Pernod Ricard is confident Christmas will be a strong period for its alcohol brands despite the cost of living crisis, with factors like the World Cup and the absence of Omicron this year expected to bolster sales.
UK marketing director Leanne Banks says shifting focus from commercial goals to creativity is helping Pernod Ricard take on its bigger rivals.
The drinks giant experienced “strong” growth in sales and profit over the first six months of its fiscal year, amid rising marketing spend and the continued pursuit of its premium pricing strategy.
Far from being content to play second fiddle to the established players, no and low alcohol brands and plant-based products are focusing on their visual identity as a means to capture market share.
Raja Banerji is leaving after two years at the marketing helm of Pernod Ricard UK having navigated the company through the pandemic by pivoting to a strategy focused on digital and ecommerce.
Malibu saw “exceptional growth” in the last 12 months and “rejuvenated” interest in the brand thanks to product innovation and its long-term marketing strategy.
After seeing a surge in sales over the past 12 months, it believes now is the time to capitalise on momentum by adding TV to its marketing arsenal.
Has a socially distanced world rendered experiential marketing redundant, or has the lockdown only emphasised the importance of real life events as milestones in consumers’ lives?
People that have been exposed to Beefeater Pink are much more favourably disposed to the core product, says the drinks giant.
Despite growing concerns of the impact a no deal Brexit could have on consumer spending, Pernod Ricard believes people will continue to pay for more expensive spirits as they look to drink “less but better”.
The drinks giant boosted sales by 5% for the H1FY19 period, with “strong” results leading to it increasing its profit guidance to between 6% and 8%.
Pernod Ricard says it is less concerned with boosting sales and more interested in creating a global “community of convivial people” who understand and value what the business stands for.
Malibu and Kahlúa might not have the same marketing budgets as rivals but by creating a digital innovation hub the brands are hoping to outsmart them instead.
The brand has created a digital innovation hub that is taking “fear off the table” to foster a culture of fast innovation and enable it to compete with bigger spending rivals.
The drinks giant says that while it is reducing the use of media agencies in a bid to make its marketing spend more efficient, it is still willing to spend money on big, creative ideas.