Aperol Case Study: Aligning an authentic Italian alcohol brand with contemporary consumer needs

Introduction

Amid volume declines in spirits generally, Gruppo Campari's Aperol brand has achieved dramatic growth since 2004, with total sales quadrupling off the back of expansion both throughout its core Italian market and into Austria and Germany. Aperol has achieved impressive growth through meeting emerging consumption trends and boasting differentiated positioning.

Features and benefits

• Evaluate how Aperol has achieved success despite generally weak consumer demand and its focus on the premium and on-trade aspects of the market.
• Identify the major consumer trends that are driving demand for spirits products – particularly in the Italian and German markets.
• Gain an insight into the importance of confident and consistent marketing in shaping brand image and capturing specific consumer segments.

Highlights

The increasing resonance that the Aperol brand has fostered with consumers has been partially derived from the brand equity it has been able to build in the on-trade. This has been especially important in its geographical expansion throughout Italy, where the consumer typically has a higher propensity to consume alcoholic drinks in the on-trade.
The success of the Aperol brand is reflective of the higher importance that consumers are placing on general consumption trends above merely low price. For example, consumers remain willing to trade up to brands that are at the confluence of the health and trading-up trends.

Your key questions answered

• How has the Aperol achieved impressive growth, in a market characterized by declining volumes, despite its premium and on-trade focus?
• What key consumer trends are currently influencing demand are for spirits among Western consumers, and in particular those in Italy and Germany?
• How can product marketing be utilized to shape brand image and capture specific consumer segments?

Table of contents

DATAMONITOR VIEW
Catalyst
Summary
ANALYSIS
Introduction
Aperol's impressive sales growth has been in direct contrast to the overall performance of the Italian spirits market
The Italian spirits market has been in decline since before the onset of the recession
Gruppo Campari's Aperol brand has been the star performer in its wider brand portfolio
The Aperol brand is successfully tapping into emerging general consumption trends
The Aperol brand is meeting emerging consumer taste trends
Aperol, and in particular the Aperol Spritz drink, has been ideally positioned to take advantage of health trends in the alcoholic drinks sector
Aperol has benefitted from the greater propensity among Italian consumers to pair food and alcohol
Aperol's premium positioning is resonating strongly among trading-up consumers
Aperol has looked to build brand equity through a focus on the on-trade
Gruppo Campari has actively looked to extend the reach of the Aperol brand
Aperol has embarked on range extension with the introduction of the pre-mix product Aperol Spritz
Gruppo Campari has also sought geographical expansion of the Aperol brand
Conclusions and recommendations
APPENDIX
Case study series
Methodology
Secondary sources
Further reading
Ask the analyst
Datamonitor consulting
Disclaimer

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Related research categories

By sector: General alcohol, Consumer (in Trends)

By market: Italy (in Europe)