Pernod Ricard’s premium brands spur global sales
Pernod Ricard is to boost the global marketing activity for its core brands such as Absolut and Jameson as it looks to offset stuttering sales across Europe.
The world’s second biggest alcohol producer by sales reported better than expected first half earnings as revenues in markets including China, Russia and the US to counteract declines in southern Europe and France.
Revenues for the six months to December climbed 6 per cent to €4.91bn (£4.2bn).
Sales were propelled by global growth across all its top 14 brands, which make up 63 per cent of group sales, as the business stepped up the advertising activity for brands such as Perrier-Jouet and Beefeater in the run-up to Christmas. Martell (+23 per cent) and Jameson (+13 per cent) were the the two top performing labels as the company continued to back its long-term strategy to get shoppers to upgrade from standard brands.
Pierre Pringuet, chief executive and vice president of the board at Pernod Ricard, says: “The good performance achieved this semester confirms the soundness of our business model: a comprehensive portfolio of first-class international and local brands, a premiumisation strategy enhanced by a strong innovation policy, and global exposure allowing us to capture all growth relays. We are confident in continuing our growth mid-term, and we confirm our guidance of organic growth in profit from recurring operations close to +6 per cent for the full financial year 2012/13.”
Elsewhere, the company says activity during the first half of 2013 would focus on boosting its champagne brands’ ties to fashion with high-profile partnerships with designers. It also said it wanted to “create buzz” through technology such as mobile apps for its brands including Havana Club and Ballantine’s, an extension of the brand’s strategy to use mobile to target consumers in-store.
