Drinks industry powerhouse Diageo has created a new internal team to focus exclusively on airline and cruise partnerships within travel retail.
Diageo said the team, led by newly-appointed Head of Cruise & Airlines Emily Lively, has been created in recognition of the growing importance of the cruise and airline channels, and the potential they present for the alcohol and non-alcoholic categories.
The team said it will focus on building long-term partnerships, such as one recently signed with Virgin Voyages, as well as growing digital activity.
The unit has a three-year growth plan to go global as it builds the team, and as relationships with long-term customers develop and evolve.
The team’s remit is to bring greater creativity in luxury and digital to Diageo’s travel retail activities. Diageo said the team will look to cultivate prospects from limited editions, rare liquids and digital displays to digital catalogue and website innovation, gifting activations, bars and more experiential work.
Commenting on her appointment as Head of Cruise & Airlines, Lively, who has performed a variety of commercial roles at Diageo across the past nine years, said: “I have been watching this channel grow over the past year and I am delighted that we now have the team and space to focus more exclusively on the scope for our brands that the channel brings.
“With refreshed strategies to engage and create transformative experiences for consumers on board I am excited by the future growth of the category and its progression.”
Diageo said it prides itself on the unique experiences it places on airport lounges and other airline spaces – physical or digital. It gave the examples of launching the first airline gin boutique with the BA Highlife Shop this year and the creation of a 0.0% Tanqueray bar in British Airways’ T5 Gold lounge.
“In every piece of work onboard or on land we have a message of moderation to promote alongside our partners helping ensure responsible decision making to ensure #aholidaytoremember,” a note from the company said.
Lively added: “Our ambition as a growing, new team within the Diageo GT division is to develop quickly, putting our partnerships with customers first – something which we hope will drive the trust and collaboration needed to unlock the possibilities.
“As with the rest of our GT colleagues, our goal will always be to deliver a world class experience, one that brings innovation, exclusives and something different on board a flight or ship, for our customers, but ultimately for our consumers.”
