Club Mirror Brands Report

club mirror

BRANDS REPORT

Who’s earning their place at the club bar? Top club brands revealed CASK MADE

Contents club mirror

07 Join us at the 2023 Club Awards

Will you be joining us in November as we come together to celebrate clubs around the UK? Book your tickets for the Clubland event of the year!

THE BRANDS REPORT

11

Welcome to the 2023 Brands Report

Club Mirror’s annual Brands Report provides an overview of the whole UK drinks category and reveals which brands are earning their place at the club bar. The information is in collaboration with long-term partner CGA Strategy and its On Premise Measurement Service.

13 Draught Lagers

The top five Draught Lagers are critical to Clubland, being its biggest overall drinks category. So who are they?

15 Draught Ales and Stout

Draught Ales and Stouts show a robust performance in Clubland.

16 Cider and Perry

Cider proves the strongest category over the past 12 months in the UK on-trade.

18

Packaged Beers, Ciders and RTDs

The top 5 selling brands at club bars proudly maintain their longstanding positions. And they are...?

19 Soft Drinks

The second most valuable category shows positive volume growth.

20 Dark Spirits

This traditional spirits category has performed strongly at +11.7% .

21 White Spirits

Clubland remains a powerful advocate of this sector, show the stats.

22 Wines

Has the top white wine brand Jack Rabbit retained its number one slot? Let’s find out.

24 Fortified Wine

With a huge -12.7% national decline, Clubland remains committed to the category.

25 Liqueurs and

Specialities

This sector fell a sizeable -12.3% across the UK on-trade. But how did it fare in Clubland?

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

28 Making cask ale more accessible

Greene King explains how its recent introduction of 4.5-gallon cask pins could help clubs to introduce a top quality cask ale offering to members, or simply to increase their existing range.

30 Spotlight on the UK’s cider industry

The 8th edition of the Westons Cider Report sets out the main trends that the company is witnessing in the cider category across the UK’s on-trade.

32 Make some noise with your soft drinks

Britain’s clubs, pubs and other licensed venues have been reborn in the past year, with sales of Soft Drinks surging by 60.3% and volumes up 53.2%.

34 Diet Coke – brand profile

A remarkable story of a remarkable brand, a consistent Top 5 player in Club Mirror’s annual Brands Reports. Welcome to the birth of Diet Coke.

36 No/low-alcohol shows healthy growth

Spotlight on no- and low-alcohol beer/cider, wine, spirits and ready-to-drink products. They grew by more than +7% in volume across 10 key global markets in 2022.

38 Live sport a key sales driver

How live sport can prove instrumental in driving footfall, growing sales and revenues.

40 Sports Calendar

What’s coming up for the club screens in October.

42 TNT Sports and trade charity team up

St George’s Park, Home of English football, played host to TNT Sports Pub Cup as well as a highscoring charity match between a Pub & Club Trade team and a TNT Sports side. This is how it looked.

44 Drinks Trust – annual survey

Results from The Drinks Trust’s annual survey reveal a training-hungry workforce.

Contributors

Club Mirror proudly presents the 2023 Brands Report. Enjoy!

We’re delighted to present the Club Mirror 2023 Brands Report in collaboration with CGA Strategy and its On Premise Measurement Service.

Taking a big picture look, the analysis shows the on-trade (on a longterm value trend) growing by +3.6%. And the good news? Clubs as a group are showing the strongest growth.

Draught Lagers have been jockeying for position in this year’s Top 5, with Madri Excepcional rocketing onto Clubland’s scene ahead of Carlsberg Danish Pilsner. Draught Ales are proving robust and you’ll find a new top dog at the Number 1 slot in the Cider category.

On the Soft Drinks front, major player Britvic believes there are huge opportunities for clubs to re-evaluate their approach to soft drinks and how they serve alcohol-free options – particularly pertinent at a time when one in three adults say they now rarely or never drink alcohol.

In short, the annual report identifies who’s earning their place at the club bar and why.

