Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/16170
DEPARTMENT HEADER Master Distiller Gary Nelthropp at the launch of Cruzan 9 in Palm Beach. really a treat to put him in front of consumers. He brings a huge amount of credibility to the brand, based on his experience and his family’s tradition.” Nine Cities on 9/9 at 9 Consumers who saw the packaging really reacted positively to the graphic look of the bottle, Turo reports, noting that the bold label design, with its graphic number 9, “really pops on the back bar.” But Turo knows that it’s what inside that really counts. “Our goal,” says Turo, “is to get people to taste Cruzan 9. Once we do that, we know we’ll have brand fans.” To do just that, Cruzan’s national launch plan includes a busy schedule of on-premise events. Cashing in on the aura of the number 9, the brand’s nationwide consumer kick-off will be held in nine cities—Minneapolis, Boston, Chicago, Tampa, Detroit, Baltimore, Pittsburg, Los Angeles, Indianapolis—on 9/9, with events that begin at 9 p.m. While Cruzan rums traditionally do very well in the southeastern United States, Turo and his team will also be focusing on bringing Cruzan 9 to potential growth markets such as Minneapolis and Chicago, where consumer interest in spiced rum has already been piqued. With excitement for this new spiced rum running at high tide, we predict consumers across the country will soon be paraphrasing The Beatles tune: Cruzan 9, Cruzan 9, Cruzan 9 . . . september 2010 / the tasting panel / 59