Huge Russian Standard campaign launched

Russian Standard has announced the launch of a £1.2 million integrated marketing campaign for 2009.

Meet the Russian Standard will start in July and see the brand launch major advertising, sponsorship and sampling activities across the summer. The campaign, which will include TV, radio, press, digital and PR activity, aims to allow target consumers to discover modern Russia and further propel the brand’s premium positioning to ensure consumers understand the brand’s heritage.

Meet the Russian Standard will focus around a major promotion giving away 90 exclusive VIP trips to modern Russia’s capital, Moscow.  Thousands of pounds worth of other prizes, including iPod touch’s, will also be up for grabs.  A new website will encourage maximum interaction with the brand’s target audience and will be the main channel from where consumers can enter the competition and learn more about the brand, which is aiming to recruit more than 45,000 new drinkers during the campaign.

Empire, Q and Grazia magazines, Kiss radio and TV stations, 4Music, Kiss and Q will all feature heavyweight advertising with additional PR, trade and online support.
 
Joanne Birkitt, senior brand manager for Russian Standard, said: “We are very excited about the launch of this new marketing campaign.  The heritage and 100% Russian provenance of the brand is key to the success of Russian Standard. Meet the Russian Standard is a fantastic platform for us to demonstrate to vodka drinkers what the brand is all about and its core values.
 
“Last year was a hugely successful year for Russian Standard and we are fully committed to further invest in the UK market again this year as we aim to build on this success.  Encouraging brand loyalty, whilst driving mass awareness and trial to both existing and new drinkers through the Meet the Russian Standard activity is key over the coming months.  We want drinkers to discover, experience and enjoy modern Russia and with this latest campaign, we are giving our target audience the chance to do just that.”
 
On-trade support will include distribution of 600 POS kits across the UK, as well as in-bar sampling activities in 200 top-end venues.  Menu clips, table talkers and posters will be made available with hypertags installed in bars to enable drinkers to download competition information and the Russian Standard logo to their mobiles.

Off-trade activity will include a neck collar promotion on 250,000 bottles in the multiples, convenience and specialist channels.  In-store sampling will also take place, targeting 30,000 target consumers. Gondola end and on-shelf POS will also be provided to raise awareness of the competition to shoppers.  The wholesale channel will see the campaign promoted in cash and carry outlets with branded pallet wraps to increase stand-out.

Alan Lodge, 24.06.2009