Hopefully that self-same bar is currently welcoming members making the most of the balmy weather (as we go to press anyway!) all keen to enjoy their favourite brands in their favourite venue, and all in great company.

On the subject of great company, will you and your club be joining us at the 2023 Club Awards? Because the team is busy gearing up for all the excitement and celebrations of the big night, planning the biggest, warmest Club Awards welcome ever. So get November 22 in your diary, get your glad rags on and join us for a night of unadulterated celebration!

Caroline Scoular Editor, Club Mirror

PS: Details on the Awards and how to join us there can be found on page 7. Alternatively visit www.clubawards.co.uk. See you there?

Editor Caroline Scoular

Design David Foster

Events Jill Slingsby, Karen Foreman, Guy Brennan

Display Advertising Margaret Doherty

Sales and Sponsorships Cindy Hedmann, Angie Webster

Circulation Jon Hardy

Accounts Andrew Soles

Publishing Director Sean Ferris

Club Mirror is published by Alchemy Contract Publishing Ltd, Gainsborough House, 59/60 Thames Street, Windsor SW4 1TX. Tel: 01753 272022. Fax: 01753 272 021

Email: caroline@clubmirror.com; sean@clubmirror.com; info@clubmirror.com

ACP

Gainsborough House 59/60 Thames Street

Windsor

Berkshire

SL4 1TX UK

t. +44 (0)1753 272022

f. +44 (0)1753 272021

e.info@clubmirror.com

www.clubmirror.com

www.clubawards.co.uk

The views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the publisher. Club Mirror does not verify the claims made by advertisers regarding their products.

Ashley Cairns Chris Colverd Sean Ferris

Karen Foreman David Foster Jonathan Hardy

Cindy Hedmann Mark Jankovich Hamish Maclean

Justin O’Regan Nick Sellens Jill Slingsby

Book your tickets for the Clubland event of the year!

Will you be joining us in November as we come together to celebrate clubs around the UK?

Excitement mounts as the Club Awards team prepares to welcome this year’s finalists, guests and celebrities to Athena in Leicester on November 22.

Come along and cheer on the club finalists and enjoy some fun and a spectacular gala dinner along the way. And if you haven’t been to a Club Awards yet, then turn the page for a rewind to last year’s event. It’s too good to miss!

TICKETS

Tickets are available to purchase as follows:

• Individual tickets

£75 + VAT (£90 inc. VAT)

• Tables of 10 for finalists

£600 + VAT (£720 inc. VAT)

(Includes 2 x complimentary tickets for finalists)

What’s included in the ticket prices?

• Complimentary glass of prosecco on arrival at the Drinks reception (6pm-7pm)

• Club Awards Gala Dinner (7pm - late)

• Club Awards presentations

• 100 Club presentations for clubs who have reached their centenary milestone

• Club Recognition Awards

• Sports Club Awards – incorporated within the Club Awards

• CAMRA Club of the Year Award

• Post dinner entertainment

• Carriages - 1am

Booking tickets

• Just email your ticket requirements to: caroline@clubmirror.com OR

• Call us on 01753 272022

Welcome to the Club Awards

Couldn’t join us in 2022? Then don’t miss out this year! Enjoy this rewind to last year’s drinks reception for finalists, club guests, club associations, dignitaries and sponsors as Leicester lit up for a night of celebration, in preparation for the main event – the Club Awards. See you there?

Stock your customers' favourite drinks in one convenient delivery.

and retaining customers. We know which drinks drive profit and can o昀er expert advice to find the perfect brand mix for your venue and bottom line.

BEERS & CIDERS: We stock a wide selection from the nation’s most popular and trusted brands as well as our innovative range of modern beers and traditional cask ales.

WINES: We o昀er a globally sourced selection, carefully curated by our wine experts. Our team will provide a tailored range recommendation for your venue.

SPIRITS: A comprehensive range of spirits from all the leading brands, alongside a premium range of specialist spirits and liquors to intrigue your most discerning customers.

MINERALS: We o昀er a complete range of leading brand minerals, waters and premium soft drinks and mixers for all audiences.

