Warc, 13 August 2013
LONDON: Diageo, the international drinks group, has
partnered with an innovation specialist in a move to invest in new spirits
brands across Europe and to encourage consumers to trade up to premium drinks.
Distill Ventures, operated by Diageo and United, is reported
by Marketing to have £15m available for a Seed Programme to help entrepreneurs
develop both their business skills and their products, as well as for a Growth
Programme to support new spirit brands.
As well as providing funds to the programme, Diageo will
give successful applicants access to its global experience and expertise in the
spirits industry.
"We are seeing some brilliant new brands being born and
built that are achieving commercial success," said Syl Saller, chief
marketing officer at Diageo, as she noted "a remarkable entrepreneurial
spirit" in the drinks sector.
"The combination of cash and expertise, whilst leaving
them in control of their business, will help new brands to flourish," she
added.
With the new initiative, Diageo is also hoping that the
initiative will increase the number of Western European consumers prepared to trade
up to premium spirits. This follows the success of its Ciroc vodka brand in
North America.
The venture is launching initially in the UK before being
rolled out to major European cities, including Berlin, Warsaw, Madrid and
Copenhagen.
Diageo joins a growing list of leading brand owners,
including Nike and PepsiCo, that have developed accelerator schemes and are
tapping into start-ups. But where most of these have tended to be focused on
marketing tools and apps, Diageo is unusual in seeking out actual products.
The drinks business has itself introduced several new
products recently, including a Bailey's brand extension, Bailey's Chocolate
Luxe, which fuses Belgian chocolate with alcohol.
And in Australia, it has turned to 'retro flavours' for a new
range of pre-mix drinks which include Bundaberg Rum mixed with brewed apple
ale, sarsparilla, passionfruit ale, creaming soda or ginger beer.
Data sourced from Marketing, Marketing Week, Ad News;
additional content by Warc staff
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