Smirnoff

Why aged spirits should be wary of opaque low- & no-alcohol trend - comment

10 Nov 2020

The seemingly-unstoppable rise of the low- & no-alcohol movement has resulted in an abundance of new brands and line extensions. But, Amy Hopkins warns, aged spirits would do well to tread carefully, lest they lose the consumer's trust and respect.

Diageo readies Smirnoff Spicy Tamarind refresh for Día de Muertos

7 Oct 2020

Diageo has lined up a packaging revamp for the spicy tamarind variant of vodka brand Smirnoff in the US targeted at next month's Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations.

How to win in vodka in the US - A history lesson - comment

1 Oct 2020

Vodka is one of the most competitive spirits categories out there and only more so in the US. Want to get ahead? Well, according to white spirits commentator Richard Woodard, you'll have to look backwards to move forwards.

Diageo Performance Trends 2016-2020 - results data

19 Aug 2020

In early-August, Diageo posted an 8% decline in sales from the 12 months to the end of June 2020. A 4% top-line lift in the first half of fiscal-2020 was undone by the COVID-hit H2, when sales slumped by 23%. Here, just-drinks considers the group's performance in fiscal-2020 and over the preceding four years.

Diageo pays US$610m to harness Ryan Reynolds' content superpowers - comment

18 Aug 2020

If asked, Diageo would probably claim it owns a number of superheroes already - Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff spring to mind. Now it has one more.

Diageo's Smirnoff Ice Zero Sugar - Product Launch

29 Jul 2020

Diageo has launched a zero sugar Smirnoff Ice in the US.

58 Gin’s 58 Gin Hard Seltzer - Product Launch

30 Jun 2020

UK distillery 58 Gin has released a hard seltzer under its namesake brand.

Diageo delays fiscal-2020 results because of remote working

22 Jun 2020

Diageo has blamed remote working for a decision to hold back announcing its fiscal-full-year results by five days.

Diageo rolls out Smirnoff Seltzer RTD to UK

8 Jun 2020

Diageo has launched the Smirnoff Seltzer vodka RTD in the UK.

Will White Claw's UK launch prove hard seltzer is lockdown resistant? - comment

15 May 2020

White Claw's first launch outside of North America may not be happening in the most auspicious of circumstances. But, the brand that took the US by storm can do the same in the UK - global pandemic or not.

Crystal Head Vodka hitches wagon to LGBT+ with limited-edition Pride bottle

14 May 2020

Globefill is lining up the annual release of a limited edition pack offering for its Crystal Head Vodka brand.

Diageo's Smirnoff Seltzer Red, White and Berry - Product Launch

30 Apr 2020

Diageo has launched a limited-edition flavour for its Smirnoff Seltzer range of alcoholic sparkling waters.

Diageo pauses India manufacturing as coronavirus impacts global production

30 Mar 2020

Diageo has shut down manufacturing sites in India as it overhauls working conditions across its global production footprint in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak.

"The minute you react to short-term volatility, that's when businesses get into trouble" - just-drinks speaks to Diageo CEO Ivan Menezes

31 Jan 2020

Earlier this week, Diageo released half-year results that showed sales growth slowing to +4%. Following the announcement, just-drinks editor Olly Wehring sat down with group CEO Ivan Menezes to drill down into the numbers.

What's coming up in white spirits in 2020? - Predictions for the Year Ahead - comment

28 Jan 2020

Rounding off our category previews for the year ahead is Richard Woodard, who runs his customarily expert eye over what we can expect to see in the white spirits space.

The spirits category in 2019 - just-drinks' Review of the Year, Part IV - FREE TO ACCESS

23 Dec 2019

As the year draws to a close, just-drinks takes a look back at the stories that have made the headlines across the global drinks industry over the last 12 months. Here, editor Olly Wehring picks out the highs and lows for the spirits category in 2019 in just-drinks' two-part review.

Diageo rolls out US Smirnoff Ice gifting activation

10 Dec 2019

Diageo has created a tongue-in-cheek holiday campaign for its Smirnoff Ice RTD brand in the US.

