Champagne used to be reserved for special occasions, but Moet Hennessy USA wants consumers to see its luxury products as more of an everyday utility.
The company teamed up with its creative agency, Rehab, and Amazon’s voice-activated service, Alexa, to create Bottles and Bubbles, a customized “skill” or application.
Once users command Alexa to “open Bottles and Bubbles,” they are met with interactive and educational content, such as a primer on Champagne basics, recommendations for food and Champagne pairings and Champagne-inspired playlists.
Special occasions and celebrations drive 22% of Champagne consumption, according to Moet’s data, but most consumption occurs more regularly at happy hour or during gatherings among family and friends.
Moet designed its Alexa skill with that evolution in mind and looked for ways to integrate itself into everyday discussions, including the proper serving temperature or when to choose rose over brut.
Bottles and Bubbles is the brand’s first foray into voice activation as the company also pursues direct-to-consumer engagement opportunities, according to Moet Hennessy USA’s CMO, Vanessa Kay.
Like other luxury brands – automaker Mercedes-Benz, for example – Moet is a nonendemic advertiser for Amazon.
Rather than setting up shop on the ecommerce platform, it wants to build alternate inroads into Amazon’s ecosystem.
“Our first test with Alexa is really about finding a way to get closer to our direct consumer through education and entertainment,” Kay said. “Considering how alcoholic beverages are distributed in the US, it’s a little more difficult to [go direct to consumer] than for an average CPG brand, so we see this as a way to engage them.”
Although Moet’s activation is more experimental, the brand will measure the skill’s success by downloads and engagement.
But the goal is not just related to performance: Moet also wants to build awareness as it test drives more digital technology.
Moet’s Amazon skill complements two recent digital investments: last month’s US launch of Clos19, an owned-and-operated ecommerce and lifestyle content platform, and its partnership with Thirstie for a one-hour delivery service aimed at customers who want to buy Dom Perignon on demand.
“What we’ve seen is more and more engagement happening online, so we’re looking to connect all of the dots and keep testing different opportunities to drive consumer engagement,” Kay said. “What we’ve seen doing research and studying Google searches is there’s still a need for education around our product.”
