According to a recent article in The Economic Times, India, Bacardi is aggressively securing exclusive rights to marketing their world-famous high-quality spirits to some of India’s hottest nightspots, including the Hard Rock Café in Mumbai.
The distillery giant is promoting its popular brands Grey Goose, 42 Below and Eristoff vodkas, along with its flagship Bacardi rums, in an effort to outmaneuver its competitors.
Bacardi’s range of drinks cover a wide range of price points in the premium to luxury vodka markets. For example, Bacardi is pitting Grey Goose against Belvedere and Ciroc. 42 Below is going up against Absolut in the super-premium segment, while Eristoff is intended to take on Smirnoff.
A Bacardi official said the company commented, “There is nothing innovative about it. That is the way market is evolving, and we would like to have a big say in this category.”
An unnamed industry rival said Bacardi’s moves were a cause for concern for two reasons: “It’s the first that white spirits segment pulling off exclusivity with the trade. Bacardi’s efforts reflect the rising clout of white spirits in a market where they used to ride on the back of whiskies. This also reflects Bacardi’s strategy to focus on market leadership in India’s potentially huge white spirits market given the country’s demography skewed towards the youth.”
The Bacardi Family of products has its work cut out for it, as they are not the only game in town. Pernod is now eyeing Bacardi’s market share in India by aggressively marketing Havana Club. Havana Club has hit the Chandigarh, Goa and Haryana markets. The move is expected to shake up India’s premium white rum market. Who will come out on top of this rum war? That will be up to India’s rum lovers. Stay tuned!
Source: The Economic Times, India
For more information, visit these sites:
Official website of Bacardi Limited.
Official website of Grey Goose Vodka.
Read a review of 42 Below Vodka on Men.Style.Com.
Learn more about the fascinating story of the Bacardi Family and how they shaped the history of Cuba in the book “Bacardi and the Long Fight For Cuba.” The Bacardi Family is also discussed in this Washington Post article.
Official site of Havana Club Rum.
Official site of Pernod.
Tags: bacardi, indian alcohol market