Royal Dragon has earmarked global duty free and travel retail as a key growth channel following the vodka brand’s debut at TFWA World Exhibition.
The company, which is based in Hong Kong and under Dutch management, claims to offer a new concept in the vodka category. Its product combines Lithuanian vodka and Swiss gold, with the design blending Belgian diamonds, Italian packaging and Dutch design ideas.
Royal Dragon Founder Michel Morren said: “Royal Dragon has the ‘wow’ factor required in travel retail. We are selling a vodka lifestyle concept based on the philosophy ‘you eat and drink with your eyes as well as your mouth’.”
“Our in-house design development team is fully aware that all our packaging, boxes, bottles, cases, caps, handbags and every other single detail have to create a unique consumer attraction and experience.
“You have to come with a different approach from a different angle. I am not from the liquor industry; we come with another mindset,” Morren said. [Morren was Founder and CEO at GoldVish, a Swiss manufacturer of premium luxury mobile phones; limited editions fetched US$355,000 while the brand’s Le Million had a price tag to match its name -Ed]
At Cannes, Royal Dragon highlighted its Imperial Vodka range, with hand-blown bottles featuring a sculptured dragon, and infused with edible 23-carat gold leaves.
“The uniqueness in both the bottle and packaging design is hard to match and brings vodka back on track as a true gift product. We felt vodka had lost a bit of its glamour in the market place,” Morren added.
The Elite Flavour Collection, introduced to travel retail at this year’s TFWA Asia Pacific, offers six different flavours in 50ml bottles with the collective packaging inspired by a box of chocolates.
Morren said he expected negotiations with leading global travel retailers to extend the brand’s network in the channel. Royal Dragon is focusing on the US market and is confident of growth in South America, Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia, he added.
“When we launched our brand we initially focused on domestic markets. We started only one year ago in travel retail and our sales and growth are very promising,” Morren concluded.
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