How Diageo Reserve’s ‘World Class’ brings in earned media for its premium spirits

Given that advertising on all conventional mediums is banned, liquor brands have to often resort to unconventional marketing routes in India.

It’s not uncommon to see liquor brands' names on products like packaged water, non-alcoholic beverages, or even music CDs. This practice is called surrogate advertising.

Frequent consumers of alcohol often get accustomed to a type of liquor and a brand. Once this acclimation happens, it is highly unlikely for them to experiment with different brands or even different kinds of liquor.

A 2022 survey by data analytics firm YouGov found out that only 1 in 10 hard liquor Gen Z drinkers are open to switching brands. 

Whether surrogate advertising is enough to influence consumers to switch is a question that remains at large.

Drinking is a social activity. One's affinity to a liquor brand is generally driven by the social setting in which one indulges in the drink. 

Traditionally, you may see these indulgences taking place in bars/resto-bars, where people try different “cocktail” drinks. Cocktails or premixed drinks can be unique to different bars, with different blends. Bartenders usually bring in different flavors with the blends that they slide in front of the consumers.

For beverage company Diageo, with a portfolio of spirit brands like Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Tanqueray, Baileys, Smirnoff, and Captain Morgan, these bartenders play a central role in promotion.

Shweta Jain, CBDO: luxury, reserve and craft - India and South Asia, Diageo, says what a bartender brings to the table is evolving and now plays an integral part in consumer preferences.

She believes that the influence that bartenders hold in driving this consumer preference increased during the pandemic years in India. As going to the bars was prohibited, many consumers were, and still are, looking to set up a bar-like experience at home.

Thus, the influence of ‘opinion leaders’ in this space, like bartenders and also social media influencers, accelerated during the pandemic. 

The company has been working on building a rapport for its brands with bartenders globally. In 2009, it initiated a bartender competition called ‘Diageo Reserve World Class’. 

“World Class led to a larger stream of consumers in various markets understanding that mixology is a confluence of science and art. We believe the Indian market is at that stage now. The intricacies that a bartender brings to the culture of cocktail making is now at the brink of becoming more mainstream in India,” Jain opines. 

Jain shares that ‘The World Class’ is a very important part to the marketing calendar that Diageo has for its 'Reserve' brands. Premium spirits in Diageo Reserve’s portfolio include Singleton, Talisker, Tanqueray, Johnnie Walker, Gold Label, among others.

“Many trends emerge from the global event each year. Last year’s Sydney finale led to popularising a tiny reinvention of martini. Contestants created that drink with Tanqueray. The trend was covered by prominent news publications globally."

"Along with that, bartenders also get a different experience and bring back their learnings to their respective bars. They are also likely to mix their drinks with our spirits as the base, without a contractual obligation. This can be classified as earned media,” Jain asserts. 

The contest was held on the first two days of July in Gurugram this year. 15 bartenders from across the country competed in the contest. The prominence of bartenders is growing pan-India, and is not just restricted to Tier-I cities, Jain asserts.

Diageo Reserve World Class India Finale 2023 saw increased participation from bars/bartenders from Tier-II cities. The winner of the competition, Aashie Bhatnagar, works in a bar in Pune.

To ensure that bartenders across the country are aware of the tournament, Diageo onboarded actress Sobhita Dhulipala as the patron for the contest. 

“The association with Sobhita is a unique one as a clear parallel can be drawn between her love for craft and the craftsmanship that goes behind a world class experience.The objective was to have Sobhita personify an extension of modern luxury to consumers,” Jain says.

Jain says that the company is looking to drum up similar conversations within the community for its other brands. Diageo has recently released global campaigns 'Table for Everyone by Black & White Ginger Ale' and 'Savour The Pause' for Black Dog.

In March 2023, the company also backed a music concert called 'Walkers & Co., by Johnnie Walker Refreshing Mixer (Non-Alcoholic)' featuring John Legend and Raja Kumari.