It’s almost a year since David Rodiek assumed his role as Brown-Forman Vice President and Managing Director Global Travel Retail, a post he took on in June 2022 after 16 years across various marketing and management functions with the US spirits company.
Since then he has overseen a restructure of the Global Travel Retail division, been involved in a succession of exciting innovation and campaigns across the brand portfolio – and seen the company extend its premium portfolio to include a new gin and rum through recent acquisitions, notably Gin Mare last September and Ron Diplomático in January.
In an interview at TFWA Asia Pacific we discussed the above topics plus many more with Rodiek and Marketing Director Global Travel Retail Stéphane Morizet. [Click here for a separate video tour of the Brown-Forman booth at TFWA Asia Pacific in Singapore.]
Crucially, Rodiek says his timing was fortunate, stepping into this role in the sector just as the weight of COVID-19 was beginning to lift and travel markets were reopening, paving the way for accelerated investment in the channel.
“I can say I was lucky to board the train at this time, when Brown-Forman was active in so many areas, and following just after the darkest times the GTR industry has faced.”
The new situation offered Rodiek an opportunity to take stock of the landscape for Brown-Forman and its brands, which ultimately resulted in the creation of three regional travel retail sub-divisions: The Americas; EMEAI (Europe, Middle East, Africa, India); and APAC (Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands).
As reported, Oscar Camargo, who previously held the position of Director GTR Europe, became GTR Director, EMEAI – the company’s second-strongest travel retail region. Camargo, who is based in London, has been part of the Brown-Forman GTR team for more than five years.
Dreamy Zhou, who joined Brown-Forman seven years ago, was named Senior Manager GTR APAC. Zhou, who is based in Singapore, previously served as Manager GTR Southeast Asia, Australia & New Zealand.
The position of GTR Director, Americas, the strongest travel retail region for Brown-Forman, remains open. The highly respected Montgomery (Monte) Wilson recently retired after 30 years of service.
With our conversation taking place in Brown-Forman’s vibrant, new-look stand in Singapore, we turn naturally to prospects for the portfolio and spirits category in Asia Pacific travel retail.
Rodiek says: “We are very excited about APAC given the travel trends we are seeing. It is a ‘must win’ region. Our focus here is on super-premium whiskey. Traditionally it was on super-premium American whiskey, which remains the laser focus, but now we’re expanding this to include our single malts Benriach, The GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh. And with this rounded offer we can cater to the high levels of demand for premium products in this region.”
That premiumisation drive offers numerous opportunities. Jack Daniel’s presence in Asia Pacific can be firmly bolstered by the launch of ultra-premium expression Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt, a travel retail exclusive set to be released shortly.
Rodiek says: “We continue to pioneer in American whiskey and from a concept point of view the category remains very promising. Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt enables us to enter new space with the brand. It stretches the price point and prestige level of Jack Daniel’s too, which in Asia Pacific in particular is important. It is different from a taste profile too, aged in charred oak barrels and finished in the Oloroso Sherry Casks.”
The Sensory Lounge concept created for Woodford Reserve, first launched at Paris Charles de Gaulle and then at New York JFK T4, is another global innovation. Its next location will be at another high-profile travel hub, to be revealed soon.
Importantly, these collaborations go beyond store activations to take in out of home media and other non-traditional partnerships.
Stéphane Morizet says: “The Sensory Lounge concept has been a learning curve for us. It takes us in that direction of potentially being more selective in what we do but also orchestrating these initiatives at a bigger scale, where they are much more impactful. That was the intention of the Sensory Lounge, which was also not just physical space but also orchestrated with the full media assets at the airport, ensuring many touchpoints with the traveller.
“For the physical place, we went big and bold and beautiful, in line with the brand identity. But because we know that consumer expectations around exploration are still very high, we wanted to bring something else, with local relevance.
“And for that we organised these partnerships. Little Red Door in Paris has been named one of the top 50 bars in the world. They created some recipes for us and provided some dedicated bartenders for our experience. What resulted were some great exchanges, tips and recommendations from some of those famous bartenders for the travellers. Another layer was our partnership with La Maison de Chocolat, an iconic chocolate maker in France. All of this allowed us to create a flavourful, strong and memorable experience.
“We will do more in other locations but the key is to connect with a wide audience of spirits lovers, not just whiskey lovers. We want to reach more people, but in a qualitative way.”
That approach stretches across all elements of the portfolio, with premiumisation high on the agenda.
“Since COVID we have observed an acceleration of the previous trends rather than a major shift on consumer habits,” says Morizet. “Premiumisation has accelerated as a factor as people spend more than before to treat themselves. That includes alcoholic beverages, more specifically spirits and super-premium whiskies within this. We have the portfolio to respond to these dynamics.
“But whatever we do needs to make sense in the eyes of the consumer. We listen regularly to them and ask them what is driving their purchases? It is about exploration, especially in the whiskey field; it is about taste; it is about trading up; it is about gifting and GTR exclusivity. So how we organise our range in the light of these insights is key.”
How does an evolving consumer and brand landscape play with changing industry relationships as we enter a new post-crisis phase, we ask?