Preferential rates for CIU members, quote CLUB23

Everything your venue needs, in one place. Call us on 0345 850 4545

To find out more visit www.valueforvenues.co.uk or scan the QR Code

Club Mirror Brands Report

Post Covid-19, whilst the market remains challenging for many clubs and other ontrade channel businesses, the production of this report sees a return to a simpler output based on volume sold, as we have now had over two-year continuous trade.

The Report is split up into 10 broad drinks categories (see box) and features the top five brands and then other leading brands in the category, listed in alphabetical order.

The on-trade market – brief summary

Taking a big picture look it can be seen that the on-

trade is currently on the long-term value trend showing a growth in take of +3.6%. Clubs as a group are showing the strongest growth. This is potentially influenced by a slightly slower emergence from the Covid-19 pandemic than other channels where the return of customers was more rapid. It could be said that “Eat Out to Help Out” favoured other parts of the on-trade over Clubland with their higher reliance on food. A current trend sees a move towards more casual occasions in 2023 (vs high tempo/food occasions) this mayhave benefited clubs in the current year. That said, Clubland is in line with Pubs, being its nearest channel competition.

Order of categories

The value of each category is shown as a percentage of all drinks sales value for Clubland.

The Annual Brand Report is a chance to see the whole drinks category and find out what are the leading brands available in Clubland. The information is produced by CGA Strategy, our long-term supporter from their OPMS/On Premise Measurement Service, the leading and most comprehensive drinks reporting service used by all leading drinks producers, wholesalers, retailers and service support businesses.

Draught Lagers

Brand Ranking

Carling

Foster’s Coors

Madri Excepcional

Carlsberg Danish Pilsner

Amstel

Birra Moretti

Estrella Damm

Heineken Premium

Kronenbourg 1664

Peroni Nastro Azzurro

San Miguel

Staropramen

Stella Artois

Tennents

Top 5 Brands

The Top 5 draught lagers are critical to Clubland, being its biggest overall drinks category. The category maintains a broad variety in brands’ origins and the subtle style differences that typify lager beers. Overall, category volumes were +0.6%, in line with the on-trade. New in this year is Madri Excepcional, bumping Stella Artois out of the Top 5.

1

Brands 6 to 15

2

Carling

Not just the #1 beer brand in Clubland but overall in the GB on-trade. Carling’s advertising retains a campaign expressing its quality ingredients which has featured throughout its long history that began in the 1950s and revolutionised the GB beer market.

Foster’s

In 1971 the Foster’s brand launched into the GB market, becoming established as a big player in the UK. Earlier in 2023 it launched a multi-million pound marketing campaign – its first in four years – bringing Aussie duo Brad and Dan back to the nation’s screens.

3

Coors

A second brand from Molson Coors that has grown in popularity over the last 20 years. This knocks stablemate Coors Light from its Top 5 slot to reach the 3rd place in Clubland.

4

Madri Excepcional

The growth has been as its name indicates – exceptional. The beer originates from Madrid, a collaboration between La Sagra and Molson Coors, and has come to lead the World Lager sub-category in Clubland.

5

Carlsberg Danish Pilsner

Carlsberg Danish Pilsner has continued to sustain its popularity following its beer recipe change some years ago, creating a Pilsner with a full flavour, a crisp, refreshing taste and a distinctive hoppy aroma. The brewer has since focussed on promoting ‘The Perfect Serve’.

GREENE KING IPA HAS THE HIGHEST ROS WHERE CUSTOMERS HAVE THE MOST CHOICE*

Draught Ales and Stout

Brand Ranking

Guinness

John Smith’s Worthington’s Greene King IPA

Tetley’s

Banks’s Mild Smooth Pour

Beavertown Neck Oil Session IPA

Belhaven Best

Brew XI

Caffrey’s

Fuller’s London Pride

Marston’s Pedigree

Sharp’s Atlantic Pale Ale

Sharp’s Doom Bar

Stones Bitter

Top 5 Brands

Draught Ales and Stouts have seen a robust performance in Clubland, up 2.5% over the year. The category has a substantial diversity of brands, four times more brands to choose from when compared to Draught Lager. There were many strong brand performances in this year’s Brands Report.

