Jeremy Gibson

Fighting harder than ever to maintain sales through current accounts? You are not alone! Continuing the GRIPPING serialisation of the latest Kindred survey of over 200 independent drinks brands by CGA by NIQ. The Duppy Share we're investing deeper than ever before in our off-trade partners in order to maintain last year's volume. The value-for-money hunting UK consumer is now buying over 75% of their spirits on-promo (vs 55% LY), meaning more investment than ever to maintain volume. On-trade is slightly different - Duppy's strength is in high volume large venue indies, where we can afford to over invest in epic experiences. Recent wins in Lucky Voice Group, Bubba Oasis | Bubba Hospitality Group, Troxy, The Clockwork Rose, Heartbreaker’s Gentlemen’s Club & Restaurant, Wing Kingz and Natty's Jerk all great examples of deep support and strong high volume opportunities. Expecting to see the market correct itself somewhat through 2025, as our multi-national competitors reduce their overfunding to deliver their sales numbers and the trade reduce their expectations of an indie sector that keeps saying NO to "opportunities" to showcase our brands in front of new audiences for ridiculous fees, and refuse to invest in accounts that aren't driving a profit or significant growth.

38

PROMOTIONS ARE LIKE BAD CHOLESTEROL Sir Martin Sorrell, former Chief Executive of WPP once said “Brands should view promotions as “bad cholesterol” which boost sales but at a cost to brand health. In contrast advertising should be seen as “good cholesterol” which delivers sales whilst also maintaining profitability and brand equity.” The digital commerce equivalent would be Brands should treat Paid Search & promotions as “Bad Cholesterol” both of which boost sales in the short term at the expense of profit and loyalty. In contrast building relevance to a customer’s needs and missions along their digital shopping journey through portfolio, advertising, marketing and targeted digital retail media should be seen as “good cholesterol” which delivers sales whilst also maintaining profitability & brand equity and building customer engagement, experience and loyalty. A bit more of a mouthful, but then I haven’t spent 40 years at the helm of a global advertising giant. #digitalcommerce #ecommerce #cpg #cpgindustry #fmcg #fmcgindustry #digitalstrategy #digital

19

4 Comments

Guinness 0.0 has surpassed Heineken 0.0 to claim the title of the UK’s biggest alcohol-free beer. Guinness 0.0 has seen its off-trade sales rise by nearly +110% to £33.2m in the past year [NIQ 52 w/e 13 July 2024]. Over the same period, Heineken 0.0 sales have only climbed by +4.2%, to £28.3m. According to NIQ, Guinness 0.0 overtook Heineken 0.0 at the end of March, based on 52-week rolling data, and has maintained its lead since. Rounding out the top five alcohol-free beers in UK retail are Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%, Corona Cero and Beck’s Blue. A focus on product quality, marketing activations around rugby’s Six Nations Championship and Diageo’s work with retailers to grow the awareness of alcohol-free had contributed to Guinness 0.0’s rise. #beer #guinness #zeroalcohol #alcohol #beverages #diageo #heineken Lars Jensen Jean Noel Ortal Paul Villis Carol Dunne Gwyneth Kelly Michelle Osagie Gilles Halotel Ian Chesworth Erika Minaguchi Francois Sonneville Bourcard Nesin Jim Watson Stephen Rannekleiv Andy Crawford Mark Gallo John Craven Nuno Teles Stephen. O'Kelly https://lnkd.in/e7w5V6TM

