Indian Whisky Brand Champion 2021: Sterling Reserve

Gross sales of Sterling Reserve broke even in 2020

The Covid‐19 pandemic proved to be a serious hurdle for Indian whisky manufacturers in 2020 as firms resembling Diageo’s United Spirits arm paused production throughout the first lockdown. The nation is among the largest producers of spirits on the planet, with quite a few Indian whiskies promoting greater than 20 million instances yearly.

India has additionally been topic to a 150% import tariff on spirits, however a brand new ‘enhanced commerce partnership’ with the UK might decrease or take away these levies. The partnership, which features a £1 billion (US$1.41bn) commerce‐and‐funding bundle, might axe the massive tariff on UK‐made whisky, in response to the UK authorities. The transfer might additionally see customers commerce as much as greater‐priced whiskies.

This 12 months’s title of Indian Whisky Model Champion was given to Sterling Reserve for the third 12 months in a row. The model is a relative newcomer to the million‐case ranks, having reached the milestone in 2018. Sterling Reserve managed to carry on to its gross sales of two.8m instances final 12 months, whereas a lot of its rivals reported that they had suffered double‐digit declines.

Anupam Bokey, chief advertising officer of Allied Blenders and Distillers, proprietor of Sterling Reserve, says its strategic plan is to give attention to participating customers in “significant methods”.

He cited 5 pillars for driving progress, together with: constant communication by way of digital and social channels; product innovation; digital advertising; bespoke activations; and bolstered commerce relations.

After feeling the pandemic’s impression, Sterling Reserve launched new adverts throughout the Indian Premier League final 12 months, a “extremely anticipated cricketing occasion that had the nation glued to their screens for near 60 days”, Bokey says. The exercise was complemented by digital content material, which boosted recognition for the model.

Seeking to the long run, Bokey provides: “We’ll proceed to leverage and pedestal experimental platforms by way of modern model campaigns and drive any developments by way of proper amplification.

“To steer Sterling Reserve to success, we plan to implement disruptive PR interventions, have interaction with opinion makers and affiliate with the proper mediums that may place the model disproportionately properly.”

Hayward’s was the one different Indian whisky to maintain gross sales, reporting a 1% enhance. Different manufacturers within the class struggled to keep up their volumes. Sterling Reserve’s sister model, Officer’s Alternative, noticed gross sales plummet by 32% to twenty.8m instances, knocking it from second place to 3rd for the primary time in at the least 5 years.

Whereas 8PM was the one model to report a double‐digit enhance in 2020, proprietor Radico Khaitan refused to offer figures to 2 decimal locations, that means its gross sales are slanted. It was a tricky 12 months general for Indian whisky, with 11 manufacturers taking a double‐digit tumble.

Indian whisky (figures: million 9l-case gross sales)