1

Brands

6 to 15

2

Guinness

Launched in 1959 on draught with its signature image and pour, Guinness has worked to become more appealing to a younger demographic through successful social media campaigns. Its high profile sponsorship in Rugby helps to fill clubs. It is now No #1 in Clubland’s Ale Stout.

John Smith’s

An iconic brand and former headline sponsor of Club Mirror’s Club Awards for many years, John Smith’s remains the most popular ale in the club market. The brand sponsors a variety of sports, particularly in the North of England.

3

Worthington’s

A staple of the club trade, especially in its South West, Wales and the Midlands heartlands, Worthington’s was a pioneer of the creamflow dispense, facilitated by the use of mixed gas.

4

Greene King IPA

The largest cask ale from the famous Bury St Edmunds brewer, Greene King IPA has been a top selling brand in clubs for many years. The brewer is actively involved in Clubland, including its Proud To Pitch In scheme for grassroots sports clubs funding.

5

Tetley’s

Predominantly a major player in its Northern heartland, Carlsberg

Marston’s offers several Tetley brands, but it is Smoothflow that dominates overall.

Draught Cider

Brand Ranking

Thatchers Gold

Strongbow

Strongbow Dark Fruit

Inchs

Carling Black Fruit Cider

Aspall Cyder

Aspall Suffolk Cyder

Carling British Cider

Kingstone Press

Kopparberg Strawberry And Lime

Magners Dark Fruit

Somersby Cider

Stowford Press

Strongbow Cloudy Apple

Thatchers Somerset Haze

Top 5 Brands

Brands

6 to 11

In the GB on-trade Cider has been the strongest category over the past 12 months. Volume rose by 7.4% driven by distribution gains and a widening consumer base. Thatchers Gold and Strongbow have maintained a Top 5 ranking in Clubland since Club Mirror’s Brands Reports began (2004), jockeying for that No 1 slot. This year sees the debut of Inch’s Cider, in at number 4, up an impressive nine places in the space of a year.

1

Thatchers Gold

Thatchers Gold’s emphasis on simple ingredients , attention to detail and heritage have undoubtedly helped it to achieve 2023’s top draught cider spot this year, up from its 5th ranking in 2022. It is a strong supporter of local women’s teams Bristol City and Bristol Bears, and cricket is a major focus of sporting sponsorships.

2

Strongbow

Launched by HP Bulmer in 1960, Strongbow has been Clubland’s top-selling cider for many years, but slips one spot this year. It commands a loyal following in clubs, appearing in the Top 5 rankings in Club Mirror’s/CGA’s Brands report for well over a decade. The brand rebranded in June and launched its ‘Take a Bow’ campaign, ‘celebrating everyday British greatness’.

3

Strongbow Dark Fruit

Strongbow Dark Fruit offers up a dual presence for the brand, with Strongbow on the bars in Clubland across GB, helped by a twin font, creating an impactful image.

4

Inch’s Cider

Inch’s is another favourite from the Heineken-owned HP Bulmer company in Herefordshire. A medium cider, it has broken into the Top 5 this year, up from its 2022 ranking of 13.

5

Carling Black Fruit Cider

This fruit cider was developed by Carlingowner Molson Coors in the growing channel of the mid 2010s. The 4% ABV cider, blended with blackcurrant, blackberry and a hint of blueberry, continues prove a healthy hit.

Packaged Long Alcoholic Drinks

Brand Ranking

Magners Original

Corona Extra

Peroni Nastro Azzurro

Kopparberg Mixed Fruits

Budweiser

Bulmers

Coors

Desperados Guinness

Kopparberg Strawberry & Lime

Newcastle Brown Ale

Old Mout Cider – Berries & Cherries

Old Mout Cider – Pineapple & Raspberry

Rekorderlig Strawberry & Lime WKD

While a small decline was seen across Packaged Long Alcoholic Drinks (LADs) – 0.6% – the Top 5 selling brands at club bars across the UK has remained constant.

