In 2000, London-based Compass Box embarked on its mission to reshape the world of Scotch whisky. At a time when single malts dominated the scene, the company sought to challenge norms, exploring new boundaries in whisky making.
Over the years, the blended Scotch whisky maker’s commitment to crafting innovative blends has elevated the category, offering whisky enthusiasts a range of blends that are described as both interesting and delicious.
The Compass Box brand has expanded its global presence and is now available in over 55 countries, though its distribution remains relatively modest at around 50,000 cases of six in 2023.
With travel retail playing a pivotal role in its continued growth, Compass Box has strengthened its partnerships within the channel with major distributors and retailers.
Last year, it appointed Duty Free Global, a specialist in wine & spirits brand-building, as its representative in travel retail. The partnership initially focused on advancing market presence in Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific.
The company continued to bolster its partnerships within the channel this year with Dubai Duty Free to release its first travel retail-exclusive limited edition, The Travelling Circus. The expression made its debut as the first Whisky of the Month in the updated Concourse B/C liquor and tobacco store.
Its most recent collaboration was with DFS in August to launch The Travelling Circus at John F. Kennedy and Los Angeles international airports.
In an exclusive interview with The Moodie Davitt Report, Compass Box International Commercial Director Kerrin Egalka discusses the company’s core values that have driven its success and outlines its strategic plans for growth in travel retail.
What were some of the company’s key milestones and how have they helped shape its identity?
The whisky Compass Box launched with (Hedonism) was the first ever blended grain Scotch whisky on the market and this really did change people’s perceptions of this underappreciated whisky. Since then, we’ve had a number of interesting milestones that have changed the game.
In 2005, the Penicillin cocktail was invented using our brand and kicked off our love affair with the bartending community. In 2016, we landed in some hot water with the SWA [Scotch Whisky Association] after running our campaign for transparency, and this approach to transparency remains core to our identity today.
In 2021 we launched Orchard House, our first made predominantly with whiskies we had aged ourselves from new make spirit, cementing our passion for nurturing whiskies at all ages.
In 2023 we were voted the fifth-most-admired whisky brand in the world, and this year we announced our new core collection.
What is the role of travel retail in Compass Box’s long-term strategic expansion, and what challenges and opportunities do you see in the channel?
We know that the audience in travel retail are looking for something new and interesting. The shelves have long been packed with traditional brands and we see this as a huge opportunity to offer travellers a different experience – something that enables them to explore what is possible in terms of flavour within a heritage category.
For us, this is a chance to reach an engaged whisky audience that we might not be able to access outside of this channel.
As an independent brand, we know that we will never be able to match the levels of investment that a lot of the bigger brands have, however we see this as a huge opportunity to over-index on creativity in the way that we show up in the channel.
There has long been a sea of sameness in travel retail, so we want to disrupt this with our unique approach, investing in the right locations in the right way, to ensure we reach the consumers who want something unique and interesting.
Tell us more about your partnership with Dubai Duty Free. How important is this partnership for a young brand such as Compass Box?
Partnerships like those we have with DDF in Dubai, DFS in the USA and Lagardère across Europe are critical in order for us to be able to access new consumers and trial our messaging and range offer. It is an incredible opportunity for us given that their reach and exposure to consumers is unparalleled.
We’re also really excited about expanding into Asia. We have been strategically focusing more resources into the domestic markets in the region with great response, and so we want to support those initiatives with an awareness umbrella across travel retail as well.
How does Compass Box stand out amid a competitive whisky category in travel retail and how important are channel exclusives to your strategy?
We do already have an extremely loyal fan base who like to collect every release we produce so we aim to bring them along with us on our travel retail journey.
We created The Travelling Circus, a channel exclusive, which rewards those who remember our much-loved 2015 release of The Circus.
However, we know that there is a huge untapped pool of consumers who perhaps feel that there is currently nothing for them within the very traditional whisky travel retail category – by showing up with our disruptive offering, we hope to recruit those drinkers to our brand and back to the category as a whole.
Our brand is for those who want to showcase their individuality, those who are not bogged down in the way things have always been done within Scotch. We hope to grab them with creative activations, eye-catching pop-ups and unconventional GWPs.
How do you intend to differentiate Compass Box from other whisky brands in travel retail?
Since day one, our brand has always done things differently – from our packaging, which does not follow any of the expected category codes, to our approach to whisky making and the way we activate. We hope that this differentiation will stand out in the channel.
Can you share any details about upcoming campaigns or promotions for the travel retail market?
We aim to continue bringing people into the channel with travel retail exclusives. Later this year will see the launch of a TR-exclusive version of Secrets of Smoke, which will be a real treat for those who are fans of peated whiskies.
We also have a new activation in Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport going live in October with an exciting GWP that we have been working on for some time now. Plus, more to come. ✈
