François Bureau’s Post

Embracing the Premiumization Trend As consumers become more discerning, the trend of premiumization continues to shape the spirits industry. People are no longer just looking for a drink—they’re seeking an experience, a story, and a product that represents quality and authenticity. At Monte Carlo Vermouth, we’ve embraced this shift by creating the world’s first luxury vermouth, blending artisanal craftsmanship with the finest ingredients sourced from Monaco, France, and Italy. Monte Carlo Vermouth captures the essence of Monaco’s iconic rose gardens, with the fragrance and botanical extraction process taking place in Grasse, the global capital of perfumery. Combined with the finest wines from Piedmont, this meticulous attention to quality and heritage results in a vermouth unlike any other. In an industry where consumers expect more than ever before, it’s the details like these that set premium brands apart. How has the demand for premium experiences impacted your business, and how do you see this trend evolving in the future?

In the mid-1990s, Sidney Frank – an American businessman with a knack for crafting luxury brands – wanted to introduce a new premium vodka to the market, at the time dominated by established Russian brands and Sweden's Absolut. Targeting the affluent and aspirational, Frank leveraged American consumers' intuitive association between luxury and French goods by partnering with Francois Thibault, a cellar master, to craft what he'd decided to call 'Grey Goose' using traditional French techniques – distilled in Picardy and bottled in Cognac. With taste and production sorted, Frank turned to branding. Wanting his bottle to convey French provenance, Frank's design featured frosted glass for a premium edge and a small flag to denote its country of origin; delicate netting circles the body to mimic the region's fine wines, as does a replaceable cork. The product was placed in Sex and The City – a pinnacle of late 90s New York lifestyle – as well as donated to multiple society charity galas. Business boomed, and by 2004, just seven years after launch, Grey Goose was sold to Bacardi for $2 billion. By hiking pricepoint (at launch Absolut sat around $17 for 750ml, Grey Goose went on shelves for $30), Frank created a self-fulfilling prophecy. Everything about vodka is perception. It's colourless, odourless, even tasteless in a way. Yet by building visual, psychological and social associations between the product and perceptions of luxury, Sidney Frank set a new standard for the spirit market. Whilst the likelihood of Grey Goose lining the cellars of collectors is slim, its origin lends itself to the importance of perceived value. Fine wine and rare spirits are an increasingly credible asset class, with a global market value in the billions. More than that, owning products of high calibre possesses an intoxicating quality unmatched by other kinds of capital — whether investors drink it or not. Read more on how brands transform products into assets with perception via the link in comments. #MatterOfForm #FineWine #RareSpirits #Investment #Assets #Luxury #Alcohol #Branding #Design #Collectables #Innovation

It has been obvious for years to The Luxury Institute, LLC that both young and older affluent consumers have been moving away from higher alcohol consumption, driven by the wellness and health revolution that The Luxury Institute, LLC identified many years ago. HNWs and UHNWs of all generations have been signaling and making that transition for many years, even before the pandemic. We know enough young wealthy who have never tasted an alcoholic beverage. You have to maintain a constant dialogue with HNWs and UHNWs so you can anticipate and create the future. They will tell you, and you need to innovate. Our vast trusted network of HNW and UHNW individuals and families across the world is a unique resource for true luxury goods and services brands. Many brands across categories have been working with us for years. Others have failed to take HNW and UHNW sentiment into account and have paid the price. HNWs and UHNWs tell us they enjoy The Luxury Institute, LLC’s interviews, conducted by Emotionally Intelligent experts in a safe environment with privacy and confidentiality. We make the entire end to end process an Extraordinary Experience for the client and the interviewee. Every single wines/spirits company should have been innovative and developed their own non-alcoholic wines and spirits, and venues, years ago. HNW and UHNW consumers have been asking. Empathy and High Trust Worth are everything with HNWs and UHNWs.

In the mid-1990s, Sidney Frank – an American businessman with a knack for crafting luxury brands – wanted to introduce a new premium vodka to the market, at the time dominated by established Russian brands and Sweden's Absolut. Targeting the affluent and aspirational, Frank leveraged American consumers' intuitive association between luxury and French goods by partnering with Francois Thibault, a cellar master, to craft what he'd decided to call 'Grey Goose' using traditional French techniques – distilled in Picardy and bottled in Cognac. With taste and production sorted, Frank turned to branding. Wanting his bottle to convey French provenance, Frank's design featured frosted glass for a premium edge and a small flag to denote its country of origin; delicate netting circles the body to mimic the region's fine wines, as does a replaceable cork. The product was placed in Sex and The City – a pinnacle of late 90s New York lifestyle – as well as donated to multiple society charity galas. Business boomed, and by 2004, just seven years after launch, Grey Goose was sold to Bacardi for $2 billion. By hiking pricepoint (at launch Absolut sat around $17 for 750ml, Grey Goose went on shelves for $30), Frank created a self-fulfilling prophecy. Everything about vodka is perception. It's colourless, odourless, even tasteless in a way. Yet by building visual, psychological and social associations between the product and perceptions of luxury, Sidney Frank set a new standard for the spirit market. Whilst the likelihood of Grey Goose lining the cellars of collectors is slim, its origin lends itself to the importance of perceived value. Fine wine and rare spirits are an increasingly credible asset class, with a global market value in the billions. More than that, owning products of high calibre possesses an intoxicating quality unmatched by other kinds of capital — whether investors drink it or not. Read the rest via the link in comments. #MatterOfForm #FineWine #RareSpirits #Investment #Assets #Luxury #Alcohol #Branding #Design #Collectables #Innovation

