Scotch Whisky Brand Champion 2021: White Horse

Gross sales of Diageo-owned White Horse elevated by 18.9% in 2020

The Scotch whisky sector had a torrid yr because the pandemic and punitive tariffs noticed its gross sales come underneath strain. However one model managed to report modest development amongst its million‐case rivals.

Diageo’s blended Scotch whisky model White Horse rose by 18.9% to 2.1 million instances in 2020, after witnessing constant development for the previous 5 years. The model’s sturdy development was the best amongst main manufacturers, with the overwhelming majority of million‐case‐sellers reporting declines.

In line with international model director, Carlos Magana, White Horse’s development was resulting from its “sturdy repute” in Brazil, Japan and Russia, which characterize 94% of enterprise.

Magana says: “There’s a constructive momentum behind the usual section, which grows at tempo significantly in Brazil the place the model is a key participant, and in Japan, the place White Horse is the most important Scotch model throughout the market.”

Brazil, which makes up greater than half of the model’s enterprise, is the place the corporate will deal with recruiting new customers into the class. The corporate may also faucet into present and rising life-style traits throughout its key market.

Magana explains: “The shift to being at house extra within the final 12 months has elevated curiosity in experimenting with less complicated methods to get pleasure from whisky, alongside extra elaborated cocktails. The pandemic has additionally led customers in Brazil to search for worth for cash, and we anticipate this to proceed, which presents us with alternatives on this market.”

White Horse can be looking for to maneuver past the whisky class’s “conventional” picture. “We’ve been working to alter perceptions and broaden its attraction for various events in an analogous method to how gin and premium beer have accomplished in recent times,” provides Magana.

“Central to this has been the refreshed packaging and evolving our model id to make sure it stays related to at this time’s customers.”

The model’s horse icon was “developed” in 2021 to change into extra “distinctive throughout the class”, provides Magana.

To keep up the Scotch whisky model’s success, White Horse will put money into the on‐ and off‐trades, and look to lift client consciousness in Brazil and Japan.

Wanting forward, Magana says: “The main focus will stay on our core markets, and we’ll be working to carry the refreshed model to life for customers and innovating with new merchandise and codecs.”

Figures from the Scotch Whisky Affiliation confirmed the worth of Scotch whisky exports fell by £1.1 billion (US$1.5bn) in 2020 to its lowest degree in a decade on account of the pandemic and US‐imposed tariffs. In 2020, exports of Scotch whisky fell by 23% by worth to £3.8bn.

However the sector acquired some excellent news in March when US tariffs on single malt Scotch have been eliminated for a 4‐month interval. The tariffs have been launched resulting from an ongoing dispute between the US and the EU concerning aircraft producers Airbus and Boeing.

Final yr’s Scotch Whisky Model Champion, Dewar’s, reported a 12.4% decline. In the meantime, the world’s greatest‐promoting Scotch, Diageo’s Johnnie Walker blended whisky, plunged by 23.3% to 14.1m instances. Diageo’s J&B and Vat 69 model additionally recorded double‐digit drops, whereas Bell’s returned to development in 2020 (up by 10.8%). Pernod Ricard’s Ballantine’s model noticed gross sales droop by 9.6% after 5 years of constant development, and stablemate Chivas Regal witnessed the most important decline among the many million‐case sellers (down by 28.5%). Million‐case single malt manufacturers The Glenlivet and Glenfiddich additionally struggled to extend their gross sales, regardless of each manufacturers registering constant yr‐on‐yr development. Glenfiddich’s volumes tumbled by 20.2% and The Glenlivet fell by 7.2%.

Blended Scotch Sir Edward’s recorded stagnant gross sales in 2020, however a brand new marketing campaign and a beer‐barrel‐completed bottling may see the model’s gross sales recuperate in 2021.

The brand new marketing campaign from Sir Edward’s, which is owned by French drinks group La Martiniquaise‐Bardinet, goals to rejoice the Scottish roots of the model, whereas highlighting the whisky’s strengths as an genuine, simple‐to-drink and accessible Scotch.

The launch of Sir Edward’s Beer Reserve whisky in June 2020 additionally seeks to faucet into the buyer demand for craft beer. Stablemate Label 5 reported a small dip of 0.8% to 2.6m.

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