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Absolut

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Monday this week was Memorial Day in the US, a federal holiday in honour of those killed while serving in the country's armed forces. Thanks to a recent product launch from Diageo, consumers were also encouraged to raise a patriotic glass of vodka in their memory. But, can American Anthem make vodka great again? Richard Woodard is sceptical.

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Tomorrow, Pernod Ricard releases a trading update, covering sales for the third quarter of its fiscal-2018. Here's a look at the events that shaped the three months to the end of March for the group.

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Spirits commentator Richard Woodard will have been relieved to see the back of The Winter Olympics last weekend. He now has the time to ponder companies' marketing spends... and to run his rule over Pernod Ricard's latest - somewhat risqué - activation for Absolut.

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In early-February, Pernod Ricard reported a 5.1% lift in sales for the six months to the end of December. The top-line had to deal with a strong US dollar, however, with reported sales coming in flat for the period. Here, just-drinks takes a closer look at the company's performance by region - as well as the numbers behind its main brands - in the first half of the group's fiscal-2018.

Last month, the CEO of Pernod Ricard, Alex Ricard, was in London to discuss the group's half-year results. just-drinks sat down with Ricard following the press conference to look at both the numbers for the first six months of fiscal-2017 and Ricard's tenure so far, since assuming the leadership in early-2015. In the first part of our exclusive two-part interview, Alex considers Pernod's positions in India and China and shares his thoughts on pricing and the role it plays in a company's approach to premiumisation.

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Tareef Shawa joined Pernod Ricard in 2014, bringing with him luxury credentials from American Express's invitation-only Centurion division, as well as seven years at LVMH's Louis Vuitton as director of global client development. Speaking to just-drinks in London this week, the group's luxury & customer relationship management director discusses the concept of luxury, its role within Pernod and how to quantify the success of luxury events.

Pernod Ricard has launched a new Absolut extension that is flavoured with fruit juice.

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Pernod Ricard's Absolut unit has lined up a series of on-premise events, in partnership with DrinkUp London, as it looks to bring the brand's Swedish heritage to UK consumers.

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Leading spirits producers appear to be abandoning Twitter as accounts for well-known brands including Pernod Ricard's Beefeater Gin and Diageo's Haig Club lie untouched for up to a year.

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Pernod Ricard has played down the recent slow performance of its Absolut vodka brand in the US, flagging other investment priorities in the country as well as the group’s geographical reach.

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Pernod Ricard has launched an online advert globally for Absolut, highlighting the vodka brand’s provenance and environmental credentials.

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Pernod Ricard's Global Travel Retail unit has launched limited edition packs for its Absolut vodka brand as it looks to capitalise on the festive season. 

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Pernod Ricard has been told to avoid using actors who look under 25, after complaints were made against an Absolut advert in the UK.

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Pernod Ricard has launched a new campaign for its Absolut vodka brand in New York City. 

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Pernod Ricard has announced a collaboration between its Absolut vodka brand and singer Rita Ora, in the US market. 

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Pernod Ricard has expressed concern at the need to improve its group price/mix balance, after five of its six largest international brands posted negatives in the latest fiscal year.

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Pernod Ricard will look to increase spend on its Absolut vodka brand in the US on-premise, according to the group's MD of finance & operations, as it looks to counter under-performance in the channel.

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Pernod Ricard has rolled out a limited-edition Absolut for the Canadian market. 

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Pernod Ricard has launched its latest Absolut vodka flavour in Canada, through Corby Spirit and Wine. 

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Strong growth in the US has helped drive solid nine-month sales for Pernod Ricard despite continued weakness for Absolut vodka.

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The CEO of Pernod Ricard has countered suggestions that the group has been over-reliant on its Cognac portfolio in China.

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Pernod Ricard has extended the recently-released lime variant of its Absolut vodka brand to the UK, as it looks to capitalise on what it claims is the growing popularity of citrus drinks in the country.

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Pernod Ricard and Remy Cointreau are the best-placed spirits companies to appeal to Millennial consumers, according to a recent report.

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The CEO of Pernod Ricard has said the company must stand its ground on Absolut's pricing in the US, in the wake of increasing pressure from the vodka category.

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Pernod Ricard has said a Facebook advert for its Absolut vodka brand in South Korea has attracted largely positive reactions, despite reports from several news outlets of a backlash from consumers.

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Mainstream vodka brands including Diageo's Smirnoff and Pernod Ricard's Absolut have strong growth potential in emerging markets, a new report has said.

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Alcoholic drinks that use healthy cues will struggle to break into the mass market, according to analysts at Mintel.

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Diageo's Johnnie Walker brand has consolidated its dominance of Global Travel Retail's spirits shelves, although Pernod Ricard's Absolut has been overtaken by Chivas Regal and Brown-Forman's Jack Daniel's, according to figures from The IWSR.