Canadian Club & Dry and Gordon’s Pink Gin & Soda are RTD rising stars, taking out the Gaining In Popularity RTD trophies at the 2019 Australian Drinks Awards.
Canadian Club won for Dark Spirits, while Gordon’s won for Light Spirits.
The Gaining in Popularity category reflects consumers’ perceptions of brands they regard as currently trending.
Based on industry scan data, the top 200 brands were automatically entered in the brand category, which include Fan Favourite, Gaining in Popularity and Most Distinctive Brand. All three categories were judged via a Thrive Research survey of 4000 consumers.
The RTD market is booming in Australia, growing at about 3% annually after a period of stagnation due to the imposition of a heavy tax regime in 2008.
However, premiumisation and a dynamic marketing focus has driven a turnaround in the category’s fortunes.
It’s no surprise Canadian Club & Dry was so well received by Thrive survey respondents – in December Beam Suntory Australia revealed that its “Over Beer” campaign had been so successful in converting local beer drinkers to Canadian Club that it was being rolled out globally!
Trent Chapman, Beam Suntory’s marketing director, said: “Canadian Club & Dry’s success shows there is something in challenging the conventional wisdom of beer. This insight rings true all the way to Canada where The Big Question creative, produced by Beam Suntory ANZ, is essentially being used to sell Canadian Club & Dry to Canadians.”
The ad was launched in 2017 and features a man sitting at a bar as he whispers to his mate: “I don’t like beer anymore”.
“Beam Suntory now sells more Canadian Club in Australia than any other country including the US,” Chapman added.
Pink gin sales are also booming in Australia
Following the successful launch of Gordon’s Premium Pink Gin in May 2018, Diageo brought Gordon’s Premium Pink Gin & Soda to Australia in September 2018.
The RTD combines the sweetness of the gin’s strawberries, raspberries and redcurrant, with the lightness of soda to create a blush Pink Gin Spritz.
Jodi McLeod, Diageo Marketing Manager, said: “The appetite for pink gin is going from strength to strength, while gin continues to be the fastest growing category in Australian spirits. We know our market wants an easy way to enjoy this trend that suits their lifestyle.
“The liquid truly speaks for itself; consumers are continuing to choose pink gin because it not only looks great but actually delivers on flavour too.”
Overall, Gordon’s Gin has delivered an extra $12 million in retail sales to Diageo in the 12 months ended June 30, and had been growing at 25%.
The Gaining In Popularity category was sponsored by BevChain.
“The Thrive consumer survey offers fascinating insights into consumer behaviour, which obviously informs the thinking of our customers and ultimately the kinds of supply chains they need, so for us, getting behind this particular award was a no brainer,” explained Josh Morris, BevChain Group Manager – Strategy, Transformation & PMO, of the RTD rising stars.
“Well done Canadian Club and Gordons. To win this award is recognition of exceptional performance. It’s no mean feat to get a brand humming beautifully, but you’ve done that this year, so congratulations.”
Here’s the full list of RTD winners:
Fan Favourite
Light – Vodka Cruiser
Dark – Jim Beam Bourbon & Cola
Gaining in Popularity
Dark: Canadian Club & Dry
Light: Gordon’s Pink Gin & Soda
Most Distinctive
Dark: Untold
Light: Absolut Botanik