24

2 Comments

Happy Weekend! Sales Of "No-And-Lo" Beer Set To Hit Record Levels New figures from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) confirm that demand for no and low alcohol beers is soaring, with the number of pints sold set to reach record levels this year. In 2023, more than 120 million pints of no-and-lo beers were drunk across the UK, with BBPA statistics estimating that sales could rise by a further 20 million by the end of 2024. The data shows that sales in pubs of no-and-lo beer in December 2023 amounted to 12% of all no-and-lo beer sales for that year alone, up from 11% in 2022. And with the industry serving up more options and sales thriving, this year’s festive season is expected to see further gains. With no-and-lo options growing in popularity, the BBPA stated that it is important that the government takes meaningful steps over the coming months to address the disparity in UK descriptors compared to other markets. The trade association is calling on the government to align existing no and low thresholds with those of other nations to help drive sales and boost the economy. “Whether someone is choosing moderation, keeping pace with many Christmas festivities, or just doesn’t drink alcohol, these sales show brewers and pubs are catering to all,” said Emma McClarkin OBE, CEO of the BBPA. “With the popularity of no and low increasing, we stand ready to support the government in taking the necessary steps to align our no and low alcohol descriptors with other markets. This important move would allow the category to continue to flourish, benefit the consumer, and allow the pub to continue being a home away from home.” In the UK, the existing threshold for ‘alcohol-free’ is 0.05% ABV, whereas many other nations define alcohol-free as 0.5% ABV. The BBPA stated that aligning the thresholds will provide a level of fairness for UK brewers and will help to contribute towards the government’s commitment to drive economic growth. The trade association noted that taking this step would raise awareness of the no and low options, support innovation, and provide greater choice for consumers. 🍺 All Beer & Skittles in the No-Alcohol Drinks Space: https://lnkd.in/ecJj4FE6 🍻 When is A Non-Alcoholic Drink Alcohol-free?: https://lnkd.in/e982yc9m 🍺 Carlsberg Buys Britivic Continuing Beyond Beer: https://lnkd.in/ecmk4KAS 🍻 The UK’s Number One Beer: https://lnkd.in/eB7R_FgP #NoAlcoholBeer #LoAlcoholBeer #BBPA #TheCPGGeek #IBMRetail #IBMConsumer #FMCG #ConsumerGoods #Luxury #Fashion #Retail #Proud #RethinkRetailTopExpert #NRFRetailVoice RETHINK Retail #RethinkRetail National Retail Federation #NRF

4

4 Comments

‘Marketers taking a lesson from this should look to double-down on “the fundamentals” of “availability, building brand awareness, being priced right and having a good proposition”.’ I couldn’t have said it better! I’ve had management tell me repeatedly to ‘Create viral campaigns’ or ‘Be disruptive’ - but the fact is that even creating high levels of awareness and demand is built on a lot of background work, especially for Influencers… Fads are transient; it’s the fundamentals that help pull you through.

11

50 YEARS OLD THIS NOVEMBER. AND PROBABLY THE MOST SPONTANEOUS DIAGEO BRAND SINCE JOHNNIE WALKER. I loved the process of creating Baileys. We only had one idea. And client no.1, Tom Jago, bought it in a heartbeat -despite the fact that it was a 'Mickey Mouse' liquid in a Schweppe's tonic bottle. And Mac Macpherson, the tech genius who perfected the product, originally pronounced our version "undrinkable". But he knew what we were after. The Irish end-user, David Dand, was just as quick to buy it, though he had a little more to work with. We showed him a bottle with a printed label and a half-way perfected liquid. There was only ever one product, one name and one pack design. We never tested any alternatives. In fact we barely did any research at all. There were no planners, analysts, strategists or researchers. That's why the operation cost peanuts. And didn't take too long. I'll bet the creation of Johnnie Walker back in 1820 was just as.....spontaneous. And I managed to keep working that way for another 30 years. For the full story of Baileys' beginning, check out my book on https://lnkd.in/eyRzmuK, and order it on Amazon. #Author #Book #Books #BookLovers #Bookstagram #Reading #WritersOfInstagram #BookCommunity #NonFiction #Biography #Branding #Marketing #CreativeWriting #BusinessBooks #Entrepreneurship #MarketingBooks #BrandStrategy #CreativeProcess #BusinessBiography #MarketingGuru #DavidGluckman #ThatShitWillNeverSell #BaileysIrishCream #DrinksBranding #BoozeBranding #IconicBrands #BrandCreation #DrinksIndustry #BrandingStories #CreativeMarketing