1

Top 5 Brands

2

Magners Original

Magners Original’s popularity as the leading packaged LAD continues. First created by William Magner in Ireland in 1935, made with 17 different apples, the promotion of a novel serve using a pint glass filled with ice went on to help establish the brand as a contemporary star.

Corona Extra

The Mexican lager maintains its position as a favourite with a young audience. Its global Corona Sunsets Festival was extended to the UK (September 2023) with on-trade competitions, and last year saw the brand tap into the no/low market with Corona Tropical, an alcoholic sparkling water made with fruit juice.

3

Brands

6 to 15

4

Peroni Nastro Azzurro

This northern Italian beer expanded into Clubland through its entry into Golf Clubs, maintaining its desired top end profile. Now a well-established brand with a wide availability, the brand launched Peroni Nastro Azzurro Stile Capri in April this year. The Mediterranean-inspired lager is brewed in Rome and Bari at a lower ABV of 4.2%.

5

Kopparberg Mixed Fruits

Kopparberg continues to perform strongly in draught and packaged formats, with the fruit variant a substantial element of the Cider market. A latest awareness campaign included the Kopparberg ice bucket hat for 18-24 year old festival goers, keeping drinks cold for up to two and a half hours.

Budweiser

The US King of Beers has been a Top 5 brand since entering the UK back in 1984. Official sponsor of the English Premier LeagueTM since 2018, August 2023 saw Budweiser launch an on-trade competition with tickets to English Premium LeagueTM matches on offer.

Soft Drinks

The second most valuable category had positive volume growth of 1.1% compared to GB’s overall 2.3%. The category is dominated, as the widest soft drinks category tends to be, by the two international cola brands and their family of adaptations.

Britvic’s 2023 Soft Drinks Review provides some interesting insights into the sector (see pages 32-33 for more details). Licensed venues operating in Britain are at a pivotal moment and the industry needs to rethink their drinks offering in order to stay ahead of the game, says the report, revealing that soft drinks are having a renaissance within the Licensed channel.

At a time when one in three adults say they now rarely or never drink alcohol, there are huge opportunities for licensed venues to re-evaluate their approach to soft drinks and the way they serve alcohol-free options, says Britvic, estimating that by adapting their offering, out of home operators stand to yield a sales boost worth a staggering £170m.

1Schweppes

3

R

The Britvic leading lemonade first came to the market in 1845 and as can be seen by its ranking here is still a strong influence. The ‘R Whites Lemonade’ TV adverts live on in iconic history, and the brand now boasts a raspberry version and a diet variant. R Whites has overtaken Diet Coke this year.

4

Diet Coke

Making its debut 41 years ago and in at number 4 this year, Diet Coke remains the world’s number 1 diet cola. (For the full story of how and why Diet Coke was launched, turn to pages 34-35). The Diet Coke break ads have been revisited this year with model Kate Moss.

5

Coca-Cola

Schweppes’s top spot represents the consolidated picture of the Schweppes brand, and includes its lemonade and mixers. This remarkably old business was founded in 1783, when Jacob Schweppes established the first ever process of carbonating water. Widely viewed as the founding father of soft drinks, his launch led to the creation of Schweppes Tonic. The company now has over 15 soft drinks varieties. 2

The original Coke remains the leading cola despite the retail price advantage of the lower calorie lines as a result of the Sugar Tax, and, despite its age, shows no sign of slowing down, with numerous new creations under its banner. The first glass of Coca-Cola was poured on May 8, 1886 by creator Dr. John Pemberton at Jacobs’ Pharmacy in downtown Atlanta. Now, 137 years later, the brand’s Coca-Cola Foundation funds important causes such as its $US 20m “Stop the Spread” funding, aiming to help provide equitable global access to Covid-19 vaccine tests and treatments.

