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Johnnie Walker

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Last month, Diageo handed the microphone to the head of its operations in Africa. Spirits commentator Ian Buxton was among those of us who listened in.

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This month, just-drinks' brown spirits commentator, Ian Buxton, considers the sector's efforts to entice the Millennial consumer into the fray.

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At the TFWA China's Century Conference in Guangzhou last week, speaker after speaker lined up to talk about the changing face of Chinese luxury consumerism. Gone are the days when premiumisation in China meant sticking some red and gold glint on the packaging and raising the price by 30%. When it comes to brand awareness, China's Millennials are much more savvy in their brand awareness than their parents.

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Late last week, Diageo's North America president, Deirdre Mahlan, hosted a conference call with analysts. Having spent just over a year in the role, Mahlan offered some insight into the company's largest and most profitable region. Here, just-drinks picks out some key points from the call.

In July, Diageo turned its previously-combined Middle East & Global Travel Retail division into a standalone GTR unit. At the same time, TR head Doug Bagley stood down and was replaced by Dayalan Nayager, Bagley's European TR regional leader. Last month, at the Tax Free World Association exhibition in Cannes, just-drinks caught up with Nayager to find out how the new structure was working, as well as his thoughts on the overall state of the GTR channel.

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Earlier this year, Ben Cooper met the CEO of Brown-Forman, Paul Varga, in the company's heartland, the US. In the first instalment of this two-part interview, the two look at Brown-Forman's position in the drinks industry, its portfolio of spirits brands and its prospects and ambitions in the emerging markets.

Diageo is challenging a near-US$140m demand from the UK tax authority relating to the alleged transferral of intellectual property away from the country.

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Diageo has returned the focus of its global marketing for Johnnie Walker to the 'Keep Walking' slogan and has retired the brand's 'Joy Will Take You Further' message, less than two years after launching it.

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Diageo has readied the release of the second limited edition iteration of its Johnnie Walker Blenders' Batch portfolio.

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Diageo has extended its Johnnie Walker Blender's Batch portfolio to the US with the launch of Triple Grain American Oak.

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Diageo has rebranded and repackaged its Johnnie Walker Platinum Label whisky as it looks to highlight the age of the iteration.

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The use of real events in marketing activations is more about "celebrating the human spirit" than "making a political statement", according to the head of Diageo.

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Diageo is set to release a limited edition pack for its Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch whisky in the US, to coincide with the Lunar New Year.

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Diageo has launched three new Johnnie Walker ranges through its brand house in Singapore, to celebrate the Lunar New Year 2017.

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Diageo has become the latest alcohol company to team up with UK home delivery service Deliveroo.

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Diageo's Global Travel Retail unit has opened a Johnnie Walker House retail store in Bahrain Duty Free.

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Diageo's Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff have continued their slide down a list of the world's most valuable brands.

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New European Union regulations on nutritional labelling could put an end to alcohol exclusives in the Global Travel Retail channel, the head of the Tax Free World Association has warned.

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A "personalised" bottle has helped drive up sales of Baileys by 60% in Dublin airport, Diageo has said, as the company embarks on a personalisation push for the brand in Global Travel Retail.

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Diageo has unveiled plans for a regeneration project on the former site of its Johnnie Walker plant in the west of Scotland.

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Diageo's Johnnie Walker is to shrug off gloomy forecasts for Travel Retail and invest in the channel over the upcoming gifting period, the brand's head has said.

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A new Johnnie Walker range is not intended to emulate Bourbon, the brand's global director has said, after initial expressions all featured a North American style.

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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.

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Diageo has launched a limited-edition Johnnie Walker that is the first release from an experimental new range called Blenders' Batch.

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Diageo's latest Johnnie Walker House in China is to share space with the company's baijiu brand, Shuijingfang.

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Diageo has unveiled labelling of per-serving nutritional facts on its Johnnie Walker Red Label packs, as it looks to encourage drinkers to make informed choices.

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Diageo has completed the sale of most of its remaining wine assets to Treasury Wine Estates (TWE).

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Diageo has been removed from a small business group's "hall of shame" after it was judged to have made amends for lengthening the payment time for its small suppliers.

just-drinks is in Cannes this week the Tax Free World Association show. Here's the second part of Andy Morton's blog, which will keep you up-to-date at one of the most important dates in the Travel Retail calendar.