Veuve Clicquot undergoes mission to inspire women to become entrepreneurs

LVMH-owned Champagne house Veuve Clicquot is exposing the growing number of women entrepreneurs in an effort to inspire younger generations, continuing the mission its founder set out on more than 200 years ago.

The Champagne brand has released a report showing that in the house’s own country of origin, 91 percent of French females who want to be entrepreneurs believe that others who have paved the way are inspiring. However, only 12 percent of women can name a successful female entrepreneur.

Market Probe conducted the study with Veuve Clicquot Panel, which was analyzed by BETC Corporate.

Inspiring women
Veuve Clicquot has been a brand that values a woman’s place in the workplace since its inception, as its namesake founder is considered the first woman to be at the helm of a Champagne house.

In addition to various awards and foundations that help women move forward in their careers and pursue entrepreneurship, the Champagne house is undertaking a consumer-facing endeavor to encourage personal growth.

The brand is hoping women will see inspiration from stories of others who were trailblazers before them, encouraging them to move the needle themselves.

One leg of the initiative was a discussion that brought together 18 inspiring women from all over the world to talk about their experiences and barriers they have come across.

Veuve Clicquot’s recently published report shows that 80 percent of the women surveyed in the markets of France, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Japan and Hong Kong feel as though having a network of other female entrepreneurs is required to succeed.

Throughout all markets, 72 percent of women attributed value to being their own boss. However in France, only 28 percent of women are interested in entrepreneurship, which could allude to a difference in social construct.

More than half of French women believe that pursuing entrepreneurship has greater risk than reward. This drops to 38 percent when only looking at the United Kingdom.

Sixty-five percent of all women who want to become entrepreneurs say that the thought of failure could stop them from trying. For men, this number drops to 54 percent.

Thirty-six percent of all women feel as though their careers have suffered due to their gender.

Drinking to women
The Champagne house also recently delved into the history of one of its most influential leaders in an extensive audio narrative.

“The Veuve Clicquot Tales” tells the story of Madame Clicquot, nicknamed the “Grande Dame of Champagne,” who took the reins of the brand at an early age and left a mark with innovation and ambition. While most luxury podcasts have centered on interviews with today’s movers and shakers, Veuve Clicquot has instead leveraged the format for immersive heritage storytelling (see story).

The hope is that the audio journey will inspire young women to follow their dreams.

Veuve Clicquot also blended the old and the new to reach a millennial market.

Three films inspired by Madame Clicquot comprise the brand’s first-ever digital advertising campaign, titled "Let Life Surprise You." When going after a new market, particularly a younger one, it is important both to reach the audience on its native platforms and also to tell the brand story in a quick but engaging way (see story).