Beam Suntory Names Constellation Veteran John Alvarado As Chief Brands Officer For The U.S.
March 21, 2024Beam Suntory has appointed Constellation veteran John Alvarado as U.S. chief brands officer, effective April 8, leading marketing for the company.
Alvarado will be based in Chicago.“John brings an unmatched understanding of U.S. consumers and communities to the role of U.S. Chief Brands Officer,” said Beam Suntory’s North America president Jessica Spence. “His award-winning work demonstrates his capacity to use the art of storytelling to drive business results and I am very confident that his leadership will allow us to further leverage the authentic connections behind our beloved products.”
Across a 25-year career, Alvarado has held senior brand marketing roles at Keurig Dr. Pepper and Constellation Brands, where he served as SVP of marketing, leading efforts on Corona and other brands. He contributed to 44 consecutive quarters of growth for Constellation Brands and developed a portfolio of brands based on differentiated positionings and unique stories, Beam Suntory noted. In particular, he brings deep understanding of U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets, the company said. He also worked on the Jim Beam brand from 2003-2006.
In his new role, Alvarado will oversee brand performance, leveraging strategic categories and markets to drive growth for brands including Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark Bourbons, Hornitos and Tres Generaciones Tequilas, and On The Rocks Premium Cocktails, among others.
The third-ranked global spirits marketer, Beam Suntory posted full-year net sales up 7% to $5.6 billion for 2023. Operating income rose 13%, fueled by growth across the company’s core portfolio of American and Japanese whiskies, Tequila, and RTDs. SND recently caught up with Beam Suntory global CEO Greg Hughes for an interview.—Daniel Marsteller
| Beam Suntory―Key Brands in the U.S. (thousands of 9-liter case depletions) |
||||
| Brand | Type | 2022 | 2023 | Percent Change1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Beam2 | Bourbon | 6,070 | 5,950 | -2.0% |
| Maker’s Mark | Bourbon | 2,350 | 2,455 | 4.5% |
| DeKuyper | Liqueur | 1,965 | 1,995 | 1.6% |
| Hornitos | Tequila | 1,675 | 1,725 | 3.0% |
| On the Rocks | RTD | 668 | 738 | 10.5% |
| Knob Creek | Bourbon | 539 | 560 | 4.0% |
| Basil Hayden | Bourbon | 530 | 544 | 2.5% |
| Total Key Brands | 13,797 | 13,967 | 1.2% | |
| 1 Based on unrounded data. 2 Includes flavors, excludes Eight Star and RTDs. Source: IMPACT DATABANK © 2024 |
||||
Tagged : Beam Suntory, Constellation Brands, Hornitos, Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, Tres Generaciones
