INFO BFM Marseille Provence. The mayor of Marseille has announced that he will soon meet with the CEO of Pernod Ricard, Alexandre Ricard, to ask him for explanations on the controversial partnership in Marseille that the company has just signed with PSG.
“The people of Marseille are laughing bitterly”. Since the announcement of a partnership between Pernod Ricard and Paris Saint-Germain, the controversy has been growing in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône), the land where the company was born. On the Marseille side, few understand this decision and this is also the case on the city hall side. Benoît Payan, the mayor of the Phocaean city, announced that he would soon meet the CEO of the group, Alexandre Ricard, to “ask him for explanations”.
“I wasn’t happy to see that, frankly we didn’t really understand. There are a lot of things to tell him, first I’m going to ask him how and why we end up supporting PSG,” the city councilor told BFM Marseille Provence.
“Ricard is intrinsically linked to this territory”
The elected official questions the choice. “Should we see it as the fact that the Marseillais are invading Paris and taking control of PSG? That’s the positive side,” says Benoît Payan. “Or are there other intentions? I’ll ask him the question.”
For the mayor of Marseille, the company is strongly linked to Marseille – the headquarters are located there – and to the region.
“Ricard, the Ricard family, the founder, are people who are intrinsically linked to this territory and I will ask them again the question of the link they have with this territory,” admits the mayor.
The elected official also believes he knows that internally, not everyone “fully understood what was happening” with this partnership.
On Tuesday, September 3, the Pernod Ricard group, with 240 brands (Jameson, Chivas and Ballantines whiskeys, Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes, etc.), announced a long-term partnership agreement with the Paris Saint-Germainhistoric rival and sworn enemy of OM.
After this announcement, the people of Marseille were offended, even launching a call to “boycott” the brand by proposing other brands to replace Ricard. Internet users even joined forces to write and compose a song in a few hours that reflects the state of mind in the region regarding this partnership.
For its part, the company welcomed the agreement. “This new global partnership is the first of its kind for Pernod Ricard, which will showcase the Group’s entire premium brand catalogue,” it explained in its press release. “Pernod Ricard now becomes an official global partner and will be the club’s sole supplier of champagne and spirits, with dedicated visibility and communication rights as well as tailor-made experiences.”
Jimmy Comte et Martin Regley
