First Drinks puts £50m into brands

First Drinks has pledged to invest a total of £50m in its drinks portfolio this year, with Glenfiddich earmarked as its priority brand.

The company said its brands were outperforming the UK market in all trade channels, with an 18% growth in volume sales recorded for 2009, according to Nielsen. In the on-trade, volume sales increased 27%.

First Drinks plans to increase its marketing investment across all its brands in 2010, but Glenfiddich, which continues to grow in popularity, will be a key focus brand.

"For Glenfiddich we have plans for a brand new advertising programme in the run up to Christmas 2010 which will be a break from tradition — it will be bold and different," promised marketing controller James Stocker.

First Drinks also aims to pour its largest ever investment into relationship marketing for the brand, which will be "web-orientated". This will include further spend on the Glenfiddich Explorers programme, which aims to encourage two-way conversations between consumers and the producer, as well as encouraging consumers to talk amongst themselves.

For the on-trade there will be more focus on the Glenfiddich mentoring scheme, which comprises three levels of mentoring for whisky fans: mini mentoring (a 10-minute talk on the core range); medium (a more in-depth 20-minute talk) and Taste the Future, a one-hour tutorial for those more engaged in the whisky category.

An on-trade promotion for the brand is also due to be launched by the end of this month, with the aim of building distribution. The promotion will target bar staff as well as consumers.