Selected work · Consumer · Market entry

Translating a global cognac brand into a local commercial strategy

In premium spirits the partner carries the positioning, not just the product.

The situation: A global cognac house was considering Taiwan. In premium spirits the asset being placed is the positioning as much as the liquid, and the brand had to be confident that whoever carried it could protect that.
The question: Which partner could steward a premium brand in Taiwan? Premium distribution is not simply a matter of identifying a company capable of importing a product. The right partner has to fit the positioning, the channels, the customers and the long-term objectives of the brand — and those four rarely point at the same company.
What we did: We examined the premium spirits landscape, the channels where premium positioning is actually made and defended — on-trade, gifting, specialist retail — and the competitive set the brand would be priced and judged against. We then built a framework for evaluating potential distribution partners on portfolio fit, channel reach, brand stewardship and alignment on long-term objectives, rather than on first-year commitments.
Outcome / next step: A basis for choosing a distribution partner on fit rather than availability, and a clear view of which channels the brand’s positioning in Taiwan would depend on.

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Bring us one question about Taiwan.

An entry mode to choose. A distributor to qualify. A certification that is holding up a launch. We reply within two working days with a candid view.