Pernod Ricard is launching a new blackberry-flavoured Beefeater gin – the brand’s third flavoured extension in two years.
Beefeater Blackberry (37.5%) launches exclusively into Tesco this week, billed as “a great opportunity for fresh seasonal serves that vibrantly retain both their colour and flavour” (rsp: £18.99).
Flavoured gins have helped take Beefeater from relative obscurity in the supermarkets to a major success over the past two years.
Pernod Ricard’s gin boss Louise Ryan said the business had been “been blown away by the success of both Beefeater Pink Strawberry and Beefeater Blood Orange, with almost 150,000 cases sold across both flavours in the UK last year”
Indeed, Beefeater Pink now outsells the brand’s core gin in the off-trade.
Over the past 12 months alone, retail sales across the total Beefeater brand were up a whopping 274.5% to £17.7m, on volumes up 280.8% [Nielsen 52 w/e 15 June 2019].
It comes as Pernod last week announced plans to ramp up its Christmas marketing spend this year, splashing out £5m across six key brands: Jameson, Chivas Regal, Plymouth, The Glenlivet, Campo Viejo and Kahlúa.
The brand’s customer development, strategy and planning director Jonny Peacock argued against the heavy promotional deals used by retailers on spirits at Christmas.
“Could the trade get more out of Christmas? It’s so heavily promoted,” he said. “You see newer occasions, things like Halloween and St Patrick’s Day, which are all driving premiumisation – they’re growing fast and the average price is going up.
“But then you look at Christmas, where the average price comes down. Hang on a minute. People are treating themselves, being hosts, buying gifts – it’s a bit weird that at that period when everyone is excited, the average price comes down.”
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