Market Watch, September 2018

28 MARKET WATCH MARKETWATCHMAG COM SEPTEMBER 2018mwBRAND WATCHEffenWhile growth has been difficult for vodka brands lately Beam Suntorys super premium Netherlands made Effen brand is gaining traction Effen which Beam acquired from Sazerac Co in 2009 sold roughly 50000 cases in 2010 and crossed 100000 cases in 2015 according to Impact Databank Since then the brand has continued to rise bolstered in part by its partnership with rapper 50 Cent and a cocktail focused approach to flavor innovation Effen grew roughly 25 last year to reach 209000 cases and earned Impact Hot Brand honors Our goal is to release flavors that get in front of drink trends or to create flavors that can launch a new trend says Effen marketing director Stephanie Kang The Effen range around 27 a 750 ml includes a core unflavored vodka as well as Green Apple Raspberry Black Cherry Blood Orange and Cucumber offshoots The Cucumber expression the top selling flavor has carved out a following within the mixology community This year Beam Suntory is backing Effen with a new campaign Different By Design that targets a diverse city dwelling demographic beyond the nightclub segment Effens surge comes amid a challenging environment for imported vodkas Effen portfoliomate Pinnacle vodka 11 best known for its 30 flavor lineup is struggling to return to growth After peaking at over 27 million cases in 2013 the French import has lost steam slipping 52 to 25 million cases last year Christina JelskiLégendeDomaines Barons de Rothschild DBR Lafite is leveraging the U S markets increasing thirst for entry level Bordeaux with its accessibly priced Légende range Pasternak Wine Imports then DBR Lafites importer launched Légende in the first half of 2016 Later that year Taub Family Cos acquired Pasternak and merged its portfolio with the companys Esprit du Vin division which now handles Légende in the U S The idea with Légende was to add more approachable accessible wines for consumers that still reflect the style of Lafite says winemaker Diane Flamand Of Légendes total 500000 case production about 95 is exported and a third comes to the Americas Légende has been well received in the U S says Cédric Villars portfolio director for DBR Lafite at Esprit du Vin Theres a ton of potential for Bordeaux in this market and for the idea of introducing consum ers to the different appellations through the eyes of such a respected name Sourced from 15 growers across Bordeaux the Légende lineup includes entry level Bordeaux Rouge and Bordeaux Blanc wines sourced from Entre deux Mers 18 a 750 ml as well as offerings from the Médoc 25 St Émilion 37 and Pauillac 50 The Pauillac features fruit from DBRs Lafite and Duhart Milon estates which typically account for about 80 of the blend The Bordeaux Rouge makes up roughly four fifths of production Esprit du Vin sees potential for Légende to continue expanding both on and off premise especially in the by the glass segment mwDaniel MarstellerVeuve ClicquotVeuve Clicquot which overtook portfoliomate Moët Chandon as the leading Champagne brand in the U S by volume in 2013 marked another milestone last year as it passed the half million case mark The Moët Hennessy owned brand was up 7 to 519000 cases in 2017 according to Impact Databank capping a four year span in which it has expanded by more than 35 Veuve Clicquots core Yellow Label Brut around 50 a 750 ml a Pinot Noir focused blend continues to lead with about 85 of production Veuve Clicquot chef de caves Dominique Demarville attributes the brands success to its flavor profile consistency and branding Other offerings are also contributing High end expression La Grande Dame is debuting 2008 vintages of both the Brut 150 and Rosé 300 this month The releases include revamped packaging and for the Brut a blend thats over 90 Pinot Noir up from around 60 The changes cap off a period of adventurous tinkering led by Demar ville In 2015 Veuve Clicquot launched Rich 65 a higher dosage wine thats served over ice usually with an added ingredient like grapefruit or ginger Currently Rich and Rich Rosé are available in New York California Arizona Georgia and Florida Last year the company also launched Veuve Extra Brut Extra Old 85 a blend that makes heavy use of reserve wines for a more robust flavor profile Going forward Veuve Clicquot will focus on expanding these releases into additional markets Further limited or one off launches are also a possibility Shane EnglishMW0918_