Diageo is attempting to bolster the success of Smirnoff Ice in the US with a new brand of flavoured malt beverage Smirnoff Ice Triple Black.
Triple Black’s dry, crisp flavour was designed to lure men between legal drinking age and 27 away from beer, and more variations on the theme are in the works, said Beth Davies, a spokeswoman for Smirnoff in the US.
“We’re going to leverage the strength of our Smirnoff Ice with line extensions. We will be doing more,” Davies said without providing details.
Triple Black hits the shelves as the growing field of malternative competitors chip away at Smirnoff Ice’s market share. North American volume sales of Smirnoff Ice fell 8% during the
first half, and net sales slipped 5%, the company reported.
Diageo is optimistic that the new product will solidify its lead.
About 60,000 equivalent cases of Smirnoff Ice Triple Black where shipped ahead of its launch and the product is backed by a $110m marketing and promotion campaign.
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