Grower Champagnes poised for major make-over

he days of the dancing lady made from Champagne wire and the timeless logo featuring growers tilling their vines are numbered. Grower Champagnes are about to get a make-over. The producers’ organisation SGV has announced that a new marketing banner will be revealed this autumn. But why the change in style? “Structurally, grower Champagnes are losing market shares both domestically and in export markets”, commented grower Maxime Blin, representing Maxime Toubart, the organisation’s chairman, at its press conference in Paris on September 26. Over the first six months of the year, volumes marketed by growers dropped 3.2% across-the-board (France and export), mirroring a trend going on for the past decade.

Engaging with consumers

The question is how best to react to a changing marketplace. For the past two years, the growers’ organisation has aimed to innovate by emphasising the attributes of growers – namely, their ability to establish a unique, warm, one-to-one relationship with consumers. As an example of the strategy, the organisation opens a pop-up bar during the summer on its premises, where tourists can discover Champagne and, more importantly, its wine growers. The outcome of the second year is very positive with 4,000 patrons this summer, 80% of whom were foreign holidaymakers aged under 35.

In the public eye

“We have ramped up our ambitions for 2018”, stressed Blin. The organisation is reviewing other activities and considering all its options, one of which is opening a bar in Paris to promote grower Champagnes. Managing director Corinne Genin remains cautious however: “Ideas must be commensurate with the organisation’s budget. Funding is significant but it does have its limits”.