Cyril Camus: The legacy of Camus is a commitment to surpassing limits to craft novel products and narratives

During the golden jubilee of Sino-French diplomatic ties, the French head of state chose CAMUS, a symbol of national pride; a cognac heralded as the world’s finest five times over; the preferred choice of royalty worldwide.

 

These honors all belong to the French cognac family CAMUS.

 

CAMUS stands apart from its peers as the only global top-five cognac house that remains family-owned and operated. With a 160-year legacy, rooted in the esteemed Borderies region of France, Camus’ estate is lauded for its cognacs that exude elegance, and distinctive character.

 

 

Cognac production is an art steeped in tradition, from vine to bottle, abiding by time-honored processes. Winemakers strive for consistency, preserving a signature blend through generations. Yet, in a bid to captivate a sophisticated clientele and discerning collectors, Camus knows that innovation is key, ensuring their time-tested essence underpins a progressive vision.

 

Camus has long embraced "reinventing the classic", a philosophy evident in their CAMUS Cuvée collection.

 

This August marked the debut of the latest gem in this lineage - CAMUS Cuvée 4.186 ELECTURUM, a limited release of 315 bottles. This blend pays homage to the Borderies’ rich viticultural saga, a tradition dating back to the Roman era, mirroring the region’s historic prosperity and its currency, Electurum, a prized alloy.

 

 

 

CAMUS Cuvée 4.186 ELECTURUM's moniker and essence are inspired by this 'green gold'. Each number in its name signifies the unique blend and collective age of the spirits. The result is a mosaic of flavors, a tribute to the Camus heritage.

 

 

The Cuvée collection stands as a testament to Camus’s ethos of limited runs and exclusivity, a philosophy that defies the industry’s norm for uniformity.

 

Embodying the spirit of "excellence without borders", the CAMUS Cuvée breaks free from cognac conventions, not merely to create great cognac but to script unprecedented chapters in a storied tradition.

 

The boldness to defy tradition and self-imposed limits is rooted in the familial model Camus has always embraced. Cyril Camus, President and the fifth-generation leader, puts it succinctly: "Our distinction lies in our five-generation family legacy of company leadership. Few luxury brands have managed to stay under the stewardship of their founding families over the years. New management tends to uphold and evolve the founder's ethos post-acquisition. In contrast, we enjoy the liberty to forge our own 'traditions', infusing the brand with perpetual dynamism."

 

This August, the release of CAMUS Cuvée 4.186 ELECTURUM was a momentous occasion, prompting ConCall to delve into a dialogue with Cyril Camus, exploring the nuances of a family business that has thrived for over a century.

 

 

 

ConCall: Could you share your fresh perspectives on the legacy of the brand and cognac culture?

 

Cyril Camus: Brand vitality necessitates an evolution alongside the dynamic world. Questions like a brand's raison d'être, its uniqueness, and its market contribution are perpetual. At Camus, our enduring mission is to craft moments of sophistication and joy, a philosophy that fuels our brand's vibrancy.

 

 

ConCall: In recent years, Camus has had closer communication with consumers, adding more diverse content and product combinations. While expanding the product range, how do you maintain the luxury positioning of Camus?

 

Cyril Camus: A dynamic luxury brand, to me, resonates with genuine and delightful emotions. While notions of luxury evolve, Camus consistently pushes boundaries, delivering exquisite cognac and collectible packaging that epitomizes quality living—our beacon.

 

Camus's stature is maintained by the skilled artisans in our workshops who craft stunning creations using diverse materials. As vineyard owners, our connection to the land infuses natural inspiration into our packaging, resulting in cognacs that embody both artisanship and bold identity.

 

 

ConCall: In 2021, you co-founded the inaugural "Babson-CAMUS Global Family Entrepreneurship Award" with Babson College. What was the original intention of setting up this award? In your opinion, what is the spirit that family entrepreneurs should have?

 

Cyril Camus: In my view, the transmission of entrepreneurial spirit is the best way to create economic and social value, which are two important perspectives that contemporary entrepreneurs should assess their family businesses, and also core values of the Camus family. So, we co-founded this award with Babson College, which cultivates future leaders and imparts entrepreneurial spirit, to recognize family businesses that contribute to a beautiful life for people and have outstanding achievements, hoping to contribute to the inheritance of family culture and entrepreneurial spirit.

 

 

 

 

ConCall: What are your plans for the future of Camus?

 

Cyril Camus: We certainly hope to continue developing the Camus brand, bringing more beautiful experiences to people in various countries and regions of the world in a brand-characteristic way. For this, we will not only focus on products but also hold more enriching activities to immerse people in a beautiful and pleasant feeling.