Why spirits brand owners should embrace the cross-category trend - Comment

28 Nov 2019

Time was when spirits brands were sacred cows, held in such high esteem by their owners that they were kept in their categories and only allowed out to play with either flavour extensions or add-on iterations. Times have changed, though, and white spirits commentator Richard Woodard believes there is little - if anything - to be concerned about by letting your brand venture a bit further.

Is Molson Coors set to pivot away from beer? - Comment

31 Oct 2019

There was a lot to take in from yesterday's news that Molson Coors is to massively overhaul its global operations. Top-line are the jobs losses - 400-500 is a big number and an undoubted hit to staff morale. That many of the job cuts will be in Molson Coors' spiritual home, Denver, will only inflame the hurt.

Diageo Scotland strikes halted after last-gasp agreement

18 Sep 2019

Diageo has averted industrial action at its Scottish production facilities after securing a last-minute deal with trade unions.

Diageo Performance Trends 2015-2019 - results data

29 Aug 2019

In late-July, Diageo released its full-year results for fiscal-2019. The group saw its sales in the 12 months to the end of June rise by 6.1% in organic terms on the year-prior. Here, just-drinks picks through Diageo's performance over the past five years for the trends set to affect the group, specifically, and the global spirits category, more broadly.

FREE TO READ - just-drinks' Mergers & Acquisitions database - July 2019

12 Aug 2019

Here, a little later than usual, just-drinks consolidates the M&A activity in the global drinks industry during July, with Molson Coors' European exploits and Pernod Ricard's Myanmar adventure both overshadowed by Anheuser-Busch InBev's decision to offload its Australian operations to Asahi Group.

Why Diageo has work to do to maintain upward trajectory - Analysis

26 Jul 2019

If Diageo's employees are in party mood today, then yesterday's results give them a good enough excuse. The 6.1% rise in full-year sales for fiscal-2019 represents the group's best performance in a decade - just pipping the 6% lift recorded in 2012.

How the spirits category can make the most of less sugar - Comment

25 Jul 2019

As consumers demand to know more about what's in their food and drink, category commentator Richard Woodard believes the spirits industry is well-placed to capitalise on the public's cravings for less sugar.

Diageo closes in on RTD, Guinness South Africa partnership with Anheuser-Busch InBev's SAB

19 Jul 2019

Diageo has moved a step closer to a licensing deal with Anheuser-Busch InBev for its RTD and Guinness brands in South Africa.

Diageo takes subtle approach to lower sugar amid "seismic shift" in consumer tastes

2 Jul 2019

Diageo is using flavours and botanicals to lower sugar levels in its drinks as consumers get a taste for non-sweetened alcohol, according to the company's head of research & development.

Baijiu retains stranglehold on world's most valuable spirits brands list - data

27 Jun 2019

Baijiu dominates the list of the world's most valuable spirits brands, occupying the top four places of the latest top 50 compiled by brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance.

Diageo chasing Aperol Spritz US success with Ketel One, Smirnoff extensions - Diageo Capital Markets Day 2019

3 Jun 2019

Diageo has noted the recent success of Campari Group's Aperol in North America and is looking to target the brand's performance in the pre-dinner consumption occasion with a slew of recently-released brand extensions.

"There's been a big consumer shift in drinks" - just-drinks speaks to Distill Ventures CEO Frank Lampen

23 May 2019

Since coming into being almost six years ago, Distill Ventures has continued to make headlines in the drinks industry. The Diageo-backed incubation project may be best-known for investing in Seedlip, the non-alcoholic spirits brand. The biggest break, however, came late last year, when Diageo brought Belsazr Vermouth on to its books after the German brand was backed by DV in 2014. Earlier this month, Olly Wehring sat down with co-founder & CEO Frank Lampen to find out more about Distill Ventures and its relationship with thelargest premium spirits company in the world.

Boom or bust for gin, the future for Anheuser-Busch InBev and Diageo's Capital Markets Day - The just-drinks Analyst

21 May 2019

Every month, Ian Shackleton, just-drinks' resident analyst, takes a look at the drinks industry through an investor lens. Here, he covers the possibility of peak gin, the future of Anheuser Busch InBev and Diageo's Capital Markets Day.