Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/674905
may 2016 / the tasting panel / 63 COVER STORY S hortly after Russian hockey player Alexandre Daigle was taken with the first overall pick in the 1993 NHL Draft, he infamously said, "I'm glad I got drafted first, because nobody remembers number two." This turned out to be patently absurd—the number two guy in the draft, Chris Pronger, got elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame last year. The only way Daigle can be seen in the Hall is if he pays for admittance. What does this hockey anecdote have to do with hard cider? If you're talking about Strongbow, it may make for a rather compelling allegory. Already the top-selling hard cider in the world, Strongbow's unofficial motto coming out of the HEINEKEN Distributors Conference in San Diego, CA, was to be a strong number two in the United States. After all, the vener- able British-based cider has cultivated a 69% rate of growth in the past year, currently boasts back-to-back awards for the Best Tasting Common Cider in the U.S., and has latched onto a market share that has tripled in size since becoming part of Heineken's impres- sive portfolio in 2013. Considering they joined forces with the beer distribution juggernaut at a time U.S. is still emerg- ing from cider's dark ages, it's safe to say the impressive reach of the product means they are firmly top-of-mind among a new segment of imbibers. Clearly, this is a number two that nobody is going to forget anytime soon. That's not to say they plan on staying second best in the long term. "Being a strong number two brand will allow us to grow even faster," explains Alejandra de Obeso, HEINEKEN USA's Brand Director for Strongbow. "We are committed to continue our growth and further narrow the gap to the number one brand through breakthrough advertising and marketing support, and an even greater focus on innovation." Helping the Category Grow The way Strongbow is narrowing this gap is by deploying a marketing strategy filled with equal parts rever- ence and revelry. On one hand, their PHOTO: WILL FIGG Mark Quagliarello, Bar Manager of Fado's in Philladelphia, PA, explains at his establishment, "We're currently at a time where everyone's looking for something different to drink. Strongbow fits that mindset really well." "No self- respecting Irish or English Pub would go without cider. for us, that means offering Strongbow."