Introduction: Among the senior figures spearheading change for Diageo are Head of Innovation Annelie Moessel and Head of Brands Global Travel Amy Mooney.
Moessel joined Diageo as Global Account Controller in 2016, having worked with Godiva Chocolatier, L’Oréal, Mars and Rolls Royce. “My focus is on delivering results, motivating teams, inspiring innovation, building lasting relationships and leading change initiatives in challenging environments,” she says.
Mooney joined Diageo from Sainsburys in 2005, specialising in spirits and was appointed Diageo Global Travel Head of Whisky (Johnnie Walker & Malts) in January 2020. She now leads the marketing and innovation team across the entire whisky portfolio, from the iconic Johnnie Walker to disruptive malt brands such as The Singleton and Talisker.
The two women are well-known and much admired for their drive, passion and positivity and their ability to inspire others. So, it comes as no surprise that they have key roles in Diageo’s strategy for propelling Scotch whisky – and increasingly important non-alcohol expressions – in the drinks category.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, and its focus on innovation and technology in gender equality, these two influential women share their thoughts on their own journeys in a sector which was once considered very much a ‘man’s world’.
What have been the biggest wins and challenges in your travel retail career – particularly as a woman working in spirits?
Annelie Moessel: Leading the development and roll-out of our travel retail spirits category strategy, which is set to double the spirits category by 2030, has been one of the biggest challenges and wins of my career.
Having worked in domestic markets, where category strategies are at the core of value creation, global travel was missing this way of growing, sharing and connecting with our consumer needs more holistically. The category strategy has the potential to transform our relationships with customers, shoppers and consumers beyond any other initiative – bringing them into the heart of our ambition and everyday thinking.
I am proud of this partnership approach, to be an advocate for this transformation.
Amy Mooney: I have spent the last three years of my 18 year Diageo marketing career in travel retail and have loved every moment.
My biggest win has been helping transform the spirits category using powerful consumer and shopper insights to transform our product offering and experiences to attract a much larger and more diverse community. From accessibility to whisky and creating luxury brands to kickstarting the non-alcohol category.
My personal purpose is about dreaming big and embracing possibility, and travel retail has such huge potential that it allows me to live my purpose every day.
One challenge I think we face is the pace of evolution in certain areas of consumer connection such as digital and e-commerce. This is improving, especially in regions such as Greater China, but I think we need more expertise and infrastructure to truly cater to a more diverse range of consumers and offer seamless and integrated shopping experience.
How should the travel retail industry evolve to become a more inclusive and gender-equal industry?
Annelie Moessel: Travel retail feels more inclusive by nature of it being a global industry, which benefits from a very diverse talent pool. I see this as our biggest asset. We have over 40 nationalities and just over 60% women in our Diageo Global Travel team of 100. We are extremely lucky to be exposed to a high level of diverse thinking every day.
In my role, I see innovation as an opportunity to reflect Diageo’s approach to inclusivity.
Non-alcohol is a good example. Trademark extensions are easy for consumers to understand and can deliver greater scale as they leverage existing brand equity, familiar serves and familiar taste profiles, whilst opening up the world of spirits to consumers who previously may have felt excluded.
It is through innovations like Tanqueray 0.0 [revealed at the Virtual Travel Retail Expo Experience Arena in October 2021] that we enable greater, more inclusive consumer choice & establish moderation as a societal norm.
We actively work with our customers to inspire and educate travellers through initiatives like the Tanqueray 0.0 Lounge in Heathrow T5, which launched last year.
Through targeted campaigns such as #AHolidayToRemember, or the DrinkIQ platform, we are committing to reaching 1 billion alcohol consumers from across the globe with positive drinking messages by 2030.
Amy Mooney: I am passionate about using deep consumer insights to shape our product and experience for shoppers. Across all of our brands and portfolio solutions, we aim to recruit and re-recruit a larger and more diverse consumer base.
Take Scotch for example. In the past, the product and marketing for it was old fashioned, using rich flavours, neat serves, dark earthy colours at the point of sale and predominantly male brand ambassadors. Now we are attracting a new, younger and more gender diverse audience with the vibrant brand worlds of Johnnie Walker, liquids that have more breadth such as The Singleton, diverse brand ambassadors and experiences that feel inclusive and accessible — such as the tech-led Johnnie Walker Blue liquid experience.
In your view, how are you propelling the Scotch category in travel retail?
Annelie Moessel: On our innovation agenda, we are focusing on three areas to propel the Scotch category.
We know that half of our shoppers are looking for gifts when travelling and the most desirable gifts are those that they can’t get at home. Making global travel a destination for exclusive experiences, such as the Johnnie Walker Boutique in Hainan and desirable products that are not available elsewhere, such as Talisker Surge, are examples of ways we are unlocking growth.
Scotch consumers are looking for more enhanced and premium experiences; prestige has been the fastest growing spirits price tier, growing double digits in recent years. Travel retail enjoys an unrivalled audience of affluent travellers, which gives us the unique opportunity to build luxury Scotch brands in our channel.
A new generation of consumers is poised to make up 40% of luxury buyers. So, we evolve the old codes of whisky and remind newer consumers that Scotch is dynamic, inclusive and exciting. We need to speak the language that consumers can understand. Moving away from solely valuing age in Scotch and instead creating character and flavour led innovation, through language which already exists in our consumer’s world.
Lastly, whilst we are propelling the Scotch category, we have to be doing it sustainably; balancing sustainability and luxury. It is something we are working up to and a key deliverable as part of Diageo’s 2030 ambition, as well as a key focus of my role in innovation.
Amy Mooney: Scotch is, of course, the biggest spirits sub-category in travel retail and, as our ambition is to double the Spirits category in travel retail, Scotch is at the forefront of this. From a marketing point of view, we are transforming the way we connect with Scotch consumers, across the full omnichannel journey.
For pre-travel, we are working in partnership with airlines and travel retailers to reach travellers with exciting news and inspiration about travel retail-exclusive products such as Talisker Surge. In airports, we are transforming the impact of the retail space. New permanent Johnnie Walker stores are currently being built. Also, the Scotch category platform ‘What’s Your Whisky?’ is a simple digital tool used to identify flavour preferences and is being installed via permanent fixtures.
Immersive experiences will bring excitement to Scotch with innovative ways to educate, sample and gift. For example, The Singleton Epicurean’s Table experience in Greater China and boutique stores, such as the Johnnie Walker boutique in Hainan, are taking the Scotch experience to another level.
By using our powerful brands and category drivers, we are propelling Scotch, recruiting a much more diverse shopper and premiumising the category.
What advice can you offer other women who are looking to join the world of spirits in travel retail?
Annelie Moessel: While I work with many women in the spirits industry today, in my earlier career at L’Oréal I witnessed the opposite, which was men working in the cosmetics industry. Over the years, I have learnt that gender doesn’t matter. And that’s because, firstly, people who are good at their job are good at their job regardless of industry.
I have successfully applied the same commercial skills to cosmetics, skincare, luxury chocolate and now spirits. My advice is to focus on building core skills that can be transferred in the world of travel retail.
Secondly, marketing whisky does not mean you have to drink whisky every day; selling cosmetics does not mean you have to wear lipstick in every meeting. People who want to join travel retail need to learn to understand the consumer without focusing too much on being the consumer.
The historically male-dominated world of whiskey is not scary for any woman armed with some killer insights that can double the category in the next seven years.
Amy Mooney: I would say that there is no better time to join the world of spirts in travel retail. We have an amazing opportunity to shape the future and create a legacy.
We need innovative ideas to achieve this change, so I advise you to connect with key industry players and show off your ideas. Don’t be shy. 
