At the heart of more than 500 cocktails and the leader in its category, the Cointreau brand is reaping the rewards of its strategy, which has propelled the Margarita – that classic, iconic cocktail with Cointreau as a key ingredient in the original recipe – across the globe. Communication and solutions geared to the new realities of the pandemic contributed to these excellent results:
With our consumers, firstly – across the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and Belgium – where Cointreau established itself as a partner of choice in the home cocktail boom. Recipes and tutorials, both on social networks and on Cointreau.com, proved to be real allies for novice and experienced consumers alike.
In our markets, secondly – in the United Kingdom, in particular, where Cointreau partnered with the famous Friday Nights programme on Channel 4, promoting the Christmas Margarita and considerably boosting end-of-year sales.
The bartending community and the restaurant industry are at the heart of Cointreau’s priorities; as such, the brand has initiated numerous actions through its international subsidiaries to support them during this sensitive period. The "Love Letter" initiative launched in the United States during the Super Bowl (100 million fans) was particularly well received, both by the public and by influencers. A 30-second ad (a first for the brand) featuring real employees encouraged American consumers to support their favourite restaurants and bars. In the United Kingdom, #CointreauGratitude in partnership with The Drinks Trust UK also supported the British hospitality industry.
On the priority subject of Corporate Social Responsibility, Cointreau continued its partnership actions with its orange peel suppliers. To date, 55% of GAP certification or equivalent has been achieved, and the brand is working towards a target of 100% by 2025. Cointreau has also been involved in research to combat citrus greening (also known as dragon disease), which eliminates thousands of orange trees. Cointreau also works in partnership with CIRAD and INRA in Corsica to promote, maintain and deepen its knowledge of citrus fruits.
The year 2021/2022 promises to be just as important, with a new content campaign aimed at building on Cointreau’s reputation and engagement with its customers, as well as the international launch of a Limited Edition, inspired by the tropical world that gave birth to the Margarita. Created by Florian Viel of The Tropicool Company, the bottle is coloured on all four sides and showcases the vibrancy of 1950s Acapulco, as well as the toucan, the artist’s avowed muse. Other flagship initiatives celebrating the famous Margarita Sames cocktail include a Margarita challenge launched in 2020 for bartenders around the world to develop the best Margarita recipe in the world. On the back of this success, a second edition is confirmed for 2021/2022.