J2O

A reinvention of the way to sell fruit juice the witty J2O first came to market in 1998 and built a new category. Multiple flavours and special editions keep the brand current. Latest to join the stable is Mojo, a J2O Spritz range including Apple & Watermelon and Pear & Raspberry, Orange & Passion Fruit – ‘All the fizz without the fuss’.

Dark Spirits

Brand Ranking

This traditional spirits category has performed strongly at +11.7% compared to a small growth nationally of 0.7%. So pay attention Dark Spirits brands - Clubland represents the biggest positive volume trend against the broader on-trade. And there are even stronger performances to witness from some subcategories, such as Brandy and Golden Rum, with a 2022 report from the Campari Group noting that rum sits at the heart of the ever-popular cocktail trend, featuring in five of the Top 20 cocktails across the on-trade. 1

2

Captain Morgan

The Captain remains at the top of his table and his category, being particularly driven by the Spiced consumer trend. The brand uses multi-media for above and below the line activity, and has reported double digit volume growth over the 12 month period.

Jack Daniel’s

JD is top of the whiskies and substantially so. Year-on-year growth was slightly behind the dark spirits overall growth, but the great bourbon from Orange County Tennessee, USA, continues to proudly hold its place at the club bar.

3

4 Bell’s

Bell’s retains a loyal drinker base in Clubland and that has sustained it well. The brand had a strong surge in the last year, cementing its Top 4 status.

5

Famous Grouse

The leading Scotch whisky, Famous Grouse has supported rugby for over 30 years, starting with the Scottish Rugby Union in 1990. Last year it teamed up with the legendary Barbarians, and this year could potentially benefit during 2023’s Rugby World Cup, having launched its first ever Famous Grouse Nations Series in the run up.

Courvoisier

The classic French Cognac leads its subcategory and retains its overall Top 5 rating in Clubland. Cocktails are a focus for the brand, with a cognac developed specifically for blending way back in the 1950s by Master Blender, André Boufflet.

White Spirits

Brand Ranking

Smirnoff

Gordon’s Bacardi

Whitley Neill

Absolut

Beefeater

Bombay Sapphire

Chekov Imperial

Ciroc

Eristoff

Glens

Imperium

Jose Cuervo

Tanqueray Zamoyski

Top 5 Brands

White Spirits wins over Dark in terms of volume by 2:1 and Clubland is a powerful advocate of this sector. While on-trade as a whole saw a -8.3% decline in volume, clubs wins out proportionately, showing a comparatively small loss of -2.1% in volume. Cocktails are proving an important part of growth potential in the category, with Bacardi’s Cocktail Trends Report showing that the popularity of cocktails continues to soar.

Brands

1

Smirnoff

Smirnoff, first distilled in 1864 and owned by Diageo, is synonymous with vodka drinkers and is the substantial brand in the market and has been for many years. Their leadership of the vodka category remains undisputed as it has since Club Mirror’s very first Brands Report in 2006.

2

Gordon’s Gordon’s, under the Diageo umbrella, remains Britain’s leading Gin brand with its traditional and more recent Pink, with other flavoured additions and the 0.0% alcohol variant. Alexander Gordon founded his distilling business in1769. The brand has been a great advocate of cocktails, launching the first Cocktail Shaker bottle in 1924 (pictured), and of long-term Partnerships, with Schweppes a legendary example.

3 Bacardi

This global giant, founded in 1862, continues to dominate the sub-category. A core ingredient in the UK’s developing taste for cocktails, it has a long-standing association with Coca-Cola and the Cuba Libre.

4

Whitley Neill

Whitley Neill rode the Gin expansion and embraced the variety for which Gin recently has become renowned. Dating back to 1762, the first – and still the only – gin distillery in The City of London, the company embraced this boom and offer 17 gins with flavour extension. Direct descendant Johnny Neill is the 8th generation family distiller (pictured).

5 Absolut

Absolut dates back to 1879. Of Swedish origin, the brand is currently owned by international French-based business Pernod Ricard. The flavoured options extend the range to over six brands, with a limitededition pack launched in 2023 following last year’s ‘Absolut Voices’ concept.

