Pernod urges on-trade to tap into Twitter

Pernod Ricard is encouraging bars and pubs to do more to harness the power of social media, which it believes will be key to success during the 2015 Christmas season.

One of the festive drinking vessels devised by Pernod Ricard UK for Christmas 2015

The drinks group suggested that social media, especially Twitter, will play a role in more than one third of UK drinks purchases this Christmas, while more than one in four consumers have said they are keen to engage with outlets via this medium.

Despite this enthusiasm among consumers, Pernod Ricard indicated that just one in eight on-trade venues was ready to capitalise on the market share opportunities offered by a strong digital presence, with just 12% of bars and pubs using social media on a daily basis.

In order to encourage greater activity in this sphere, the company has created “Twitter tips for Christmas 2015” as part of its guide for the trade on how to make the most of this key trading period.

The guide covers advice on how to set up a Twitter account and engage followers, alongside a collection of suggested tweets for bars to use as a way of attracting customers through their door. These include: “Kick off Christmas this evening with an @absolutuk Espesso Martini”, and “We are open today and have some @Jameson_UK & @MalibuUK winter warmers ready and waiting”.

Ian Peart, on-trade channel director at Pernod Ricard UK, highlighted the “estimated 9.5 million adult users” of Twitter, which he described as “the perfect way for on-trade retailers to instantly reach a large audience and encourage real-time interaction with customers.”

In order to support outlets and help generate social media content, the drinks group has also lined up a range of festive marketing ideas for its brands. These include a Malibu hot chocolate serve with bespoke knitwear-inspired glassware, an edible glitter cocktail set for Kahlúa, and a food pairing guide for Chivas Regal, Havana Club and Jameson.

In addition to stressing the ability of such “serve envy” initiatives to help drive premium drink sales, Peart suggested: “They also provide great material for engaging with customers on social media, and we look forward to seeing how social media and our exciting portfolio can help drive sales of premium drinks for retailers this Christmas.”