William Grant Looks To Ignite U.S. Growth For Namesake Scotch Through Multicultural Segment
April 16, 2013While a huge brand globally at 4.5 million cases, William Grant & Sons’ Grant’s Scotch whisky has taken a secondary role in the company’s U.S. portfolio behind the thriving Glenfiddich, Sailor Jerry, Hendrick’s and Tullamore D.E.W. brands, among others. But the company tells Shanken News Daily it’s now increasing its focus on the brand, partly by expanding outreach to the U.S. multicultural community, which has been driving gains for other Scotch blends, such as Diageo-owned Buchanan’s.
According to Impact Databank, Grant’s fell 9.7% to 121,000 cases in the U.S. last year, and is down by about 25% since 2009. During the same time period, Glenfiddich has risen by nearly 30% and has now overtaken Grant’s by volume, despite Glenfiddich’s higher price tag.
Grant’s retails at $22.99 a 1-liter and $17.99 a 750-ml. William Grant & Sons’ blended Scotch stable also includes Clan MacGregor, which sells over half a million cases in the U.S. annually but is positioned as a value brand ($12.99 a 750-ml. and $15.99 a liter) and has likewise been in decline for several years.
“We’re starting to put more emphasis behind Grant’s,” says Kate Massey, associate brand manager, Scotches, at William Grant USA, adding that new activities include an off-premise sampling program that’s launching this year in South Florida, Texas, Illinois and Missouri.
“In South Florida, half of our activation is multicultural, focusing on the Latino community. Grant’s already has a following in that market, but now we want to reach out to those consumers and communicate with them to build on that,” Massey says. The company is promoting Grant’s mostly to be consumed neat or on the rocks, but also in simple combinations with cola or ginger ale and in cocktails like the Blood & Sand.
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