Wine (Table & Sparkling)

Table wines are the main sub-category of this overall category. There are an increasing number of developing brands to discover. Wine styles and varietals are the key for the market’s vintners, wholesalers and of course retailers. The top white wine brand Jack Rabbit has long been the top club brand and a previous wine sponsor of the Club Awards, using Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay grapes. In terms of red grapes, the most popular top two are Merlot and Shiraz followed by Rose Zinfandel.

Sparkling wines have exploded in popularity, and the sparkling development of the Prosecco style has been highly significant. The most popular brands include Codorniu, Ponte, One 4 One, Bottega and Follador. 1

2

Jack Rabbit

The top Clubland wine brand is Jack Rabbit. It is popular and has a wide choice of styles for wine drinkers across the club market as well as availability in single serve bottles. It has launched a Prosecco variant and runs its own Jack Rabbit Wine Club.

Blossom Hill

A classic mainstream wine brand, born in California in 1992, Blossom Hill retains a firm fan base across the whole market. Now in its 31st year of production it provides the reassurance of a well-established brand with a broad appeal.

3

Pier 42

This value wine brand remains extremely popular in the traditional Clubland with its broad range covering many wine varietals, styles and pack formats.

4

Giotto

Giotto, the Italian-produced wine from the island of Sicily, includes a number of varietals with Merlot a popular choice, described as an elegant, well-structured Italian wine with a clean bouquet with notes of currants and violets. Greene King is amongst its UK distributors.

5

Oliver & Greg’s

This is another long standing on-trade brand that has built a solid reputation through its range of modern wines, retaining in its Top 5 position in Club Mirror’s annual Brands Report.

Champagne &

Fortified Wines

Brand Ranking

Martini

Cockburn’s Harveys

Cinzano

Taylor’s

Crabbies

Croft

Stones Original

Tio Pepe

Yates Original Australian fortified wine

Top 5 Brands Brands

6 to 10

In June 2023 the UK’s fortified wine businesses celebrated the 650th anniversary of the 1373 AngloPortuguese Treaty, the oldest diplomatic alliance in the world still in force. The total UK market for fortified wine is currently worth around £300m, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association.

Nevertheless, across the UK, fortified wines witnessed a national decline in volume of -12.7%. Clubland, however, saw a much smaller decline of a significantly lower -7.0%.

1

Martini

The first production from the Martini Company was in 1863. A mix of wines, botanical sugar, and alcohol has seen three variants added since the 1980s, and – of course – the classic 007 ‘Shaken not stirred’ ads live on. 2

4

Cockburn’s

The largest selling Port in Clubland from the Symington Family Estate’s portfolio, this long-established brand began in 1815 in Scotland. Now, says the company, this is Port’s time. “No more standing on ceremony, we’re here to start some new traditions. So forget formality. There’s fun to be had.”

3

Cinzano

With a range of three vermouths Cinzano is an ever-present brand in the market. It has a long history dating back to 1757 and is now with the Gruppo Campari.

5

Harveys

This enduring brand dates back to 1796 and to the home of Port, Jerez. During the 19th century, Harveys became one of the largest importers of Sherry from the Bay of Cadiz to the port of Bristol, creating the classic Bristol Cream in 1882.

Taylor’s

The longest established brand in this category’s Top 5, this famous Port has its origins from 1692 during the reign of William III Prince of Orange.

Liqueurs

Top 5 Brands

Brands

On a GB analysis sales of Liqueurs (non-Cream liqueurs and specialities) fell a sizeable -12.3% in the UK on-trade. Clubland, however, bucked this trend with a 5.2% growth, indicating a strong consumer movement and uptake in the past year. 1

Antica Sambuca

An Italian star anise fruits-flavoured spiritis from North East Italy close to Venice. There are many styles, flavours and inevitably serve suggestions. 2

Sourz

A 1990’s introduction, the brand grew in the late-night drink occasion in that decade. Sourz remains a popular drink and has a series of options with vibrant and distinctive colours and flavours. 3

4

Baileys

A long-term favourite since coming to the market in the 1970s. The top cream liqueur for most of its availability. Brand extensions are more prominent in recent years.