Rodiek says: “With the airport retailers we can see there has been a lot of development since COVID. Some of the major players are looking to reposition themselves, to deliver more in certain areas and have been identifying what their future looks like.
“At the end of the day, we have to ask how we can make better use of data together? That remains important. We are very focused on how we can excite the consumer more before, during and post-trip. We know the experience is not just about the airport any more. That needs some combined thinking.
“And then there are the different factors at play and big potential in other channels such as cruise, which is looking very strong at the moment.
“Obviously, we are playing mainly in the American whiskey space, and therefore we feel like that is something we can talk a lot to the retailers about, from enlarging the space for the category to leveraging Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt and also Woodford Reserve with its new additions. Those extensions all help towards telling the story to the retailer and to premiumising the overall franchise of US whiskey, which we believe can gain increased share in the channel.”
Morizet adds: “The potential is there. We know how to do craft whiskies and super-premium whiskies so we have a role to play in this premiumisation drive across the industry. If there is a company that really can and will create that super-premium American whiskey business at scale, that is us. And that’s really at the heart of the conversations with our customers today.”
Within the super-premium parts of the drinks portfolio in travel retail, there remains rich but untapped potential today for both American whiskey and indeed Irish whiskey, says Brown-Forman.
Alongside Jack Daniel’s core references and its new single malt expression, channel-exclusive offers include Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Travelers series with Sweet & Oaky and Bold & Spicy – a limited edition only recently available in Asia – and Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel 100 Proof.
In the Jameson-dominated Irish whiskey category, spreading the word about Slane Irish Whiskey is more of a challenge, but here, focus is the key, says the company.
Morizet notes: “Slane is a beautiful brand with a lot of potential. The Irish whiskey market is a complex one but we are growing and doing well. We are selecting our focus markets such as the UK, Australia and GTR. In Ireland we created an ARI-specific expression which was an interesting way to gain more visibility. We will continue to support the growth of Slane.”
Anyone who visited the Brown-Forman booth in Singapore will see that the investment behind the Scotch malts collection is clear and pronounced, with striking campaigns and updated packaging for the brands.
Morizet says: “Our Benriach, The GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh malts are perhaps the best expression of how we do innovation. When we bought these distilleries in 2016, maybe with the exception of The GlenDronach, the brands had limited equity and awareness. So Brown-Forman brought to the table an expertise and know-how on how to create brands.
“It is about making sure that we have the right portfolio at the right price points, both in domestic and GTR. Then communication is key, making sure that we bring to life the right stories, powerfully and with emotion. The brands are already there; we are not inventing anything new. And lastly, it’s about packaging, another key strength that Brown-Forman brings. Finally now, these beautiful liquids get the packaging that they deserve.”
A highlight is the special travel retail limited-edition Benriach The Forty Octave Cask Matured. Dubbed the “ultimate expression of Benriach”, laid down in 1976 and then moved into octave casks in 2011 for a final maturation. Benriach The Forty Octave Cask Matured was bottled in September 2017 and preserved at the peak of its maturation.”.
Rodiek says: “That is a big headline for us and speaks to our premiumisation agenda, our cask expertise and history of creativity.”
Beyond this, Rodiek says these are exciting times for the expanded range with Gin Mare and Ron Diplomático as recent additions to the portfolio in their respective segments at the ultra-premium end.
“These are game changers that help us to become a multi-category player,” said Rodiek.
“Rum has grown by +17% in the last five years, but representing at the moment around only an 8% share of total distilled spirits sold. So we believe that there is much more to be done. Historically, the Caribbean and the US is the heartland but we see great opportunities in Europe, and over time in Asia Pacific as well.
“Gin Mare, created in a fishing village near Barcelona, is a different proposition, one we are bringing to the world for those lighter, more care-free drinking occasions. It has an attractive price point and is a wonderful consumer proposition. We will activate these much more in travel retail in the future.
“There are other players in rum and gin of course, but especially in rum what we want to drive is competition, to accelerate the rise of super-premium and ultra-premium rum.”
Underlying all of the brand development is a big focus on sustainability. Rodiek says: “We are banning single-use plastic from promotions in 2023, we’re reducing our gift packaging by -50% by 2027. And we’re also conscious that the packaging we do use is recyclable and reusable. We want to be 100% in that status by 2030.
“We even have something for our GTR team travel. As soon as you travel, you cause an impact to the environment. We work with a specialised agency that helps to compensate, which includes for example the focus on sustainable forestry and renewable energy.”
Summing up, a glance around the multiple brands showcased at two-storey Singapore booth underlines just how far Brown-Forman has come as a premium spirits company in recent years. Add to the brands noted above, other priorities include Casa Herradura and el Jimador tequila, alongside Fords Gin. The mix of hero and challenger brands makes this a heady time to lead Brown-Forman’s activity in travel retail, says Rodiek.
“We are thrilled about the whole portfolio expansion. We came from being a Jack Daniel’s company to an American whiskey company to a super-premium whiskey company, now broadening to super-premium tequilas, gins, rum, and more. The future will be exciting for Brown-Forman.” ✈
