The image of whisky varies around the world, and whisky distillers find that coming up with a single advertising message for disparate consumer groups is a difficult proposition. Fresh attempts by The Edrington Group and William Grant & Sons to appeal to multiple segments may help to revitalise the UK market.
The Edrington Group, distiller of The Macallan single malt whisky as well as The Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark, and William Grant & Sons are attempting to develop a marketing strategy for their products that take into account the differences between the core groups of whisky drinkers.
Whisky’s image varies significantly from country to country. In the UK and Northern Europe, it tends to appeal to older consumers, with sophisticated tastes and a preference for single malts. Edrington refers to this segment as the ‘connoisseur’ market. However, in Southern Europe it is preferred by drinkers aged 17 to 25 years, and blended whiskies are more popular. Cutty Sark is particularly successful in Spain and Greece. Finally, in the Far East, whisky benefits from a culture of conspicuous consumption and is drunk in public as a kind of badge of taste and style.
Finding a marketing strategy that appeals to these different consumer groups is an elusive goal. For this reason, the Internet is at the center of the distillers’ drive to change whisky’s image, as it allows the manufacturers to target different consumer groups with websites dedicated to a single brand, and that are tailored to suit different national tastes.
There is also an attempt to demystify the world of whisky, in the same way that wine has been made more accessible to many by the Australian wine industry. Edrington is at the forefront of this new approach to whisky marketing thanks to its Jon, Mark and Robbo brands. These are described as “the smoky peaty one”, the “rich spicy one” and the “smooth sweeter one”. This moves whisky away from its traditional somewhat fusty image.
If this approach is successful, it could be extended to other brands, and revitalize the fortunes of whisky in the UK by making it appealing to the alcopop generation.
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