The companies are investing a combined total of £4m in the initiative, which will promote Gordon's & Schweppes tonic, Smirnoff & Coca-Cola, Pimm's & Schweppes lemonade and Bell's & Coca-Cola. A consumer campaign will run through the summer alongside an on-trade push, which will include PoS and branded glassware kits given to over 10,000 outlets.
"Our commitment to licensees is to help them make more money by providing outlets with the ability to serve fantastic finished drinks," said Diageo sales director, David Smith. "Our work with CCE will see great category growth and should see repeat footfall for licensees." [...more]
Pernod Ricard is better placed than archrival Diageo heading into an economic recovery thanks to its exposure to emerging markets, though Diageo is making the right moves in China.
Diageo, the world's biggest spirits group, said on Monday it might spend at least 624 million pounds to take over China's fourth-largest spirits group Sichuan Shui Jing Fang to add Chinese white spirits to its portfolio of top brands.
The move was likely prompted by concern that just 5 percent of global sales come from fast-growing emerging markets in Asia, compared to about a fifth in the case of Pernod, the world No 2 spirits maker. [...more]
Glastonbury cider brand Brothers is launching an apple cider to join its pear and flavoured cider ranges.
Brothers Bittersweet Apple Cider is a 5.5% abv medium dry cider which is high in tannins but low in acidity. It will come in 500ml bottles and 250ml stubbies.
It is the first purely apple cider that the company has launched and is a response to the maturation of the apple cider sector where consumers are becoming more educated and are actively seeking out new flavour profiles and propositions, managing director Matthew Showering said.
"Brothers Cider is a natural innovator, being the first to market with both pear and flavoured ciders," he told the Morning Advertiser. "The apple cider category has lacked significant innovation for some time and we felt it was time to take our fast growing brand and inject some excitement into the marketplace." [...more]
The man behind Tyrrells Crisps has added two new products to his potato vodka and fruit liqueur range and is preparing a big push for the business following increasing demand from UK and overseas buyers.
William Chase set up the Chase Distillery two years ago and launched a potato vodka, made from the same potatoes as Tyrrells Crisps, last year. It is said to be the only English potato vodka.
Since then Chase has added an a range of fruit liqueurs and now an apple vodka - Naked Chase - and William's Gin both made from apples grown on the family's 1,500 acre farm in Herefordshire have also been added to the range. [...more]
Halewood International is looking to entrench its position in the spirits category with the launch of four major new brands.
The company said it hopes Don Cruzado Tequila, Di Cassini Sambuca, Ponticelli and Peach Amore will capitalise on the "growing sub-sections of the UK spirits market".
Don Cruzado Tequila - available now - is a full bodied Mexican Tequila made with agave hearts, which will complement the existing range.
Halewood added that the growing Tequila market is worth around £60m annually.
Di Cassini is a genuine Italian Sambuca and is due to be launched at the end of March.
Ponticelli is a lower ABV Sambuca style drink that Halewood described as "perfect" for mixing, which will also launch at the same time, offering consumers a lighter alternative to authentic Sambucas, and will be available at a "credit crunching" price. Halewood added that the Sambuca market, which is also growing, is worth £179m annually. [...more]
A US Federal Court has ordered a halt to the sale and production of a line of fruit-flavored rums whose bottles were alleged to be "confusingly similar" to the flavored rum - Malibu.
The order, issued by the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, upheld a lawsuit filed in March 2009 by Pernod Ricard USA. The suit successfully claimed that White Rock Distilleries had engaged in "trade dress infringement and...deceptive acts and practices" by marketing its line of Barbarossa, Baroca and Jack flavored rums in opaque white bottles that have become synonymous with Malibu rum.
As part of a settlement of the litigation, White Rock acknowledged "the validity and strength of the Malibu Trade Dress, including but not limited to the white color of the bottle." Accordingly, White Rock consented to entry by the Court of a permanent injunction banning White Rock from manufacturing, marketing or selling its flavored rums, or any other distilled spirit, in "a white bottle" or "in any bottle using a palm tree and sun design that is substantially similar to the Malibu palm tree and sun logo." The Court also ordered White Rock to pay legal fees incurred by Pernod Ricard USA in connection with the dispute. [...more]
William Grant has relaunched its Sailor Jerry rum brand with a new look and new taste.
