- Maurice and Roch Hennessy arrive Nigeria to mark anniversary
Today marks the 200th anniversary of Hennessy VSOP, one of the leading products from the stable of the Cognac native brand. To commemorate the milestone celebration two descendants of the progenitor of the brand, Maurice and Roch Hennessy, fifth & eighth generation descendants respectively, are in Nigeria on a three day visit to participate in a series of events showcasing Hennessy’s rich heritage and its affiliation with the Nigerian people. The two men were introduced in a press conference held at Wheatbaker Hotel in Lagos.
Maurice and Roch visited South Africa and Kenya before coming to Nigeria as part of a tour of selected African markets. Nigeria is an important market to Hennessy.
Roch explained how the company has been able to last generations, “We have been able to last this long because of the vision from the beginning, exploring the international market by exporting our products abroad. For example, France represents just 1% of Hennessy’s market, Hennessy exports 99% of its products abroad. The vision has been to develop the foreign markets, Europe, US, China and Africa.”
He added, “Hennessy is an open minded brand when it comes to every of its market and the culture of the people. What sets us apart is our size, we are a big company, 49% of world’s cognac sale comes to Hennessy. We’ve been able to do that because we have a large stock of eaux-de-vie, when you think about cognac it’s a product that is a blend of different eaux-de-vies, having the oldest and largest stock of eaux-de-vies gives us an advantage”
Part of the activities lined up for Maurice and Roch include meeting with Hennessy brand partners, “Meet and Greet” with key Hennessy Artistry 2018 headliners; Olamide and Falz, an exclusive dinner for two hundred people who represent the people, heritage of Nigeria as well as a “Meet and Greet” with staff of GDN Hennessy Nigeria.
Speaking on Hennessy’s contributions to Nigeria, Oluwole Awoleke, Brand Manager, Hennessy & Spirits stated, “The Hennessy Artistry platform is one of the strongest PR platforms any brand can ever hope to have. It is responsible for the growth in the careers of many Nigerian musicians such as Tuface, Wizkid and so on. We also have a hip hop platform that discovers new talents every year. These are just a few of the things the brand does to recognize the impact that music has in shaping culture. It is an opportunity for Hennessy not only to interact with the consumers or the artistic community but also to give back by building careers.”
