As the Global Vice President of Marketing at Grey Goose, Martin de Dreuille drives the company forward with marketing campaigns that resonate locally and globally. He aligns with events like the Grammys and the U.S. Open and maintains Grey Goose’s message of quality and purity while bringing it into the new age from its inception 25 years ago.

Martin, as a Global Vice President of Marketing, what does your position entail? How has your role evolved in the time you have worked with Grey Goose?

Since I began my role in 2019, I’ve led the development and implementation of all marketing strategies, and creative, digital, and commercial programs for Grey Goose worldwide, supported by a fabulous and diverse team located in multiple countries. With the help of data and cultural insight, creating emotional connections with consumers is at the heart of my role. But by nature, my day-to-day is constantly evolving as the world around us changes. We saw this very clearly during the COVID-19 pandemic and are seeing it now with inflation and economic recession throughout many parts of the world. Attending to shifts in cultural and consumer behavior has always been part of my job description, but as these shifts come and go more rapidly, prioritizing the “why” behind them is paramount to planning future innovations and campaigns.

As the head of global marketing, you must analyze a vast amount of data. How do you use data insights to refine and optimize Grey Goose's marketing campaigns?

Data insights have helped us to dive deeper into the minds of our consumers. Beyond just evaluating who is buying our product, where, and when, we have leveraged valuable insights to better understand our core customer’s mindset and desires and the role Grey Goose plays in their lives. As a brand that’s constantly innovating, both from a product perspective and also in our marketing strategy, this type of consumer data has been the foundation and driving force of some of our biggest campaigns to date.

With Grey Goose being a flagship brand under Bacardi Limited, how do you ensure that the brand's identity aligns with the diverse portfolio of spirits and wines that Bacardi represents?

While each brand in the Bacardi portfolio has its own unique flavor and voice, they all have a strong focus on craftsmanship and quality.  For Grey Goose, a brand that champions the best of the natural world with two simple ingredients from France - wheat and water, this tie that binds all of the brands together is a very natural and easy focus for us to tout.

How do you and your global team navigate the challenge of maintaining a consistent brand image while catering to diverse cultural preferences across multiple countries?

For us, the most effective global campaigns communicate a singular message that is reflective of humanity and can therefore be understood or felt no matter your background. However, it helps to cement that messaging when certain elements, such as imagery or word choice, are more regionally targeted based on cultural or legal factors. For example,  we have specific creative assets for markets like France or Israel. The overarching message remains the same but is communicated with locally relatable connections and visuals.

Can you share details of a particularly successful marketing campaign for Grey Goose that resonated with consumers across different regions? What made it successful?

Following a successful first collaboration for the 2022 GRAMMY Awards, a one-of-a-kind stunning martini bag, worn by Paris Hilton on the red carpet, we partnered again with globally famous fashion designer Peter Dundas for the 2022 holiday season to create a new effortlessly stylish accessory available for martini cocktails and fashion lovers around the world.

Image Source: Grammys

By working with a designer who has strong relationships with notable members of the fashion community across the globe, we were able to organically engage friends of Peter, model, and fashionable celebrities and influencers, to further amplify the partnership in their local markets, including Mexico and the UK.

Can you describe the collaborative process between your global team and the local teams in different countries when developing and implementing marketing strategies for Grey Goose?

As the lead of marketing for the global leader in super premium vodkas, I, along with my team, are constantly having to balance having a centralized global approach with the needs of our dozens of distinct markets.  The global teams work very closely with the brand leads in each of our regions to provide their perspective and execute our global strategy in a way that will resonate with the consumer in their markets.

In the competitive world of spirits, what strategies have you employed to keep Grey Goose at the forefront of consumers' minds and maintain its premium positioning?

To further mental availability and to grow fame for Grey Goose, we engage in multiple cultural activities, including strategic sponsorships with events that our consumers watch or attend, like awards shows and sporting events. We see these occasions as ones where people are looking to engage with friends over cocktails and a super premium vodka is a natural fit.  We also continue to invest in media, including live TV and social channels, to feature our Vive La Vodka campaign.