The Caribbean spiced rum product was launched at 40%abv in the UK in 2004 with more sugar and lime than the 46%abv US version.
The product is now a closer relation to the US liquid, with no added sugar, more cinnamon notes and the packaging has been stripped back. It includes tattoo illustrations by Norman 'Sailor Jerry' Collins and there are six different back-label illustrations that are revealed as the bottle empties. The product remains at 40% in the UK. [...more]
Diageo has launched a scathing attack on Bacardi over the Captain Morgan rum, US Virgin Islands saga. Diageo has accused Bacardi of scheming to protect subsidies at the expense of the economic stability of the US Virgin Islands. Bacardi has insisted the dispute is about the appropriate use of taxpayers' money.
Diageo North America has released the following statement from Guy L. Smith, executive vice president:
"An historic and innovative public-private initiative forged by the US Virgin Islands that would lift the US Virgin Islands' economy out of crisis is under attack by the entrenched corporate interests of a wealthy family seeking to maintain their decades-long grip on rum subsidies.
"Bacardi Limited, which receives tens of millions of dollars a year in annual government rum subsidies, has made a calculated decision to try to drive a competitor out of the United States even though it would be a disaster for the US citizens of the Virgin Islands. And why is Bacardi doing this? They know that because of a quirk in federal law they can protect their huge government subsidies by driving Captain Morgan rum production anywhere rather than the US Virgin Islands. [...more]
Pernod Ricard has announced a fall in sales to €3.789 million for the last half of 2009.
Pernod Ricard, the second largest drinks company in the world, has announced a fall in sales to €3.789 million (-3%) for the half year from July to December 2009.
Its 15 "strategic brands" which include Absolut, Chivas, Ballantine's, Beefeater, Martell, Mumm and Jacob's Creek, declined 5% in volume and 3% in value.
Gilles Bogaert, Pernod's managing director finance, told a briefing in London on February 23 for financial analysts and journalists, that the fall was in line with expectations following the economic crisis last year.
The results were exacerbated by the devaluation of the Venezuelan Bolivar and the comparative weakness of the US dollar. When asked by a financial journalist as to why the devaluation of the Venezuelan currency had has such a dramatic effect on Pernod's results, Bogaerrt pointed out that the South American country was the seventh most important scotch whisky market. [...more]
Blended scotch whisky Ballantine's has signed three top golf stars to take part in the Ballantine's Championship.
They include three-time Major winner Ernie Els, PGA Tour star Anthony Kim and current world No 10 Henrik Stenson. They will be joined in the €2.2 million event by Miguel Angel Jiménez and the tournament's 2008 champion and Ballantine's ambassador, Graeme McDowell.
The Ballantine's Championship, which is hosted on the island of Jeju from 22-25 April, is Asia's fourth biggest golf tournament and, according to Ballantine's, the largest sporting event in Korea. [...more]
The House of Rémy Martin is launching its ultra-premium Louis XIII Rare Cask 43.8%abv in the UK.
The liquid was drawn from a single rare cask, which cellar master Pierrette Trichet earmarked as outstanding in 2004.
Anthony Habert, senior brand manager at First Drinks said:
“Despite continued talk of a fragile economic climate, ultra premium spirits are continuing to find favour with consumers who are looking for something extra special. Trading up is still alive and well for consumers looking to move up from mainstream cognacs to premium offerings.” [...more]
Diageo GB has added Smirnoff and Cola, to its existing pre-mix can range of spirit and mixer combinations.
A £5million heavyweight TV advertising campaign will be run nationally from mid-April and throughout the summer as part of a marketing push to raise awareness of the pre-mix category.
The 250ml can is expected to be a significant category driver, it will be supported by in-store marketing and a £450K range sampling investment across 4,500 stores to drive consumer awareness and trial. [...more]
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