Stateways

StateWays - November/December 2016

StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions

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StateWays | www.stateways.com | November/December 2016 36 SPICED & FLAVORED RUM riod of reexamination, learning lessons from other categories. Many producers are reining in the proliferation of flavors, yet are at the same time mindful of the thirst for new and novel, especially among younger consumers. "The flavored vodka category got overheated, with too many wild flavors like Birthday Cake and Marshmallow. Those flavors were largely fads, and like most fads they are winding down," explains David Farmer, president of Blue Chair Bay Rum. For rum, the most popular flavors are coconut, pineapple, banana, vanilla and mango. "That is consistent with the Island lifestyle," says Farmer, who notes that more unusual flavors make up a relatively small per- centage of rum. "Flavored rums - Blue Chair Bay in particular - can compete and take market share by evoking a fun, carefree lifestyle," he believes. "Vodka led the way in flavor innovation, but now it's suffering from an over-supply on the market with too many flavors and too many novelties," says Clarke. Malibu, for its part, is narrow- ing its focus to the core flavors. Coconut represents 80% of its business, followed by pineapple, mango and passion fruit. "Those tropical flavors represent our Caribbean heritage and our '#becausesummer strategy'," says the brand director, citing Malibu's promotional campaign launched last summer, which the brand will continue next year as '#becausesummer 2.0.' The company will also be rolling its Malibu Beach House promotion to more music festivals next summer. "After the explosion of unusual flavors, the trend is now beginning to move once again to more familiar, natural fla- vors," echoes Carter. Cruzan's best-selling flavors include co- conut, mango and black cherry. NEW AND NOTABLE That doesn't mean flavor innovation in rum is at a standstill; far from it. Cruzan recently launched a new flavor, Blueberry Lem- onade, for example. And Malibu will launch a pre-mix can, Fizzy Mango, in February, with two new tropical flavors planned for mid-year release. "We are always working on R&D," Farmer says. The Blue Chair Bay brand debuted three years ago with three expressions: Coconut, Coconut Spiced and White Rum. Since then it has added Banana and Vanilla, as well as Coconut Spiced Rum Cream and Banana Rum Cream. Key Lime Rum Cream will launch in the first quarter of 2017, and another flavor is in development. Don Q's flavor line includes Limon, Coco, Mojito and Passionfruit; a new tropical flavor will launch next year. "Similar to consumers of other spirit categories, rum consumers are looking for innovative flavors and unexpected offerings, specifically in the flavored and premium segments," says Linda Bethea, vice president of marketing for Captain Morgan. Diageo saw success with the 2015 launch of Captain Mor- gan Cannon Blast—a "spiced rum shot alternative" with citrus punch and spicy heat in a bombshell-shaped bottle that glows under blacklight. Building on that is the limited-edition Captain Morgan Jack-O-Blast—a spiced pumpkin shot in a jack-o-lantern bottle that lights up under blacklight. "It's unique, the first of its kind to hit the market and the perfect seasonal shot or cocktail," Bethea says. Following last year's "All in, All Heart" campaign, which took aim at Captain Morgan, Oakheart Spiced Rum is being repositioned and repackaged to stand alone from parent Bac- ardi. The new packaging direction, says the company, is more classic and masculine in its style. An icon depicting a barrel with flames extending from each end over a pair of crossed Don Q's flavor line includes Limon, Coco, Mojito and Passionfruit; a new tropical flavor will launch next year.

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