. To make people dream and to share good moments with them. Champagne is about celebration of life and that is why you can drink it anytime and anywhere, from breakfast to dinner or even at tea time.

Moët & Chandon is a product of success and glamour.