 

For example, we host the CAMUS BALL in China, France, and other countries every year, leading people through meticulously arranged private gatherings with Camus, to experience an elegant and joyous atmosphere and gain a positive energy boost. The Camus Cognac Gallery boutique in Haikou International Duty-Free City, Hainan, is also a good example of creating consumer experience. It is the largest boutique of Camus worldwide, with many different themed sections inside the store where visitors can fully interact with the brand and form emotional connections. In the future, we will also hold more events, open more retail stores, provide a full range of brand experiences for consumers, and participate in special moments in their lives.

 

 

 

ConCall: Could you share with us the history of the CAMUS Cuvée selection series?

 

Cyril Camus: Honestly, the concept of the Cuvée series is very simple yet difficult to achieve – it is about pursuing excellence and transcending boundaries. In the world of cognac, every house has a top series that uses the treasured eaux-de-vie from their cellars for blending. After the initial blending, they try to reproduce the same flavor and taste year after year with different eaux-de-vie ratios, producing the same top cognac. But this commitment also inadvertently becomes shackles that prevent the products and brands from making further breakthroughs.

 

To break free from such constraints, the Camus selection series, the Cuvée Collection, was born. As it is blended from rare cellar-aged eaux-de-vie, each cognac of this series can only be produced once, in very limited quantities and cannot be replicated. This means not only the preciousness of the Camus selection series but also that we will repeatedly break the inherent boundaries of the brand to create new works and stories.

 

 

 

ConCall: "Living Tradition" is the motto of Camus, and from the family history, we can see that "innovation" is also an important tradition of Camus. How do you understand the meaning of "Living Tradition", and how do you balance innovation with tradition?

 

Cyril Camus: Over five generations, we have indeed established a set of "traditions". But this does not mean that we need to be confined to a particular brand management model at a specific point in time. On the contrary, each generation has considerable freedom to create and continue their own traditions – this is the unique advantage that comes with the family operation mode of Camus.

 

The vast space for innovation drives us to constantly pursue excellence. Based on traditional cognac production techniques, we explore objectively and scientifically, sharing new discoveries with people and integrating them into our production process. Regular innovation and continuous evolution are our ways, and I believe my children will also create their own traditions, bringing more richly fragrant cognacs to the world.

 

 

ConCall: In the past two decades, the Chinese market and consumers have been continuously changing. What is Camus's competitive advantage in the Chinese market? How do you maintain your brand's positioning in the market? What are your expectations for the development of Camus in China?

 

Cyril Camus: Creating happiness and pleasure is the goal of Camus, and we have always achieved this goal through more fragrant, more personalized cognacs. With the development of China's economy, the consumer group pursuing a refined lifestyle is also growing, and Camus can meet their needs for a refined life. Currently, we have a very high share in the global ultra-premium cognac market and the Chinese market, and the growth trend is also very positive. I am pleased to see that our products and brands can continue to meet people's expectations.

 

 

 

ConCall: In 2007, Camus established a wholly-owned subsidiary in China, Camus Yuanliu. This move, to some extent, subverted the traditional industry distribution system. So, where did the inspiration for this business model come from? How is the brand currently performing in the Chinese market?

 

Cyril Camus: Such a business model may be special for the cognac industry, but it is a matter of course for the Camus family. Every generation of us will focus on expanding different markets, thus bringing back different cultures to enrich and nourish the brand. I came to China as a student and later fell in love with the country, so I have stayed here too. Like my forefathers, my experiences in China are influencing the brand in different ways and angles – Camus's pursuit of the rich aroma of cognac is actually inspired by baijiu.

 

This spirit is passed down from generation to generation, and the Camus brand has become richer under the influence of cultures around the world. Although founded in France, it is because of such brand accumulation that Camus has integrated cultures from all over the world – wherever they are, everyone can find a part of their own culture in Camus's products, which is perhaps the key to Camus's success in the global high-end cognac industry.

 

 

ConCall: Spirits serve as a conduit for culture. Have you noted cultural exchanges through spirits in your duty-free ventures, and which resonate with Camus's luxury ethos?

 

Cyril Camus: Camus was an early entrant into the duty-free space, now a prominent figure in airport retail globally. We've not only endeavored to offer consumers a deep dive into our brand but also assisted iconic liquor manufacturers, including China's Moutai, Gujing Gong, and Shede, in navigating the duty-free landscape.

 

For nearly two decades, we've championed baijiu, akin to how I've served as an ambassador for cognac in China. The growing cognac appreciation in China and the burgeoning global interest in baijiu are sources of great pride for me.

 

The liberty inherent in our family enterprise enables us to channel everyday inspiration into Camus. My global travels, with considerable time spent in China annually, infuse our offerings with fresh perspectives. Throughout the years, this approach has seen us weave various cultural strands, including Chinese, into our products. This defines our distinctive philosophy: Camus doesn't tailor products to specific markets; rather, we assimilate diverse cultural.