76

2 Comments

A very good article by Adam Leyland from The Grocer on Carlsberg Group bid to buy Britvic plc and the potential coming together of a leading alcohol and soft-drinks company. The next few weeks will tell if Carlsberg is successful in it's quest to acquire Britvic, but it does open the question will the beverages industry now see other similar moves in this approach to M&A activity? Will other leading beer companies look to follow the lead set by Carlsberg? Would a leading spirits company look to acquire a softdrinks company with a strong mixer and tonic range? For any beverages company, strategic and long-term growth is all about winning "share of throat" through having a strong and varied portfolio of brands and products to meet consumer needs across different occasions and need states. M&A activity offers the potential to do this quicker than through organic growth. Interesting times ahead! #alcohol #softdrinks #categoryblurring #occasions #beverages #Carlsberg #britvic Carol Dunne Gwyneth Kelly David Deeley Brian Short Sheelagh Pentony Lars Jensen Paul Villis Gilles Halotel Mark Allen Jerry O'Keeffe Ian Chesworth Sergio Saavedra Rodríguez Birgit Schaaf Erika Minaguchi Jean-Philippe Delforge Bourcard Nesin John Craven Joshua Schall, MBA Farrah Gilsenan Marc LEJEUNE Erlon Pereira Alison Wilkinson Declan Stack Mark Gallo Xavier Herrera Francois Sonneville Kristof König Jean Noel Ortal Magdalena Edyta Przewoźnik Barbara Lezzer Alison Van Houten David Walsh Stephen Rannekleiv

26

UK soft-drink maker Britvic plc has rejected a £3.1bn takeover bid from Carlsberg Group , saying the Danish brewer was “significantly” undervaluing a group whose brands include Robinsons and Fruit Shoot. Carlsberg made an initial bid of 1,200 pence per share earlier this month, before sweetening its all-cash proposal to 1,250p, which London-listed Britvic rejected on June 17. As well as producing its own brands, Britvic is PepsiCo’s bottler in the UK. Carlsberg is PepsiCo’s bottler in Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Cambodia and Laos. The brewer of Kronenbourg and Tuborg said the acquisition of Britvic would offer it “long-term growth opportunities”. It said it was considering its position after Britvic rebuffed its second bid. The acquisition of Britvic would offer Carlsberg the opportunity to expand its drinks bottling in Britain, for both alcoholic and refreshing beverages products. Interesting to see how all this plays out in the weeks and months ahead for both Carlsberg Group and Britvic plc and what potential wider impact this may have on the beverages industry, across both alcoholic and soft drinks categories. #carlsberg #Britvic #beer #softdrinks #alcohol Lars Jensen Jean-Philippe Delforge Paul Villis Carol Dunne Alison Wilkinson Thomas Hahlin Ahlinder John Savage Farrah Gilsenan Sheelagh Pentony Erlon Pereira Ian Chesworth Marc LEJEUNE Breda Kelly Francois Sonneville Stephen Rannekleiv Bourcard Nesin Jim Watson John Craven Bryan Roth Mark Gallo Erika Minaguchi Kristof König Linda Chatton Gilles Halotel Jerry O'Keeffe Wayne Donovan David Deeley Brian Short Gwyneth Kelly

26

1 Comment

We bang on about how important taste is in food and drinks and so it's great to see Waitrose & Partners getting on board with lots of sampling opportunities. In store there've been opportunities to sample many of their own label products, as well as #wine #beer and #nonalcoholic options. Today, not for the first time, there was a food truck outside handing out Beyond Meat burgers. Yes please! It was delicious 😋 With so many brands and products to choose from getting consumers to TASTE your product is a great way to cut through. Realise your brand’s potential. Talk to Hummingbird Insights. #foodandbeverage #plantbased #marketresearch #insights

6

4 Comments

Looks like for FMCG companies, COGS are going to keep changing. - When your supplier costs change, it's painful and it obviously changes the potential profitability (and volumes etc) the supplier or retailer can make... even if retail prices don't move. But what should you do? AiM's commercial planning platform shows what will happen. It uses predictive algorithms and AI to be able to show you instantly how to optimise your commercial deals and terms, using patterns of how shoppers buy (or don't buy) your product. If you think your COGS might change (or already have) and would like to see (on-going) what your optimum pricing / terms / promotion levels etc. are then get in touch at [email protected] =============================================== AiM (Action insight Management) provide brands and consultants access to their platform to give full clarity on your brand strength and how to maximise their commercial returns via retail channels. It identifies a guaranteed minimum 3% profit gain or no charge. #fmcg #revenuemanagement #consumergoods https://lnkd.in/d73UwqhJ

