Introduction: Suntory Global Spirits Managing Director Global Travel Retail Ashish Gandham discusses the Bowmore Appellations range in this interview with The Moodie Davitt Report Brands Director Hannah Tan.
He also explains the Japanese spirits company’s strategic priorities as travel retail plays a vital role in what Gandham describes as a “pivotal moment” in the wider spirits landscape.
“The Appellations range is critical to the journey that Bowmore has been on over the last two or three years,” says Suntory Global Spirits Managing Director Global Travel Retail Ashish Gandham, as he underlines the importance of the travel retail-exclusive Bowmore Appellations range for the brand and the company’s premiumisation drive.
Over the last few years, Bowmore has launched several memorable travel retail-exclusive collaborations from ‘No Corners to Hide’ with acclaimed Scottish comic book artist Frank Quitely, to its prestige collections with Aston Martin. These releases have been steadily driving Bowmore’s ambition to elevate its brand equity, with Appellations the natural next step on that journey.
“For us, Bowmore is a massive global priority across the board both in domestic and travel retail; especially in travel retail, which we view as a brand-building channel,” Gandham explains.
“Getting our fundamentals right with Bowmore – a brand that has a 250-year history and heritage – is a top-notch priority for us. What we’ve done with Appellations is that we’ve kept the age expressions, elevated them, going from the 14 Year Old expression all the way to the 22 Year Old, and transformed them into wine cask finishes.
“Bowmore Appellations is a true reflection of Suntory Global Spirits’ wider premiumisation journey,” he adds. “As a brand, Bowmore has been going from strength to strength, but we did not want to stop at that. We wanted to take it a step further.”
Gandham believes that travel retail is the perfect channel to showcase Bowmore and Suntory Global Spirits’ grand ambitions in terms of elevation. “Travel retail is a place where consumers are constantly looking for innovation,” he explains.
“They are constantly looking for things that they cannot find in the domestic market. With Bowmore Appellations, we wanted to deliver innovation to travellers, steeped in the craftsmanship that Bowmore is known for. This collection is going to kickstart a different journey and trajectory for the brand.”
Notably, the release of Appellations signals the beginning of a wider brand revamp for Bowmore with the first campaigns to be released in early 2025.
“Premiumisation is not just about selling a product at a higher price. It’s about giving consumers a reason to walk into the store and a reason to put their dollar on the table,” Gandham adds. “Bowmore Appellations is innovative, stays true to the core of the brand but offers something we haven’t done in the past.”
Strategic priorities
This premiumisation goes well beyond Bowmore as Suntory Global Spirits, which notably underwent a company-wide transformation and rebranding earlier this year, navigates a challenging spirits landscape.
“In terms of premiumisation, we have done a lot with The House of Suntory this year with the Kogei Collection launch – now we are doing the same with Bowmore with the Appellations range. That journey will only continue and accelerate from now.”
Gandham is candid about his strategic priorities for the short to mid term. “For the next two or three years, the priorities are clear,” he says. “First and foremost, we need to be absolutely focused. When I say focused, I’m talking about the key brand priorities that we have globally.
“These include House of Suntory, a huge competitive advantage for us; Maker’s Mark, the world’s largest bourbon company; and of course, Bowmore. We are relentlessly focused on those brand priorities, particularly in the top locations, which really showcase the power of our brands to bring consumers what they are looking for.
“Second, we want to deepen our partnerships,” he adds. “We’ve been on a journey in terms of collaborations and our consumers really love the value that those collaborations bring. We need to take that further and deepen our partnerships. Without those key partnerships we won’t be able to attain the ambition we want to reach.”
A pivotal moment
The mood at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes, particularly for many spirits sector stakeholders, was one of caution, especially as the category struggles in many location with decreased footfall and conversion in stores, and widespread discounting.
“It is indeed a pivotal moment for the industry,” Gandham says. “Comparing where we were 12 months ago to now, the global growth trajectory has shifted dramatically. We are seeing more intense competition for every dollar that’s available.
“Coming out of the pandemic, more and more people are travelling but they are not so much entering the stores. The only way we can come out of this pivotal moment together as an industry is through partnerships.
“[Cannes] has been a huge success for us thanks to the conversations we’ve had. Firstly, conversations around how we can get better at sharing data, which can give us insights into not just the consumers of today but the consumers of tomorrow. Secondly, conversations about how we can deliver the best in terms of both the brand and experience from a supplier perspective.
“At this crucial time, the only way we can succeed as an industry is by coming together, sharing more, demanding of each other to give the best possible value to our traveller.”
Offering a final thought to the industry, Gandham doubled down on his message about deepening partnerships. “Let’s keep the conversation going,” he says. “Let’s get closer to the consumer. The only way to do that is through data, understanding and sharing that information and being demanding of each other.
“Beyond that, collaborations and partnership are the only way to come out of this pivotal moment shining.” ✈
