“Behind the bottle”: Portrait of Camille Badoc, our marketing executive

What got you interested in marketing and how did you end up at Univitis?

“I’ve always had a creative sensibility and, at the same time, I loved business and economics. That’s why I went into marketing and communication, as it enabled me to combine the two. After two years of preparatory studies in economics, I entered a business school where I completed a Master’s degree in Marketing and Brand Management. As part of my studies, I did one of my first internships in 2016 in a cooperative winery in Lot-et-Garonne (my home region) and I fell in love with the world of wine.

Since then, I’ve never left this industry, and I’ve had the chance to discover many different types of winery. I’ve worked for a small estate in Saint-Emilion, cooperative wineries and, after two years as Product Manager for one of the world’s largest wine merchants, I was keen to return to the cooperative world. It’s an environment I particularly appreciate for its values based on mutual aid, fairness and solidarity.

When I felt the urge to work for a cooperative winery again, Univitis was looking for a marketing executive, so I took a chance. That’s how I came to work for Univitis, two years ago now.”

Tell us about your job. Describe a typical day in your shoes.

“As marketing executive, I manage our product range together with the sales teams in France and abroad, and with general management. Together, we define which brands are to be developed, reviewed or discontinued. I then design the packaging (labels, back labels, cartons, etc.) either myself or with the help of design agencies. Finally, I ensure the technical feasibility of the project with the help of our suppliers (label printers, cardboard manufacturers, etc.) and our in-house production department.

I also manage the communication and promotional campaigns that accompany our products, particularly for our strategic brands: Grand Théâtre, Côté Atlantique, Larmoni and Brennus.

I produce sales aids to help promote Univitis and its products: brochures, promotional videos, sales pitches, customer presentations, etc.

Another part of my job is communications for Univitis. With Virginie, who has been on a work-study placement with Univitis for over a year, we look after the website (performance monitoring, content updating, blog posts), manage our social networks and send out promotional newsletters to our customers, as well as newsletters that we send to all Univitis employees and members to keep them up to date with news from the cooperative.

What I like is that I don’t really have a typical day. In general, I start my day by looking at our performance statistics on social networks and our website. Then I deal with all my e-mail requests. After that, it varies from day to day. This week, for example, I organized a photo shoot: I scouted out some beautiful vantage points in our vineyards, contacted several of our members to appear in the photos, researched the style of photos we would need and discussed this with the photographer. Then I prayed that the weather would be kind, but unfortunately it wasn’t, so I had to reschedule my photo shoot for next week. That’s part of the job, you have to be able to adapt to any situation.”

What skills do you need to be a good wine marketer?

“In my opinion, the key skills to be successful in a small structure like ours are versatility, dynamism and creativity.

In addition, you need to be on the lookout for new trends and competitor developments, and above all, you need to be attuned to the expectations and needs of our customers and consumers.

Analytical skills are also desirable to evaluate market data, consumer behavior and the performance of marketing campaigns.

Today, it also seems essential to be comfortable with digital tools (management of social networks, SEO, etc.) and to have technical skills in graphic design software (Adobe Suite, Canva, etc.).

Event management skills are a plus. As marketing executive, I’m responsible for organizing our presence at trade shows, as well as participating in the organization of various events.

In my opinion, an eye for detail is also an asset for a marketing executive.

And of course, you have to be very organized to juggle all the projects together and have a good team spirit, as we have to work with all the company’s professions and with outside service providers.”

What are the most rewarding aspects of your job as marketing executive at Univitis?

“There are a lot of them! But one of the things I love most is seeing the wine packaged after spending several weeks, even months, designing the packaging. It’s very satisfying to see the concrete result of your work.

I also really enjoy thinking about the design of a new packaging, researching new ideas, making inspiration boards and then finalizing all the packaging details, selecting printing techniques, paper, tints, gilding, etc.”

What's your approach to communicating about our cooperative winery?

“Our challenge is to remain attractive to consumers who are drinking less and less alcohol but who, at the same time, are increasingly interested in wine. We need to be able to preserve and convey our ancestral know-how and the traditions that have been handed down to us, because they are part of the soul of the cooperative, while at the same time being innovative and attractive to younger generations.”

“It’s important that we desacralize the consumption of wines, and Bordeaux wines in particular. Wine is certainly a traditional product, rooted in culture, but that shouldn’t make it complicated. It should simply be a product of pleasure.”

Can you share with us an experience or professional achievement of which you are particularly proud in your marketing career?

“I’m particularly proud of the launch of our Côté Atlantique range. We reworked the concept and packaging with Manon, who was a marketing intern at the time. We thought up and designed everything in-house, using our own resources, and today the brand is one of our best sellers.

In February 2023, we reworked the Univitis logo and identity. We wanted to give it more meaning, but also more visual impact and modernity. It’s another achievement that makes me particularly proud.”

Can you give us an idea of the future projects and ideas you hope to launch in the coming months?

“Our ambition for the future is to raise the profile of Univitis. To achieve this, over the next few months we will be signing all our products with the Univitis logo. We’re proud of our products and it’s important to us that consumers associate our brands and châteaux with our cooperative winery.”

What's your favorite wine from the cooperative winery?

“I’m more of a white wine man, and I really like Larmoni and Grand Théâtre Blanc. Côté Atlantique is also one of my favorite wines, especially for summer aperitifs and barbecues.”