As the UK heads once more into a national lockdown, Quintessential Brands is mounting a marketing push with its leading gin brands, Greenall’s, BLOOM and Opihr, to help its retail customers make the most of the gin category’s continued appeal in the run-up to the crucial festive trading period.
Travel with your taste-buds with Opihr Gin
With COVID19 putting a stop to people’s travel plans, research from Mintel[1] indicates that brands which provide ‘transportive’ experiences for consumers through their serves are set to be in demand this winter.
As a brand inspired by travels along the Ancient Spice Route, Opihr Gin will be giving shoppers a taste of ‘flavours from afar’ this autumn with in-store sampling, merchandising and seasonal promotions in the run-up to Christmas.
Digital assets will also be made available to trade customers for use on their e-comm and social media platforms and brand serves will be showcased through colourful creatives in in-store magazines. The activity follows a strong summer for the brand, which saw it launch new RTD cans in Tesco, as well as activating a successful social media marketing campaign, tapping into consumers’ wanderlust by inviting them to share stories and travel tips from their travels to win prizes.
Community spirit at the heart of Greenall’s Gin
With its roots firmly in the UK, Greenall’s Gin is staying closer to home and celebrating the renewed sense of community spirit that’s emerged this year across the country in the face of COVID-19. The original London Dry Gin brand is inviting consumers to nominate their neighbourhood as the most deserving of a celebratory street party hosted by Greenall’s once the pandemic is over with a cocktail bar, live entertainment and special guests all promised. The popular gin brand will also be highly visible in store across trade customers with Christmas promotions and merchandising in store.
BLOOM Gin sets passions running high
Following its successful launch in Tesco, BLOOM Passionfruit & Vanilla Blossom Gin has won a new listing in Sainsbury’s, appearing in store from mid-October. Launched in May as part of the brand’s Fruit & Floral Fusions range, BLOOM Passionfruit & Vanilla Blossom Gin has been a hit with Tesco shoppers over the summer. The brand will also be supporting trade customers with a new in-store brand identity and is set to run seasonal promotions for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day across the entire BLOOM range, including BLOOM Original London Dry Gin.
Gin: the nation’s favourite spirit
The popularity of gin has continued to endure this year with the category remaining the no.1 spirit category in the UK, with value growth ahead of volume[1]. Whilst flavoured gins have continued to perform well, a resurgence in non-flavoured gin during the first national lockdown was the main contributor to gin category growth in the first half of the year, with Greenall’s and BLOOM reporting volume growth of 26% and 27% respectively[2]. This performance underlines the continued rise of Greenall’s within the category, with the brand reporting growth at twice the rate of the total gin category in the 12 months to July.[3]
Whilst the RTD category grew by just 1.6% in the last year, premium RTDs have succeeded in attracting shoppers, with the Opihr bottle RTD range growing by an impressive 146% over the same time period.[4] The spiced gin brand also enjoyed a strong summer performance with its gin range growing by 25% in the 12 weeks to the end of August.[5]
Rob Curteis, Group Marketing Director for Quintessential Brands, which last week retained its International Spirits Challenge Gin Producer of the Year title for the third consecutive year, comments; “Whilst the year has seen much change and disruption to our lives, the enduring popularity of gin amongst consumers in the UK has remained constant throughout the pandemic, resulting in booming gin sales throughout the summer, which has been great news for retailers. The level of shoppers’ trust in the gin category is evident from the increase in sales of classic London Dry Gins, such as Greenall’s, as well from the growth of flavoured gins with new flavours – such as BLOOM Passionfruit & Vanilla Blossom performing incredibly strongly.
“As winter and the latest national lockdown begins, we believe gin will be in high demand and through our consumer and customer marketing efforts, we’re confident that BLOOM, Greenall’s and Opihr will be at the forefront of the category’s continued success.”
Quintessential Brands’ Gin Producer of the Year win in this year’s International Spirits Challenge saw the company become the first in the competition’s history to win the trophy five times, having previously won in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.
[1] IRI – 12 weeks to end of July 2020
[2] IRI – 12 weeks to end of July 2020
[3] IRI – MAT to end of July (10.3% versus 19.5%)
[4] IRI – MAT to end of August 2020
[5] IRI – 12 weeks to end of August 2020
[1] Source: Mintel Drink Market News
For more information, please contact the communications team at Quintessential Brands by e-mail: [email protected]
ABOUT QUINTESSENTIAL BRANDS GROUP
Quintessential Brands is an award-winning international spirits company, dedicated to distilling and crafting the world’s best alcohol brands for consumers and customers globally. Pioneering spirits of the industry, inspired since 1761 by their founder, Thomas Dakin, Quintessential Brands Group delivers a diverse portfolio of award-winning, best-selling spirits with unrivalled heritage and craftsmanship.
Founded in 2011 by Enzo Visone, former CEO of Gruppo Campari, and entrepreneur, Warren Scott, Quintessential Brands Group owns world-class manufacturing facilities across Europe, including G&J Distillers, the world’s oldest continuous gin distillers, in Cheshire, UK; L&L in France, a leading manufacturer of fruit spirits and liqueurs; Irish Cream artisan producers, First Ireland Spirits; and the Dublin Liberties Distillery, which opened in 2019. Renowned for its white spirits expertise at G&J Distillers, Quintessential Brands has won International Spirit Challenge Gin Producer of the Year three times and is fast winning a reputation as one of the most exciting new Irish whiskey producers to emerge on the scene.
Quintessential Brands’ award-winning premium brands portfolio includes Greenall’s The Original Handcrafted Gin, BLOOM London Dry Gin, Thomas Dakin Small Batch Gin, Berkeley Square London Dry Gin, and Opihr Gin. Its Irish brands include The Dubliner Irish Whiskey, The Dublin Liberties Irish Whiskey, The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey, Feeney’s Irish Cream Liqueur and O’Mara’s Irish Country Cream. iqueurs in the portfolio include Alizé and Toussaint Coffee Rum Liqueur. The company is also a leader in contract bottling and own label & private label spirits, working with retail partners across the world to provide spirits solutions of unrivalled quality.
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