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Havana Club appoints global marketing director
Nathalie Parte will replace Anne Martin as the head of marketing at Cuban rum brand Havana Club.
Parte joins Havana Club from partner company Pernod Ricard France, where she served as brand director for spirits including Ricard, Ballantine’s, Jameson, Lillet and Suze.
She previously spent 10 years at Martell, managing the marketing strategy in key Cognac markets, including China, the US and Nigeria.
Christian Barré, CEO of Havana Club, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Nathalie to the Havana Club family. Her expertise in innovation and strategic approach to marketing will play an instrumental role in propelling our brand to new heights, as we continue to strengthen our market position and expand our global footprint.”
Parte will report directly to Barré and oversee Havana Club’s global marketing teams.
After taking on her new role, Parte spoke to The Spirits Business about her hopes for the appointment and how she sees Havana Club’s position in the rum market.
How do you feel about your appointment?
I’m excited more than anything – I’m looking forward to the next months and years. Working for a brand with such heritage is extremely fulfilling. As a marketeer, you are responsible for a brand for a few years, but the brand is much older than you. It’s important to respect and be humble while being part of the journey. I’m super excited and super happy.
What led you to Havana Club as a brand specifically?
I’ve been with Pernod Ricard for 11 years now, but Havana Club has been a fascinating brand for me for many years. My first trip using my first salary was to Cuba, 18 years ago. Havana Club is a very rich and deeply anchored brand. You can measure this immediately when you go to Cuba – it’s part of their culture. The brand’s expertise is huge and really well-represented by our maestros.
Beyond the brand, it’s my first time working in the rum category. Rum is extremely interesting because it shares with whisky and Cognac this ability to start from an entry-range product – like our white rums or entry dark rums – but, at the same time, you can go up to Máximo [an extra-añejo rum] or Havana Club 15 years old.
It’s a very fascinating category, which is also premiumising. In the past few years, the super-premium and ultra-premium segments have grown faster than other segments. Rum is counting more and more on the prestige scene – rum can offer an enjoyable experience, as much as you have with Cognac or whisky.
What’s your vision for the marketing for Havana Club?
As I was saying, there’s the trend of premiumisation. At Havana Club, we have very strong expertise in continuous ageing, which allows us to create very luxurious products, like our 15-year-old or our limited editions, such as Tributo. It’s important for the brand to showcase this richness.
We also have a strong heritage. It’s fascinating when you go to Havana and meet the maestros. Our know-how was recognised as a World Intangible Heritage by Unesco. Showcasing this depth and richness of culture is very important. It makes the brand unique and allows us to convey authenticity and differentiate from others.
Another pillar for the next few years would be creativity and innovation. Creativity is very important for Havana Club. We have a phrase in Spanish, ‘la Cubanía’, which describes the dynamic, energetic, and creative energy in Cuba. The Cubans are able to rebuild, repurpose and recreate everything. This is something we’ve been expressing in the past few years through our collaborations and campaigns, and it will definitely continue.
What do you think are Havana Club’s biggest challenges?
What we share with the whole spirits industry are the economic challenges. The economic situation is quite difficult because of high inflation and so on. Consumers are looking for more affordable luxury. In the French market, for example, consumers are looking for true icons – brands that are more able to convey their authenticity and uniqueness. To that extent, we are in a very good place with Havana Club.
Another challenge for the rum category is the emergence of new players. Coming from Cognac, I can say the rum category has fewer regulations. This can make it hard for consumers to navigate between different brands and variants. Havana Club has a strong advantage because we come from Cuba – we have a protected appellation from Cuba – and we are strict about the age statements on our bottles. When we put ‘seven years old’ on a bottle, the youngest drop is seven years old, but the oldest can be much older. This is a strength for us in a category where it can sometimes be difficult to appreciate all the differences in product quality.
We’ve touched on both premiumisation and affordable luxury. How do you plan to tap into both of those trends at the same time?
One strength of the brand is its ability to play at different levels. We have very strong variants like Havana Club 3-Year-Old, Havana Club Especial, and Havana Club 7-Year-Old, which express the quality of the brand. At the same time, we have our prestige range, especially our Icónica range, which is about more refined sipping moments. The versatility of our products makes them more affordable because you can consume them in different ways.
‘Cocktailisation’ is also a strong part of our DNA and heritage. You can consume Havana Club rum in many ways – in cocktails, Cuban cocktails, variations, long drinks, neat, or on the rocks. This allows us to offer both affordable luxury and more prestigious experiences.
Are you considering the US market in your plans at all?
The US market is a big market for rum, accounting for more than 30% of the category. We are managing to grow outside of the US. We think of it as ‘when’ the [US-Cuba] embargo will be lifted, rather than ‘if’. We are ready for that moment. In the meantime, the brand is healthy and expanding, and is present in more than 120 markets. By staying true to our Cuban roots, we are managing to grow outside the US.
How do your domestic marketing plans differ from your international ones?
Managing your brand in your domestic market is different from international communication. When I was in charge of Lillet in France, the international communication was all about its French origins. You need to adapt this, because it’s different when you’re communicating to your own market. For Cuban consumers, Havana Club is part of them. It’s their culture in a bottle – part of their DNA. The pride in the roots of the brand is strong in the domestic market.
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