Tosin Ajirire; Demola Balogun
When France-born Carlos de Ipanema embarked on a luxury adventure to Nigeria last November, he was preoccupied with the export, marketing and distribution of Taittinger champagne brand as the export manager for Africa, Middle East and Europe.
But then he discovered that beyond the enchanting connoisseur style and vintage cocktail soiree, Nigeria purveys great hospitality tradition and cultural values like no other. He spoke to TS Weekend.
Can you introduce yourself and your mission to Nigeria?
My name is Carlos de Ipanema. I am in Nigeria for champagne marketing and strategic networking experience with our distributors, brand ambassadors, partners and authorised agents and importers. I am the Export Manager of champagne Tattinger for Africa, Middle East, South America and some European countries. We operate as a vibrant team but we love to travel to educate consumers on the Taittinger tradition of excellence, elegant style and heritage collection as part of our global marketing development and brand exposure in Nigeria. And I am very happy and proud to be in Nigeria to celebrate the good times and pleasures of Taittinger champagne brand with champagne lovers, because Nigeria is the best and growing market for champagne in Africa. As I said earlier, Nigeria has a rich cultural heritage – you love the beauty of nature and then you have great taste and expression of happiness and pleasures that are in consonance with Taittinger philosophy and brand essence worldwide. For us, Nigeria is a vibrant champagne country.
How did you come into champagne business?
I studied in Reims, France. In 2014, I decided to join the Taittinger heritage family to market and distribute classic champagne brands. The journey has been fulfilling and rewarding, because I work in a good family company where people trust and repose a lot of confidence in you to perform and excel.
What was your experience with Nigerians you came across?
I noticed that Nigerians are very welcoming, hospitable, and very curious to know about champagne, which is very exciting and exceptional. We wish to acknowledge the patronage and commitment of our brand ambassadors, friends and partners, with a touch of classic and authentic champagne variants and particularly to educate our consumers on the art and style of drinking champagne. I think we’ve got signature brands based on our family values, heritage, quality and excellent human relations. So, I urge all Nigerians to taste and experience Taittinger champagne including Brut Reserve, Prestige Rose, Brut Millesime, Nocturne City Lights, Nocturne Rose, and Demi-Sec variants. And once they have tried it, they would be able to choose and savour its exceptional richness, excellence and suppleness on the palate.
What is the present state of your distribution network and capacity in Nigeria?
Our exclusive distributor and custodian of Taittinger champagne brand in Nigeria is TEO Ltd. The company was the proud host of Taittinger cocktail party held recently at the prestigious Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, where we reinforced the Taittinger mission and evoked our great tradition for a greater future. We have strong confidence in TEO Ltd. led by Chief Tunde Onakoya as our major distributor that imports the brand and distributes it through a wide strategic network to consumers across the country. We produced six different variants of Taittinger, and in terms of rating, we currently occupy a leading position. Our production falls within 60 million bottles and we project to do more this year in order to expand champagne patronage and consumption across the globe.
What’s your perception of Nigeria?
Thank you very much. When I was coming to Nigeria, my wife told me to beware of Nigerian girls whom she described as very elegant, beautiful and trendy. I just laughed but I assured her that I would keep our bond during my stay in Nigeria. Again, my six-year-old son was curious about travelling with me on this trip, but I told him opportunities abound, as he’ll soon grow up to explore Nigeria in the near future. This is my second time of visiting Nigeria to share happy moments with our partners, friends and champagne connoisseurs, and I appreciate the tasty foods, serene atmosphere and warm hospitality that I enjoyed. If I may tell you, we have only one life and champagne drinking is a memorable lifestyle that should be cultivated by all.