Patrick Mariuz, International Ambassador of Remy Martin and Louis XIII Cognacs, was on a whirlwind visit to South Africa this week to conduct brand presentations and tastings. Despite a global economic downturn, Rémy-Cointreau bucked the trend by announcing a strong annual performance with a consolidated turnover of €1.026 billion, which showed a 15.6% organic growth year-on-year.

According to the African Zone director for Remy Cointreau, Antoinette Drumm, the move forms part of the group’s strategic orientation of establishing a distribution structure close to the markets and a focused growth strategy in emerging markets. “The secret behind our success is that we combine brand appeal with efficient distribution networks. This agreement marks our continued commitment to create value for our brands, to sustain our policy of innovation and to invest in markets with strong growth potential.”

Edward Snell & Co. marketing director Chris Weeden said that the company was pleased with the latest addition to their portfolio. “The acquisition of the agency for Rémy-Cointreau is definitely a boost to our portfolio of brands. These iconic brands will catapult us into a new market segment, while simultaneously adding to our brand footprint.”

For more information, visit www.remymartin.com.