In 2019, whisky topped the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index – a survey of luxury asset classes and their market performances. Over the past 10 years, rare bottles of whisky have outperformed diamonds, watches, wines, cars and even art in their rapid gains. Though the market has ultimately cooled post-pandemic, records continue to be broken for the rarest of bottles.

You Have to Think About the Maison": Minuty CEO Discusses Joining LVMH. #MaisonMinuty #LVMH #WineIndustry #ExecutiveInsights #BusinessStrategy #LuxuryBrands #MarketExpansion #BeverageNews #WineBusiness #CheersToGrowth

Whisky Live Paris Our latest blog, Mark and Andy Gray discuss their observations from Whisky Live Paris. With hundreds of whisky, rum, gin, tequila and sake on display, stand-out is everything. Brands need to be super clear who they are, and what they stand for before they think about turning up at these events. In a room full of competitors, familiar clichés just don’t cut it.   - Luxury never takes a day off Some luxury brands struggled to hit the level of quality we’ve come to expect of them. Premium brands are expected to be premium everywhere they go. - Bring your brand to life The stands that bowled us away had considered the brand and the visitor experience. They’d created interactive spaces full of opportunities to surprise and delight, and to ‘land’ their brand idea and personality. Those that fell short had relegated their stands to glorified billboards.  - Sometimes less is less A simple idea with excellent execution is amazing. There were too many misplaced efforts at simplicity on display. If you’re going to do simple in a premium category – you must make sure it doesn’t look cheap. Read more - https://lnkd.in/evfGAY9A #WhiskyLiveParis #Whisky #gin #rum #gin #tequilas #sake #brandingagency

On This Day in Luxury: June 10, 1901 On June 10, 1901, Luigi Bezzera revolutionised how we drink coffee. In Italy, coffee is not just a beverage; it's an art form, a near-religious experience. Luigi Bezzera, with his patented portafilter espresso machine, sparked a global love affair with Italian coffee. Over time, Italy’s bold, flavourful coffee became a morning ritual. The epitome of Italian coffee culture, espresso is thicker and more intense than coffee because of the lower grounds-to-water ratio, the finer grind, and the pressurised brewing method. Regular coffee uses a coarser grind, more water and gravity to extract the final brew. In the 60s, Italy exploded onto the international stage with Vespa, Fendi and Pucci. Guido Bezzera, at just 19 years old, infused the brand with the modernism of Italy. His sleek Res-Nova (from the Latin 'cosa nova' – new thing) espresso machine was a symbol of innovation, installed at the Pirelli factory and Fiumicino airport in Rome. More than a century later, Bezzera still makes exceptional coffee. Four generations of the family have meticulously upheld a production process that guarantees the excellence of 'Made in Italy.' Eventually, the pioneers made room for Gaggia, DeLonghi and Bialetti, who embody 'la dolce vita', elevating everyday espresso into an art form. Image Credit: Nikolay Glazunov, Unsplash #HistoryofEspresso #Coffee #Bezzera #LuxuryStories #Luxury #LuxuryInsights #PotlatchAgency

Luxury handbags are the second most popular collectable item among UK wealth managers in 2024, after fine wine. 😉🍷 Learn more about the shift in investment trends, comparing fine wine vs luxury handbags, and the risks and rewards in our latest blog. https://lnkd.in/e6cCREEC 📊 #WineCap #LuxuryHandbags #LuxuryhandbagInvestment #ChanellClassicFlap #ChanelHandbag #WineInvestment #AlternativeInvestment #UKWealthManager #WealthManagers #LuxuryAssets #HermesInvestment #Collectables

📉🍾 LVMH, the luxury giant, reported a significant drop in champagne sales in the first half of 2024. The company's CFO attributes this decline to fewer celebrations and festive events. With the global economy in flux, consumers are becoming more cautious with luxury spending. It will be interesting to see how LVMH responds to this challenge and what strategies they will implement to turn things around. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gQFpFpjF #LVMH #luxury #economy #champagne #businessnews