100 Pipers Blended Malt 8 Year Old Scotch

[george]

Pernod eyes top spot for its new malt

BANGKOK: -- Pernod Ricard Thailand has launched a new malt whisky brand to challenge Riche Monde’s Johnny Walker Red Label for the position of market leader in the premium sector.

The company is confident its 100 Pipers Blended Malt 8 Year Old Scotch can achieve a 65-per-cent market share within five years.

Managing director Phanuwat Wongsriphisant said yesterday that although the new product would make its world debut in Thailand, it was seen as key to boosting revenue worldwide.

The company believes its four million loyal customers, most aged 20 to 30, will be key to securing the market-leader position. Phanuwat said the new product would offer them a complementary, but different taste.

In addition, he said that although Johnny Walker Red Label currently had an 80-per-cent market share, Riche Monde’s import volume had been declining by about 5 per cent a year over the past three years.

Pernod Ricard plans to spend Bt100 million on marketing in an effort to capture a 15-per-cent share of the 170,000-case-per-year premium-standard market within six months.

The company usually distributes 60 per cent of its volume through trade channels, with the remainder going to pubs and restaurants.

However, for this product, the company says it will change its emphasis, concentrating more on educating consumers about malt whisky.

Phanuwat said that although malt whisky has been available in Thailand for many years, at about Bt2,000 a bottle it had attracted few takers.

However, with a price tag of just Bt595-Bt599 a bottle, Malt 8 is expected to drive market volume to 240,000 cases within three years, he said.

The companies other 100 Pipers brand retails at Bt330 a bottle.

Panuwat said that although only 300,000-400,000 cases of malt whisky were sold each year in Asia, market growth was rapid, with volume sales more than doubling every year.

Pernod Ricard’s marketing efforts will encompass treasure campaigns, product testing and magazine advertisements.

In addition to the new Malt 8 brand, Pernod Ricard sells 100 Pipers, which has an 80-per-cent share in the standard segment; Chivas Regal (30 per cent of the premium segment); and Master Blend (50 per cent of the economy segment).

--The Nation 2005-11-29