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News
Major push for Glenfiddich
Glenfiddich is aiming to shore up its position as the UK’s leading single malt with a raft of new initiatives. The pack design has been modified to increase gifting potential …
… and emphasise the age of the product, and a number of new references have been released, including a 1976 single cask Vintage Reserve and the Glenfiddich Quartet.
The brand’s key message, “Every year counts”, is emphasised by various slogans, which impress upon the consumer that the process of creating 12 year old single malt cannot, and should not, be rushed. Indeed, it is primarily by means of age distinction, rather than what Scott Hill, Group Brand Manager Glenfiddich, calls “heather and weather” imagery, that the brand hopes to demystify its product.
The scope for innovation within the tight parameters of single malt regulations is limited, so expect developments in marketing strategy rather than what’s actually in the bottle. As Hill says, “You’ve got to step right outside the box, look at the possibilities and then work out what the legislation allows you to do”.
The Christmas period is particularly vital for the industry, accounting for 40% of single malt sales. Glenfiddich aims to attract gift hunters with new packaging, which features a triangular tube to match the bottle, and an updated label drawing customers’ attention to the age of the whisky.
In a bid to increase consumer awareness of their range, the brand is offering the “Glenfiddich Quartet”. For £160 the subscriber receives a bottle of variously aged single malt at 4 stages throughout the year. This allows access to a wider range than is available at any one supermarket and encourages consumption outside the key Christmas period.
The exclusivity box also gets a tick with the launch of the Glenfiddich Vintage Reserve. Available from 27th September at specialist locations including Selfridges, just one barrel, that’s about 550 bottles, has been released. This year is the turn of the 1976 Sherry barrel single malt, with only 33 bottles available in the UK, priced at £299. Maybe big can be beautiful.
Gabby Savage, 26/09/07