Interview with François-Xavier Desplancke (BBA 1992), CEO of Belvedere Vodka

Vodka in Poland is a story of longevity – early manuscripts refer to it as far back as the 15^th century – a bit like the more than 25-year career of François-Xavier Desplancke (EDHEC International BBA 1992) in wines & spirits at LVMH. Since November 2021 he has been CEO of Belvedere Vodka, where he contributed to the launch of Belvedere 10, recognised as the best vodka in the world by some experts. Here he talks to us about its market – about 1/3 of which is in the US, 1/3 in Europe and 1/3 in the rest of the world – and the challenges he faces to stand out with production techniques, promotion and distribution of his premium products. 

How would you summarise your current position and responsibilities?

I'm a creative and innovative entrepreneur in a major firm. I think my job is to bring consumers towards the Belvedere Vodka brand, but also to appropriate it rather than “just” manage business. Moët Hennessy – NDLR, the M and H from LVMH – allows me great autonomy when it comes to decision-making and recommendations about the brand's future direction and evolution, investments, recruitment and management. That's how you manage to truly change things and move forward, especially with such luxury brands that need to sustain a certain desirability, a certain image. I always say that you have what's in the bottle (quality) and what's outside it (brand desirability). Where you place the cursor between the two differs from one brand to the next. Generally speaking, 90% of people buy a fine Bordeaux or Burgundy wine for what's in the bottle, and 10% for what the name of the vineyard means to them. The split might be 50/50 for a whisky. With vodka, it's more like 80% image.

What would you say is the common ground between all of the brands in LVMH’s vast wines & spirits catalogue?

I would say heritage, craftsmanship, excellence and strong desirability. Our claim “from nature to communities” relates as much to wine as it does to whisky, cognac or champagne: it all comes from the soil. We have huge responsibility when it comes to our sustainability programmes because, without nature, there are no more brands. Belvedere is now the only distillery in Europe with a zero carbon footprint (in particular thanks to a biomass facility, solar panels and water recycling) and the only brand worldwide offering a 100% organic vodka. We are very proud of this sustainability, even though we don't necessarily communicate heavily around it. The organic aspect is also a real stand-out feature for our consumers of the future, it shows the way forward. This choice on our part, which few of our competitors have made and which, it is true, hasn't changed the playing field on the spirits market, demands of us significant human and financial investment with our partner farms and has a real impact on what we do.

What is it in particular that you like about the spirits market, where you have been working for a very long time?

I like this idea of transfer, which you also find in the cultural sphere. Champagne for example is a wonderful world of French heritage, which I am passionate about pursuing, not only for the product itself but also for the transfer of excellence and the French culture of luxury items. Production and craftsmanship are an incredible strength, enabling France’s reputation to resonate around the world. With cognac or champagne, we should be proud of all the jobs and investment generated in France, the enhancement of our international reputation and the fact that we attract many people to France on holiday to sample magnificent produce. Although I'm currently in charge of a brand in Poland, this positive image of France is an integral part of the firm, and that's what I appreciate.

What do consumers expect from a vodka brand?

I think first and foremost they're looking for premium quality. It's relatively easy to make vodka, much less so to make a very good one. Then there's the sense of pride of owning and serving one brand rather than another, it's about the pleasure of association. 70% of vodka worldwide is sold for consumption in the home, and English-speaking countries – the vast majority of vodka consumers – mostly consume it in cocktails. Two of the three most popular cocktails in the world – Margarita, Vodka Martini and Espresso Martini – contain vodka. The simpler the cocktail, the more important the ingredients. With Belvedere 10, the first luxury cocktail, which I created 2 years ago, I wanted to raise the vodka category to another level of perception. We worked hard on the ingredients (beyond the 80% image, reflected in a truly unique bottle) by drawing from the well of the brand’s history. We found a very powerful and peppery rye, which we call “diamond rye”, referenced in the angled surfaces on the bottle. The Belvedere Vodka distillery (which dates back to 1910) is in Żyrardów, in Poland. We took an old recipe from that period and adapted it using contemporary technology. That's another way for us to stand out in the vast array of choices available to consumers.

Belvedere chose actor Daniel Craig and rapper Future as the faces of the brand. How did you go about choosing them?

When I was entrusted 3 years ago with the mission to take over this brand, I wanted to ensure it could speak to the greatest number of people, while maintaining a mindset of “always first, always unexpected”. I'm a fan of James Bond and Daniel Craig. And we know that James Bond drinks vodka martinis; I found out what Daniel Craig drank at home … lo and behold, it was Belvedere! The advert starts out like a James Bond clip, but then radically departs from it: the most important thing is to be yourself, display generosity and show that you don't need any artifice. This uniqueness is reflected in Future’s white cowboy suit in the Belvedere 10 advert. The bartender opposite him is Taika Waititi, the film maker who directed the two advertising campaigns. We try not to take ourselves too seriously. These two extremely different characters project a kind of swagger, they're the kind of people who have a naturally strong presence. It's this permanent duality that really brings together a sense of desirability and emotion for our consumers.

Have the legal restrictions on the promotion of alcohol led to the emergence of a new kind of creativity? 

The brand's vision and strategy are the same everywhere around the world, but the way we adapt our strategy is distinct in each country, depending on the legislation. What changes is the way we convey our messages to consumers. Currently the biggest market worldwide for premium vodka is still the US, where there are fewer legal restrictions. It's possible to do major communication campaigns there, in particular 4 x 3 billboards. In France, communication on alcohol is highly restricted due to the Evin legislation, and we can barely show more than a bottle. Some events held on our clients’ premises enable us to enhance the brand's reputation. We also rely a lot on recommendations through wine & spirit store owners – people generally trust them to suggest the right bottle at the right price –, mixologists in trendy bars and restaurants, and bartenders at tastings during events, as well as knowledge-sharing. These are the brand’s ambassadors.