Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
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Tied into the Legendary Tales ad cam- paign is a newly debuted digital initiative, called Jameson1780.com, which invites users to participate in their own legendary tale and solve the mystery of the missing barrel of Jameson Irish Whiskey. "This digital extension is a truly unique and innovative program within the distilled spirits industry. It offers our pas- Jameson recently debuted a digital initiative, called Jameson1780.com, which invites users to participate in their own legendary tale and solve the mystery of the missing barrel of Jameson Irish Whiskey. sionate Jameson consumers a fun new way to engage and interact with the brand" said Hartunian. Bushmills has been busy activating a program called Since Way Back, which tested well in New York City last year. Tying into Bushmills' 400-year-old heritage, the program is about longtime friendships and camaraderie, according to Briese. The brand has partnered with a number of influencers, including musicians like Chromeo and Bon Iver and actor Elijah Wood. Another partner is the ultra-hip fashion store Bodega in Boston, which developed wooden-framed sunglasses made from Bushmills barrels. "Many of these are individual collab- orations developed by the influencers themselves," said Briese. Bushmills is also planning extensive St. Patrick's Day programs for off- and on-premise during February and March. "That's a big time of the year for us," says the marketing director. For its part, Sidney Frank Importing intends to strengthen consumer awareness of Michael Collins Irish Whiskey through significant increases in our consumer advertising in 2012, according to Laufer. As part of its multi-million dollar investment in Tullamore Dew, William Grant is launching a global integrated communications campaign, supporting the "Irish True" advertising cre- ative. "It's about passion, poet- ry and pugilism," quipped John Quinn, global brand ambas- sador at a preview of the cam- paign in New York last fall. TV and print ads will feature strik- ing images and charismatic Here's one example of the new marketing campaign launched by third best- selling Irish whiskey Tullamore Dew, with the tagline "Irish True." characters, evoking the true spirit of the Irish, both poetic and rebellious. Additionally, the campaign features posters, wall art and digital roll-out in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Philadelphia, sup- ported by under-the-radar events. "There's more to Ireland than images of green hills and pure water," asserted Hoyne, who collab- orated in the creative. "Irish has a vibrancy and dynamism, and we want to communicate that in our messaging. We've moved from the geography of Ireland to the character of the Irish. Also in this package is a smart-phone app that allows consumers to create own lyrical Irish toasts to share with friends. Irish Creams and Others "W e are pleased with way things are going both with regards to the Baileys brand and to the Irish cream category as a whole," said Anna MacDonald, Diageo's director of marketing for Liqueurs North America. For the last fiscal year, ending June 30, 2011, Baileys grew by 1% in North America. Given the scale of the Baileys brand and the difficult economy, the company is pleased with those results. "This year the cream category is in growth too," noted MacDonald. And though the increasing consumer interest in Irish whiskies seems to grab a lot of the press, the fact is that Irish creams produce significantly more sales volume in the U.S. Indeed, at sales of more than 1.35 million cases, Baileys, by itself, is just under the 1.42 million case total for the entire Irish whiskey category. Other leading creams include Carolans (342,000 cases), Saint Brendan's (170,000 cases) and Emmet's (125,000 cases). "Baileys is the big driver in the Irish cream seg- ment," reported retailer Smith, of Sarasota Liquor Locker. Smith stocks a range of Irish creams, including Original and flavored Baileys, Saint Brendan's, Carolans and Emmet's as well as Irish Mist liqueur. The Baileys brand has just emerged from a flurry of marketing activity over the just completed holiday selling season, including TV and print ads. "Off-premise is the biggest focus for Baileys because so many people enter- tain at home over the holiday season," stated marketing director MacDonald. Various gift packages are offered, including Baileys Original in combination with the four flavored expressions and Baileys with logoed glassware. "Advertising remains an important part of our mer- chandising mix but social media has become increasing- ly important," said MacDonald. Sites like Facebook are Beverage Dynamics • www.beveragedynamics.com • January/February 2012 • 23