New York, NY August 11, 2020 – The Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC)—the entity with a shared interest in promoting, protecting and developing the Cognac Geographic Indication and its culture, with the aid of the European Union—is pleased to announce a new three-year US program led by Teuwen Communications. Teuwen was first named agency of record in March 2017 and was awarded this latest three-year campaign (through February 2023) to showcase Cognac’s Geographical Indication and create awareness of the region’s history, terroir, product range, and expertise. Initial programming including multi-city trade, media and influencer educational events quickly transformed into dynamic virtual programming. In keeping with the new reality and challenges facing the beverage industry, the BNIC and Teuwen created the Cognac Connection as the centerpiece of the 2020 campaign.
2020-2023 Campaign Initiatives
The Cognac Connection has the core objective of educating and inspiring cocktail professionals on the Cognac region and spirit, as well as providing support to trade professionals. Partnering with Speed Rack and VinePair, the Cognac Connection features virtual tastings for trade and media and Instagram lives.
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A pillar of the campaign The Cognac Connection Challenge, is a cocktail competition for professional bartenders, running through August 31st. Entrants must submit an original cognac-based cocktail, which will be judged both on creativity and deliciousness, along with other criteria. Ten winning bartenders will each receive an educational award valued at $1,000. For more information, visit CognacConnection.com.
To further showcase cognac’s exceptional qualities, its versatility as an elevated cocktail ingredient and intriguing food partner, activities later this year will include:
- Cognac and cheese pairing webinar for media and
influencers - “Dig into Cognac” virtual masterclasses for bartenders
- Bar Convent Brooklyn virtual trade show.
2021 and beyond will bring the program back on the road across major and secondary markets with live in-person educational seminars for bartenders, participation at leading trade shows, influencer activations, media relations, and other digital programming.
“We are committed to supporting the dedicated cocktail professionals across the US who have embraced cognac. The US is our #1 market due in part to their efforts,” stated Claire Caillaud, Director of Communications, BNIC.
Trade and media professionals interested in becoming a certified Cognac Educator should contact cognacusa@teuwen.com.
