Nausicaa Charrier, the marketing director for Moet Hennessy Malaysia and Singapore, shares on the evolving local drinks scene.
Much like most industries, the alcohol scene is seeing a paradigm shift. Where previously consumers were content to just buy a tipple and enjoy it, today’s drinkers demand for more. There is a higher demand for premium spirits and experiences to go along with their drinks, from food pairings to concerts—accoutrements to elevate the whole experience and delight the senses.
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How then does an alcohol brand known for its tradition and legacy stay relevant?
One way Hennessy does this is by curating exciting and unique experiences for consumers. Take for example the recent Hennessy Artistry events in November 2022 which happened across Malaysia. They had guests enjoying the music of international acts while enjoying their drinks.
Other programmes such as the brand’s partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and its Best of Malaysia campaign also focus on immersing consumers in a journey. And we too got to experience the latter, which took place in September in Penang—an apt location, seeing as it is where the first-ever shipments of Hennessy arrived in Malaya in 1862.
“Best of Malaysia is an initiative we kicked off two years ago, to reward loyal Paradis consumers. Essentially, we provide the best of experiences; think of it as the best of culture and tradition in Malaysia meeting the savoir-fare of Hennessy—it’s more than just a product offering,” says Nausicaa Charrier, recently hailing from New York and now overseeing the marketing strategies for Hennessy in Malaysia and Singapore.
“There’s a transformation in the drinking culture locally, and it’s interesting for me to be where change is taking place. Mainly because my role entails establishing and maintaining dialogue with current consumers as well as to draw in new drinkers to the brand—of course of legal drinking age,” she adds about her role.
“If you look back just 20 years ago, it was mostly still a traditional market here, but it’s now evolving into a mature and modern market, and the brand has a role to play in the redefining of the cognac category,” Charrier explains.
Another change is the fact that drinkers are now becoming more explorative, and the boom of cocktail culture is a by-product of that. For example, cognac was mostly consumed as is and not as an ingredient in cocktails. That has shifted, and instead of playing a passive role and watching trends come and go, Hennessy launched its #HennessyMyWay campaign.
“The HennessyMyWay challenge is a key milestone launched three years ago. What initially was a means to support bars and bartenders that were reeling from the pandemic, turned out to become one of the most anticipated global cocktail crafting competitions,” she proudly shares. Plus, the cherry on top for Malaysia is that two of our very own bartenders made the top five list of winners this year!” They are Chloe Tan of Cabinet 8 by JWC in Johor and Rolend Ten of Backdoor Bodega in Penang.
“Malaysia has great talent and compared to the many other countries I’ve worked at and travelled to, the Malaysian cocktail scene is on par, and extremely creative, with high levels of execution,” shares Charrier, who has a personal penchant for sour cocktails.
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