ARCOS CARRERO DIEGO JULIAN - CC – Individual Final Project

Despite the short time I have been here in France, I have sort of fallen in love with this
beautiful region of Brittany. Its cosy and friendly people and its delightful gastronomic
traditions have certainly made it a unique experience. The very first weekend after my arrival, I
was invited to a dinner party where I would get to know this incredible delicious beverage. So,
when I was assigned this research project, that black bottle and the lovely memories I built up
around it that night sprang right away.

Loïc Raison Cider idea was born in 1918, when Louis Raison Sr., who
by the time used to be a street vendor started to buy cider from the
farmers of his region, Brittany, to resell it. This beverage had been
until then a drink consumed by farm employees. Later on, he
became his own distiller in 1923. The cider was then packaged and
delivered to restaurants, cafés and grocers. It was at Ille-et-Vilaine,
in the town of Domagné, that he built up the family cider house on
order to promote the know-how and the Breton patrimony.

In 1929, he launched the first glass bottled cider. Then, in 1934 his
son Louis Raison Jr. started to learn the craft of cider making from
his father. 11 years later, in 1946, he took over the reins of the
family business.

Three years later, in 1949, he relaunched the

experience of bottled cider under the DOMA
brand (abbreviation of Domagné, the town
where he had grown up). But it was in 1962 that
the house of Raison, which now appears as such
on the labels, expanded beyond Brittany to the
rest of France and later on to Europe. In 1983,
the name was changed to "Loïc Raison" (Louis in
Breton), which is still found on the bottles. Loïc
Raison has grown to what is now a must on the
shelves of French supermarkets. Louis Raison Jr.,
founder of the brand died in 2008 at the age of 88.
Today, it makes part of Eclor, which is the beverages branch of the Agrial agricultural
cooperative, created in 2004, the year in which the cooperative acquired the CCLF and CSR
companies, the former being the M&A of “La Fermière” and “Cidreries du Calvados” and the
latter “Loïc Raison”, which were all then French leaders in ciders and apple juice. Historically
present on the cider market (Loïc Raison and Ecusson), Eclor is revitalizing and diversifying its
offer. The group is present on the juice (Danao, Sunny Delight and La Passion du Verger), soft
drinks and beer (Breizh Cola and Lancelot) markets in France and compotes, vinegars and
juices (North Coast) since 2012 in the United States.

The desire to strengthen cultural and social Breton roots comprised in the company’s values as
a way to connect to the core values of its original market niche, Brittany is certainly apparent
when analysing their corporate image and branding strategies. To begin with, choosing a
Breton rooted name was a key move which allowed to build rapport with a people who is very
proud of and tied to its cultural background. It is also very clear the reference to the flag in its
corporate logo. It should be noted that even though this was not the original name; DOMA,
which was the original choice was chosen to honour the Breton town of Domagné, where the
family is from.

Colour selection also reflects character traits

which Louis Raison Sr was aiming to achieve
in his product: purity, freshness, cleanliness
and perfection through (white); formality,
sophistication, strength, and luxuriousness
(black); and extravagance, wealth, and
wisdom (gold).

In the 90th anniversary of the distillery, as a

way to celebrate, a limited edition of its
individual presentation was released, which
clearly paid tribute to its Breton origins. Collectors were delighted with this Breizh spirit bottle!
A 33 cl which was adorned with a modern and graphical label with the codes of the Breton flag
that we all know.

Unfortunate, in the last years, cider has been losing ground to a ruthless enemy. The number
one opponent is definitely beer. In 2013, the battle was on, but without renouncing the trump
card of tradition, with a renewed Raison Sr’s “Bolée 1”. Marketing was coming in fiercely in the
shop window with 75 cl glass bottles with colourful, more flashy labels, small 27.5 cl bottles in
 a pack of four, a "celtic cider" (also
in small packaging) called Dagan,
which was closer to the British
ciders so prized by the youth
across the Channel. "Dagan" was
in the starting blocks at a time
when Kronenbourg had just
launched an offensive aimed at
young people with "Apple frost", a
fruity cider made from apples and
pears, intended for 18-35 year old
custormers, more fermented, with
more alcohol, intended to be drunk chilled with ice cubes. Yves Blouet, then CEO of the
company, had high hopes for past partnerships with the Crozon End of the World Music
Festival or with the maritime events of Brest 2008 and Douarnenez.
Here, we can see a picture of Yves Blouet presenting the old and new
labels for a 75 cl bottle of cider, as well as small packaging in 27.5 cl or
33 cl. In 2017, Loïc Raison’s house launched the cider/vodka and
lemon (announced with 6% of alcohol), in hopes of luring the new
generations.

