Combating Counterfeiting, Protecting people’s Health Central to Our Interest as a Brand – MD Pernod Ricard

Raheem Akingbolu

Managing Director, Pernod Ricard Nigeria, Michael Ehindero, has disclosed that combating the scourge of counterfeiting and protecting the health of the people remains central to the firm as a compendium of brands that have formed a habit in the life of the people. The company is the manufacturers of Absolut Vodka, Olmeca Tequila, Martell Cognac, Chivas Regal, Jameson Whiskey and Jameson Black Barrel among others,

Ehindero, who made this known at a programme themed ‘Pernod Ricard Nigeria Content Drivers’ Immersion’ organised for journalists in Lagos, said the firm purposefully courts media partnership as advocates to spread the good works of the firm. “This forum, for example, is about creating advocates to say, I know the companies that do this thing, the authentic companies are involved in this. So we intend to share with you as many resources.”

He noted that Pernod Ricard Nigeria, a subsidiary of the global wine and spirits giant, Pernod Ricard Group, has been committing resources to battle product counterfeiting, saying “the Spirits and Wine Association of Nigeria, which has the major players in the wine space of the country. And I can tell you that we are spending a lot of money on enforcement, on shared intelligence. We have our staff everywhere in Nigeria. We have security agencies that work with us, not even government agencies, but they present information to the security agencies. And so all the raids that you see NAFDAC enforcing in the markets it’s coming from us.

“This intelligence has been shared that we don’t even know in the company, but these agencies that work for us, they actually do personal information and organize the enforcement suites. So one can say that is reactive, but again, that’s where the role of advocates like you come to play. To say you can spread the word out there.”

While praising the Federal Government for its efforts at combating the scourge of counterfeiting not just in the spirits and wine sector but across daily consumables like pharmaceutical drugs, Ehindero said “we have a brand security team, which I call them ‘our police’, internal police for the brand. I don’t even know what they do, where they work, but I tell you, I see the reports. We’re doing a lot in terms of raids. We are also engaging with the government. I’ve had meetings with the government, with customs. After all, this counterfeiting business is a revenue loss to the government.”

The Marketing Director of the company, Evane Chenuet said Jameson grew up with their family in Nigeria, the family of creative. Actually, and all that are real, the people that we’re focusing on. People who want to learn, people who are really active, down to earth and really social. Because Jameson is all about social connection. So if you see our events, Jameson, Christmas tree, Jameson dishonor is about communication. We want to make the world a better world, in a way, more connected and engaging world through Jameson. So if you go to a Jameson event, it’s not people on their phone, it’s people talking to each other. It’s people engaging with each other. From Jameson, like original to black barrel, it’s kind of the original to black bar meaningful connection with each other.”

Evane Chenuet, while highlighting the Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives of Pernod Ricard Nigeria, said “we actually have started a project called the ‘glass to life project’. It’s a two pronged approach. One part of it is meant to take up empty bottles off the streets. So taking up the bottles of the streets, first of all, denies the availability of the bottles of counterfeiting. And I think in three months, we collected over 7000 bottles, which in return became a source of income for members of the public.”