This archive report was first published on 19 November 2019.
ONE ON ONE: Hennessy Global Ambassador Living His Dream ¶
Published on November 19, 2019
Benjamin Smith, the global ambassador for luxury drink Hennessy Cognac, hosted a cognac pairing dinner in Nairobi, where he took attendees through the rich history and 'savoir-faire' of the French Cognac that has been in existence for over 250 years.
Smith, who has been in the role for one year, has been to Kenya three times, highlighting the importance of the market for Hennessy. Before his current role, he worked for Hennessy in Australia for 10 years, where he moved through the ranks and developed his skills in sales.
As a global ambassador, Smith's role involves studying the African market and working with the African team to implement plans developed in France. He also gets feedback from the market through events, training, public relations, and media.
Kenya is one of the most dynamic countries in the world for Hennessy, with exciting new occasions and venues attracting diverse consumers to the brand. The country has a long history with Hennessy, with the first shipments dating back to 1898. Today, Kenya is the third-largest Hennessy market in Africa after South Africa and Nigeria.
Smith attributed the brand's success in Kenya to its clients, who understand the product perfectly, and the strategic planning with the distributor and the Kenyan team. He also highlighted the nature of the product, which involves different pearls of Hennessy, including Very Special (VS), Very Superior Old Pale (VSOP), and Extra Old (X.O), which take years to produce.
However, Smith acknowledged that the scarcity of the brand could affect prices, but the company has several ways of improving production, such as buying raw materials from others and increasing grape-producing regions in France.
Finally, Smith shared his insights on how to read a bottle of Hennessy Cognac, explaining that there are two types of consumers: those who want to enjoy the cognac and those who want to know more about the liquid they are consuming.