Yet, numbers do not lie and the battle is far from being over albeit the
enormous marketing efforts. At the end of last year LSA magazine
published an article where they reveal the gravity of this situation. The
reduction in revenues of 2% and sales volumes 4.2% speak for
themselves. When deciding to walk the path of premium line, they certainly did an excellent
job. However, something in the formula does not quite add up. Their prices are going up (2.3%
according to LSA) whereas their revenues are decreasing. There is a breach in the marketing
strategies that is failing to connect to younger generations. It is undeniable that globalization
has made growth process for companies easier in certain areas, but it has also brought about
some down sides. A United Nations document published in 2003 reveals their concern on this
matter, “a key contributing factor in this regard has been the declining influence of the nation-
state, which is in turn intimately linked to what David Harvey refers to as “time-space
compression”—the way the world has in effect been de-territorialized by ECONOMIC EFFECTS
OF GLOBALIZATION ON YOUNG PEOPLE.2”

Despite the drawdowns, Raison’s house has continued in its pursuit to evolve its concept and
step it up by means of powerful but fancy move called “Sistronomy”, a new way to drink cider.
With the slogan “Cider, you don’t drink it! You savour it…”, Raison’s house wants to take Loïc
Raison to a new level of sophistication, introducing is as the art of Sistronomy by Loïc Raison;
and with it, cider rises to the rank of tasting.
For a long time confined to its traditional
galette and its outdated bowl, cider now
makes its way to every table. On small and
large occasions, at home or in restaurants, it
is part of a true art of living, which has
become the emblematic signature of the cider maker Loïc Raison. Tasting, enjoying and sharing
are the key words of this new trend: Sistronomy. From the Breton "sistr" which means "cider",
Sistronomy was born in the cellars of Loïc Raison. The cider maker of character wished to
develop a completely different approach to his little known and recognized beverage.
Sistronomy is above all a story of passion: a passion for taste. Moreover, there is a
quintessential element to this formula. The endorsement of the chef étoile Gaël Orieux from
one of the most renowned restaurants in Paris, Restaurant Auguste, which was once star
awarded by the Michelin Guide. Raison’s house official website has a section in which Chef
Orieux himself shows how to prepare some exquisite dishes to enjoy with Loïc Raison’s cider.

To conclude, it is clear that Loïc Raison’s cider house has made a great effort to build rapport
and connect with their customers. There is a strong Breton scent exuded by brand in every
inch of their strategies and campaigns. From the logo to the packaging the cider experience is
unique; as though you were drinking the very essence of Breton culture out of one of their
most traditional beverages. This has led to an undoubtful success not only in all the hexagon
but also overseas. However, globalization has been taking its toll all over the world in many
ways, one of them is the weakening our core values and the ties with ancestral roots, which, in
turn, has somehow affected the way the company has been reaching out to its customers,
failing to connect to younger generations. This has got to change in the near future if the
company seeks to prevail one of the leaders in the market in the years to come.

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1. Liquid (gén. of cider) contained in a bowl. Translated of the definition in https://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/bol%C3%A9e

2. Young People in a Globalizing World, World Youth Report, 2003. UN. Available on World Wide Web: https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/documents/ch11.pdf

Bibliography

https://www.loicraison.fr/me-connaitre/

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lo%C3%AFc_Raison

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brittany

https://www.w3schools.com/colors/colors_psychology.asp

https://www.verywellmind.com/color-psychology-2795824

http://www.guesswhat.fr/le-cidre-breton-loic-raison-fete-ses-90-ans/

https://www.letelegramme.fr/ig/generales/fait-du-jour/loic-raison-nous-de-renover-notre-
image-20080715-3387273_1395249.php

https://www.lsa-conso.fr/une-boisson-qui-veut-retrouver-ses-lettres-de-noblesse,331386

https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/documents/ch11.pdf

https://www.lapresse.ca/vins/actualites/201701/07/01-5057409-le-cidre-veut-seduire-une-
nouvelle-clientele.php