With the rise of digital platforms, how has your marketing approach evolved to effectively reach and engage with your target audience?

Digital platforms, like e-commerce sites, social media platforms, and search engines, have completely changed the marketing industry over the past decade.  As a result, we have shifted to have digital platforms at the heart of our strategy at all times.

Spirits e-commerce and delivery platforms, like Drizly and ReserveBar in the U.S., have had a huge impact in particular on the industry, these types of sites will continue to change how we promote Grey Goose.

How do you leverage different social media platforms to create a cohesive and engaging online presence for Grey Goose?

As we’ve seen especially in recent months, social media platforms are constantly evolving, so we always have to stay close to the latest tools and trends to ensure we are publishing fresh and attention-grabbing content on our channels.  For example, we use our platforms to provide people with creative cocktail recipes that help unlock more moments of joie de vivre and invite them into our effortless stylish brand world.

In order to stay cohesive across channels, we work hard to maintain a consistent tone of voice and visuals that are true to our brand identity while tailoring the assets to the specific social media channels.

How do you balance preserving Grey Goose's classic identity while introducing new and exciting offerings to the market?

Since its creation 25 years ago, Grey Goose vodka has always had an innovative spirit. In fact, our vodka was created to challenge the perception that vodka as a spirit was tasteless and without distinctive character. We continue to challenge the category and create new products that satisfy our consumers’ evolving curiosities for new flavors and cocktail serves while always staying true to our French heritage and dedication to the best ingredients from the natural world.

With the increasing emphasis on sustainability and conscious consumerism, how does Grey Goose incorporate these values into its marketing and brand initiatives?

Grey Goose is made from the best of the natural world, the finest quality soft winter wheat, and the purest limestone-filtered spring water, so celebrating and honoring nature is in our DNA.  Whether it’s concerning our production practices or new marketing partnerships, we are always keeping sustainable practices and conscious consumerism at the forefront of our decisions.

We are working hard on a number of projects related to this topic and are excited to be able to share more soon.

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The spirits industry has its regulatory challenges. How do you handle the balance between marketing creativity and adhering to legal restrictions in various regions?

Working in a highly regulated industry, we are always ensuring that work adheres to the laws and restrictions set forth by countries across the globe. While many would consider these barriers a hindrance to marketing ideas, we feel they push us to be more creative and think beyond what those in less regulated industries are doing.

Celebrity endorsements and partnerships have been prevalent in the spirits industry. How do you select the right ambassadors or collaborators to align with Grey Goose's brand values?

When choosing celebrity ambassadors, we select talented individuals who share our brand values and whom our core consumer admires. Beyond this though, in order to create campaigns that truly resonate with consumers, we aim to ensure our endorsers are as authentic and genuine as possible. We almost always work with influencers and celebrities who we’ve established long-lasting relationships with or who are huge organic fans of our product.

Looking into the future, what trends do you anticipate shaping the spirits industry, and how is Grey Goose preparing to stay relevant and innovative in the years to come?

While economic uncertainty and inflation are impacting consumer spending and purchasing decisions, premiumization still continues to be a strong trend, particularly in the United States. As a result, premiumization has flourished in at-home settings, which has contributed to the strong continued success of Grey Goose Essences. This product line, launched in 2021 in the U.S. and in travel retail locations, is infused with natural fruit and botanicals and was created specifically to take the guesswork out of mixing light-tasting and delicious vodka cocktails at home.

In April, we launched our newest innovation, the ready-to-serve GREY GOOSE Classic Martini Cocktail in the US market, unlocking a new possibility to have a bar-quality martini cocktail at home and add a touch of sophistication to dinners, cocktail parties, and stylish entertaining.  This coming fall, we’ll be celebrating the successful launch in a big way. The details are still under wraps at the moment but we’re excited to share more in the coming months.

We have more exciting things planned for the future of Grey Goose but nothing we can announce yet. Stay tuned!

In conversation with Malvika Patel, Editor and VP, Beverage Trade Network