Pernod Ricard Gulf ABSOLUT Unique is another new variant that will see strong support from Pernod Ricard’s Gulf region
From global to local
A good part of Pernod Ricard’s success in the Middle East comes from remaining true to global concepts while adding an all-important local spin BY RYAN WHITE rom the new ABSOLUT Unique and Chivas Brothers’ Blend offerings to partnerships with Etihad and DFS centered on the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix, as well as the continuation of The Age Matters campaign, Pernod Ricard certainly has a lot on its plate in the Middle East. Nonetheless, you won’t hear Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Gulf David Freeborn complaining— business is good, key operator partners are performing well and passengers are leaning toward more premium expressions of the supplier’s brands.
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Gulf-Africa Duty Free: How has business has been over the last few months? David Freeborn, Managing Director, Pernod Ricard Gulf: Things have been very positive across the region with a continuing trend towards the higher end of the portfolio. Whilst the retail environment has become increasingly competitive we do have strong brands in key categories, which has helped ensure we have been able to keep our business moving forward. GADF: In what areas of the region has business been strongest? DF: Dubai remains strong. The flydubai impact, especially over holiday periods, has definitely supported growth. In addition, the political issues in North Africa & Levant appear to have driven higher traffic into the Gulf and Dubai has been a key destination. However both Abu Dhabi and Qatar have benefited from passenger traffic growth. Whilst three key airlines are still investing heavily on aviation infrastructure you really have to admire their marketing. The passenger growth really reflects the promotional effectiveness of their various campaigns. GADF: Other than the usual suspects, where are some airports/areas that may not be on everyone’s radar where you’re seeing good performance or good potential? DF: Sharjah continues to benefit from the Air Arabia phenomenon. It’s very nice to see Adel Ali recognized recently at a CEO conference for his contribution to aviation in the region—a well-deserved award. Surprisingly, Bahrain has been quite robust even during difficult times. Oman remains my dark horse for future growth. It is a beautiful country and if they can improve their marketing I see great tourism opportunities. 106
GULF-AFRICA DUTY FREE & TRAVEL RETAILING OCTOBER 2012
GADF: When will ABSOLUT Unique hit shelves in the Middle East? Do you have anything special planned? DF: ABSOLUT Unique will be available in the following stores from September: Dubai Duty Free, Bahrain Duty Free, Oman Duty Free and Qatar Duty Free, and in DFS Abu Dhabi from October 2012. This will be supported by in-store installations and we are planning tastings for Abu Dhabi. Obviously, the Middle East is a challenging environment for promoting alcohol brands, but we have some great ideas, especially with Unique, on how to improve visibility and activation whilst respecting local customs. GADF: The new Chivas Brothers Blend has got to be something that will pique travelers’ interests in the Middle East… DF: The Chivas Brothers Blend is a key global initiative for this year, and we will be supporting this locally, especially bearing in mind the strength of the super premium Scotch whisky category in the wider region. We have every confidence that the Chivas Brother Blend will be a huge success. The Chivas brand has fantastic equity and based on recent consumer insight we feel that the new product, which offers an ultra smooth taste, will appeal not only to our existing Chivas drinker but also attract new consumers to the brand. The regional launch will be supported by great visibility and consumer communication in the airport environment, additional promotional space and consumer engagement platforms. GADF: We’ve spoken before about taking worldwide promotions and tweaking them for regional specificity. Can you give me any examples of recent activations where you’ve done this? Are there any upcoming promotions planned that will have a regional spin? DF: In July 2012 we launched the second phase of the innovative and extensive consumer campaign, The Age Matters, in Dubai International Airport to advocate the importance and value of the age statements to travelers. The Age Matters campaign uses motion and 3D innovation to capture consumers’ attention and we are able to empower consumers with knowledge about age statements so that they fully understand the value of what they are buying. For this second phase of the campaign, we have secured light boxes, digital faces and two standalone mechanized displays within Terminal 3 and a complete transit corridor takeover connecting Terminals 1 and 3 with 3D elements in wall wrappings and light boxes. Through the activation, consumers will be encouraged to look for age statements on Scotch whisky via point-of-sale materials, advertising and public relations. Along with the tagline “Great Things Take Time” and iconic images including the Great Pyramid and Terracotta Army, the Guaranteed Age Whisky logo will be visible in all artwork, which is also included on all Chivas Brothers brands that carry an age statement.