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Johnnie Walker

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What is the best way to evaluate a spirits brand's performance? Is it all about volume? Is it about value? Or, is there more to it than that? Do some brands deserve extra credit for pioneering a new segment, over-achieving in their given sphere, transcending their category? Johnnie Walker is one name that ticks most - if not all - of these boxes; Jameson is, arguably, another. But, what about Patrón Tequila?

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With 2015 drawing to a close, just-drinks looks back at the stories that have made the headlines across the global drinks industry. Here, deputy editor Lucy Britner picks out the highs and lows for the spirits category.

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As over 100 beer, spirits and wine firms head to flood-hit Cannes this weekend for the Tax Free World Association's World Exhibition - the biggest event in the Travel Retail industry’s calendar - they can look back on a tumultuous year. On the one hand, the number of international travellers continues to rise worldwide. Yet, a growing number of destabilising factors have hit the Travel Retail sector hard in recent times, jeopardising a niche, but high-profile business that, according to The IWSR, was worth in the region of US$9bn last year.

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There was a time when bars served beer in any old pint glass, fathers had their one brand of whisk(e)y and consumer feedback was received by post. Now, branded glassware is a given, no one wants to drink what their parents did and social media posts can go viral in minutes. In today's crowded market place, how do you get consumers to be loyal to your brand?

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.

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Earlier today (28 May), Diageo announced that it will buy the Ypióca cachaça brand in Brazil from Ypióca Agroindustrial Limitada for BRL900m (US$453.9m). As part of its press material, the company issued a short interview with the president of its Latin America and Caribbean operations, Randy Millian, in which he discussed the purchase.

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.

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Diageo has said it wants to fix its malt Scotch "underperformance" in Travel Retail, with plans to lead the category by 2018.

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Diageo has launched a new pack for Johnnie Walker Blue Label exclusively for Singapore Airlines.

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Diageo's global Travel Retail head has said Johnnie Walker is going through its “most successful period” as the company leverages a new promotional tool to take market share.

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Here's a round-up of this week's top stories in the spirits & wine categories. We also have similar round-ups for beer and soft drinks & water.

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Here's a round-up of this week's highlights in the global spirits & wine categories. We are also running similar round-ups for beer and soft drinks & bottled water.

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Diageo has rolled out its largest marketing push for the Johnnie Walker brand in an attempt to connect with the next generation of Scotch whisky consumers.

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Here's a round-up of this week's highlights in the global spirits & wine categories. We are also running similar round-ups for beer and soft drinks & bottled water.

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LVMH's Hennessy Cognac has taken top spot in the IWSR's 2014 World Class Brands as previous chart-topper Diageo's Johnnie Walker dropped to 34th.

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Diageo is poised to release a new, Scotch whisky-based product in Latin America in the coming months, possibly as an extension of the Johnnie Walker brand.

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Here's a look at what was happening on this day in...

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Diageo has added a new city to its skyline-inspired range of Johnnie Walker Blue Label bottles.

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Here's a look at what was happening on this day in...

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Here's a look at what was happening on this day in...

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Diageo has declined to comment on reports it is looking outside the company for its next chief financial officer.

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.