“Being a Rémy Martin brand activations manager/ambassador is about customer relationship management. Here I try to educate bar staff, owners and clients more about Rémy Martin and give them a taste of the opulent life.”
This international brand is the brainchild of Rémy Martin, a young winegrower in Cognac, France in 1724. A few years later King Louis XV of France granted Rémy Martin the rare right to plant new vines in recognition of the excellence of his cognacs.The rest is history as Rémy Martin continued to grow its brand from the 1738 Cognac to the Rémy Martin XO Excellence Cognac, also known as, ‘le good stuff’ followed by many others in the collection.
Zaya who completed his studies in 2008 admits that he did not know the university name was going to change but welcomed the new name.
“I think it's a good thing as Nelson Mandela is a world renowned statesman and human rights activist. The previous name was too long and this will be a small change but more impactful.”
Zaya who dabbled in sales, marketing and event in his previous roles at an energy drink company said “I learnt a lot about negotiation, dealing with clients, crisis management and perfect execution.”
“I really enjoyed varsity - I remember being in the J Block which was so colourful, diverse and inspiring. The one corner was filled with the journalism students having a loud catch-up about current news and the grass was adorned with B-boys practicing their breakdancing moves. I fondly remember Mrs and Ms NMMU where I was a finalist and my awesome in-service training at the university’s Cultura department headed by Mariaan Lucouw.”
Back to Rémy Martin, Zaya says his core strategy is focusing on premium nightlife venues with high net worth clients who enjoy the best in life. “My focus for the future involve collaborations with art and fashion designers, prestigious car manufacturer launches and fine dining food pairing.”