Jack Daniel’s Marketers See “Strategic Innovation” As Growth Opportunity 

American whiskey leader Jack Daniel’s ranks as the second-largest spirits brand worldwide in retail value terms after Johnnie Walker at approximately $5.2 billion on volume of nearly 18 million cases, including its flavor portfolio, according to Impact Databank. While the brand has faced tough sledding in the U.S. lately—with its core unflavored offerings slipping below 5 million cases last year for the first time in a decade—parent company Brown-Forman continues to see both short- and long-term opportunity for its flagship label.

“Our focus is balanced between short-term growth and long-term brand-building, engaging new consumers while retaining our core base,” says Mark Bacon, Jack Daniel’s senior vice president and global managing director. “Strategic innovation, particularly with our craft and luxury expressions, like adapting barrel finishes and grain recipes, along with the first age-stated whiskies in over 100 years from Jack Daniel’s, will capitalize on growth opportunities.” The brand also recently made its Single Barrel Heritage Barrel release ($70) available year-round.

“We’re starting to see positive trends and improvements, especially around our innovations such as our recently released Jack Daniel’s Aged Series and our award-winning Jack Daniel’s Bonded Series,” Bacon says. Jack Daniel’s 14-year-old ($150), the latest release in the aged series, joined Jack Daniel’s 10-year-old and 12-year-old in recent months.

“We’ve been strategic and purposeful with our innovation,” Bacon explains. The new product pipeline kept flowing this summer with the debut of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Blackberry. “Blackberry is a globally recognized, well-established flavor trend and naturally complements the flavor of Jack  Daniel’s,” Bacon notes.

A new global campaign for Jack Daniel’s entitled “That’s What Makes Jack, JACK,” was launched this May. “Reinforcing Jack Daniel’s status as a renowned and iconic brand, the creative work will strengthen our position as a symbol of independence for current consumers and a new generation,” says Bacon. Additionally, a “Jack Pack” team of Jack Daniel’s brand ambassadors are in place in key cities such as New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, “focused on growing our influence in the on-premise through relationship building, targeted education, and brand advocacy,” Bacon says.

Also key to Brown-Forman’s efforts on Jack Daniel’s is its revamped route to market, announced in May. The company moved away from RNDC in California and other states but continues working with RNDC in 12 markets. Elsewhere, it forged new deals with Reyes Beverage in California; Breakthru Beverage Group in 14 markets in the U.S. and Canada; Johnson Brothers in Texas, Minnesota, Indiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota; and Southern Glazer’s in New York and Louisiana.

“We’re pleased with the early signs from our distributors and believe these changes will unlock growth,” Brown-Forman president and CEO Lawson Whiting told investors recently. He noted that the new arrangement provides an “almost three times increase in headcount dedicated to the Brown-Forman portfolio selling divisions and dedicated roles in those divisions, which will bring greater focus and coverage to our brands.”

While American whiskey has slowed lately, Whiting said the company has seen improvement in Jack Daniel’s trends. “Across key measures of penetration, affinity, and uniqueness, we see significant positive shifts in brand performance over the last year, in particular among legal drinking age to age 34 consumers, but also among consumers age 35 and above,” he said. “These positive shifts across both age categories affirm that our strategic actions are reaching new consumers while not alienating those who have been friends of Jack for years.”

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