8

1 Comment

Saving Nature is the solution! 🍃🦋 On behalf of The Cheeky Panda 🐼 I’m attending the London Climate Week, Fleet Street Quarter panel on ‘The role of Media, Advertising and Brands’ . Taking a timely moment to step back and gain inspiration from an amazing panel. Richard Huntington Strategy Officer of Saatchi & Saatchi said we need to start directing our energies towards making a difference to peoples lives and nature is the solution… the loss of the British countryside and the loss of biodiversity is felt by all…. it’s a Nature crisis. Lisa Merrick-Lawless Co-founder of Purpose Disruptors when asked to comment on the decarbonisation imperative said she would rather talk about Nature!!! 🌳 Isn’t that the point! 🤣🥰 Decarbonisation is a hard technical dry narrative to land. Bamboo 🎋is a self regenerating carbon sink, that’s only enhanced when sustainably harvested, preserving the living forest and the natural biodiversity within it …..in the Bamboo forest butterflies were the size of bats so I found it very easy to connect with this session!! 👊 #lcaw24 #sustainability

21

2 Comments

You’ve probably heard this before 👇 It’s often mentioned by friends, colleagues, and sustainable brands alike. But is everyone truly doing their part to address the issue? In Britain alone, the equivalent of 4.4 million apples are discarded daily. That’s a whole lot of not-so-wonky waste, right? From DAY 1 Maciek Kacprzyk, LLM and I knew perfection doesn’t exist in nature. Fruits and veggies come in all shapes and sizes, but supermarkets only want the “perfect” ones. The rest? Straight to the trash, leaving farmers with a loss and the planet with more waste. So, we decided to take action. Flawsome! Drinks began as a story of saving surplus and wonky fruit. We transform them into delicious cold-pressed drinks, tackling the food waste issue and supporting the farmers. And here’s why it matters: Our food and drink accounts for around 25% of our carbon footprint in the UK. No wonder Drawdown rated reducing global food waste as the #3 highest impact action to prevent climate change. Food waste alone is responsible for about 8% of global emissions—that’s just the waste! We: 46 million fruits saved and counting... now that’s something to shout about, and this is only just the beginning. #challengerbrands #brandpositioning

67

1 Comment

Interesting article in Just Drinks about the cider industry. Flat lining at pres and discussion on where to go. “In terms of future growth, cider faces a dilemma as to whether to promote the category,” said Kevin Baker, head of global beer and cider research at GlobalData. “Stressing its heritage; the use of real apples; traditional production methods etc., or to consider it as part of a wider “fruity and refreshing” RTD category. So where should the category look for future growth opportunity? “ As a craft cider maker I would suggest provenance over profit and growth but that would not be the model I think the large players would support. Cider seems to be geographically fixed to its historic roots UK Spain and France. https://lnkd.in/gbiwEBpK #cider #drinksindustry #alcoholicdrinks

1

Good to chat with Rose Marketing Uk for Brands Untapped and to find out how #brandlicensing has helped their company thrive. Always useful to hear from #licensees and get an insight into the role #licensing plays for them & how they manage the relationship side of licensing. #design #confectionery #fmcg #designforlicensing #brandsuntapped

5

Really enjoyed running our "Winning at Shelf" Webinar this morning - demonstrating how our proprietary creative process solves a range of Shopper Marketing challenges. We identify the unconscious cues, we all look for, to nudge us to buy one brand over another - which we use to create solutions for Promotions, Category Theatre, Point of Sale, Retailer Media, Branded Bays and On Pack Messaging etc. for a wide range of FMCG brands. Anyone who wants the recording link please ask.   #Winningatshelf #KHWS #Behaviouralscience #Shoppermarketing #Salestriggers #Shoppermarketingsummit #FMCG

11