Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/23459
CoVer STORY FASTEST-GROWING CATEGORY: % CHANGE IN VOLUME–2009 Irish Whiskey Tequila Vodka Rum Total Spirits 13% 1% 6% 1% 1% Beverage Information Group 2010 JAMESON VOLUME ON-PREMISE CHANNEL GROWTH Fine Dining Neighborhood’ Irish/Sports Bar Casual Dining Hotel/Casino Nightclub/Lounge American whiskeys and bourbons on the other. “In the middle is Jameson, being triple-distilled and having a smooth fl avor and an engaging personality.” With a background in brand manage- ment at large CPG companies such as Unilever and Campbell Soup Company, Hartunian has been with Pernod Ricard for nearly fi ve years, including three years as Brand Director for Jameson. He says there was already solid growth in the brand when he arrived, “but we felt there was an opportunity to improve both the volume and brand equity trajectory even more, while also educating the trade on the potential of the brand and how to leverage it. Key to successfully managing the potential of the brand is optimizing the growth rate—with an eye to the long-term, fi nding that point at which the brand is growing at a healthy sustainable rate, but not so fast that it is dependent on short-term tactics. Another key point is to recognize the importance of organic growth to Jameson and to strike the right balance between that and commercially driven +17% +21% +22% +28% +30% PRUSA data, 12 months ending February 2010 growth. We have very unique and successful marketing support for the brand, but we also recognize that we need to continue nurturing the organic growth. An example of organic growth is the pervasive passion bartenders have for the brand. They’re true advocates, and historically they’re such key drivers of consumer perception. Because Jameson is so often a bartender’s drink of choice, consumers pick up on it. Our on-premise growth remains strong in all types of accounts, even during a recessionary era.” At the top of all that on-premise growth sits a bar in Minneapolis, the largest Jameson on-premise volume account in the world. Hartunian says the bar is a great example of how other establish- ments can drive strong incremental sales year-round by focusing on the brand and leveraging and promoting a successful drink such as Jameson & ginger ale. He says Pernod Ricard’s continued increasing investment in and commit- ment to the brand is why he knows that hitting the million-case mark won’t be the last major accomplishment in Jameson’s long and storied history. “I fi rmly believe that although we have surpassed a million cases, Jameson is still a brand in its infancy.” It’s not clear from the “Lost Barrel” commercial where John Jameson was headed during that “great storm of 1781.” But, having established his Irish distillery one year before, there’s a good chance he might have been headed over to the New World to introduce his whiskey to the United States of America. Obviously, Jameson’s decision to save one barrel merely delayed the inevitable recep- tion it has received. 54 / the tasting panel / january–february 201 1 Conitra Elzie at Blue Martini. Category- Crossing at Blue Martini A mong the most popular—not to mention traditionally transpar- ent and trendy—spirits served at Las Vegas’s Blue Martini, a jumping vodka and Martini outpost, is an Irish whiskey that’s snagging the spotlight from its clear counterparts in a surprising way. “Here at Blue Martini, we’re typi- cally a vodka bar, and you wouldn’t expect to sell so much Jameson,” admits bartender Conitra Elzie. “But it sells itself,” she attests, explaining that for this out-of-the-vodka-box spirit, it’s all about the shots. “Whenever someone asks for a shot, I always say ‘Jameson.’ It’s so smooth and has no bite.” What used to be the choice of an older generation is now hitting high notes with new demographics, thanks to the brand’s versatility and velocity at various points of distribution. From dive bars to the top national accounts, and high- end nightclubs like Blue Martini, Jameson is smashing through any notions of the “traditional” Irish whiskey drinker. Another notch on Jameson’s venerable belt that Elzie reports? “It’s really popular with the ladies.” —Rachel Burkons PHOTO: ROB BROWN