Jägermeister

First distilled in 1878 in Germany, Jägermeister’s herbal liqueur blends 56 botanicals. Described as being ‘embraced by those who push the boundaries and rewrite the rules in every field’ its longstanding position within the Top 5 brands in Clubland proves that it is embraced across all generations.

Malibu

Pimms Southern Comfort

Tia Maria

Amaretto Disaronno

6 to 15 5

Another Italian Liqueur, dating back to the 16th century and the Italian Renaissance, has a long-standing presence at the club bar, and in May 2023 unveiled its Italian taste of the New Dolcevita, a TV commercial celebrating Italian summer vibes through a series of Disaronno events.

Making cask ale more accessible

Greene King explains how its recent introduction of 4.5-gallon cask pins could help your club to introduce your members to a top-quality cask ale offering or expand your existing range of cask ales.

Greene King has become the first major cask brewer to launch cask pins in the UK, making cask ale more accessible than ever for clubs.

The smaller 4.5-gallon units have been available since July following a seven-figure investment, with cask pins being made available to all customers across Greene King’s seasonal cask beers range.

The Limited Edition Fresh Cask Releases programme features a rolling portfolio of cask styles and flavours tailored to specific points in the year.

What’s more, Greene King and Belhaven customers will be offered products in cask pins as well as firkins, on a fixed price basis for the whole availability

period of the seasonal range, allowing them to plan ahead and stock the ales in confidence.

Greene King believes that the introduction of pins containing 36 pints per unit (half the size of the industry standard 9-gallon container) will reinvigorate the sector by helping clubs deliver a range of fantastic cask-fresh beer to customers every time, whilst at the same time minimising wastage.

Stock with confidence

The launch of pins dovetails neatly with the launch last year of Greene King’s Cask Iron Guarantee which entitles all free trade customers to a full refund for unbroached firkins and a credit for any remaining

volume on broached firkins that go out of date ahead of being sold through.

With the effects of the pandemic still echoing and the cost-of-living crisis leading consumers to drink out less frequently, these investments willprovide customers with the opportunity and the confidence to expand the range of cask ales on their bar which will help encourage more people to try cask ale and ultimately broaden its appeal.

The Fresh Cask Releases consist of a combination of returning favourites, key calendar creations, collaborations and new and exciting ales, inspired by legendary stories of the people and places associated with beer.

Greene King aims to make cask ale more accessible than ever for clubs with the introduction of 4.5-gallon cask pins.

With the introduction of pins, customers will have the ability to manage a lower throughput at quieter times of the week, meaning less waste or risk of serving beer past its best quality.

During busier times, cask pins offer the customer the opportunity to provide a seasonal cask ale, providing a wider choice on the bar.

CGA BrandTrack data shows that cask drinkers are happy to pay more for a great-quality pint and Greene King believes the launch of pins is another step in positioning cask ale as the premium product it should be on the bar.

Investing in cask

John Malone, Head of Brewery Engagement at Greene King, says:

“The launch of pins within our business is one of many ways we are investing in the cask beer sector and in the industry.

“We have addressed the challenges serving this unique product can bring, and we believe the introduction of pins will help our customers serve our fabulous beers in perfect condition every time, whilst minimising wastage and maximising profits.

“Introducing pins will also provide our customers with the opportunity to expand their range and offer seasonal ales that provide a wider choice of styles and flavours to their guests.

“We aim to support our customers in serving the best range of perfect quality beers for their bar.”

Greene King is passionate about the future of cask and, as part of many other support tools for customers, offers full cellar training and guidance for clubs to ensure they have all the knowledge and support to sell quality cask beer.

Using Pins vs Firkins

There are three reasons to stock pins in your club:

• To broaden your range of cask ales

• To add cask ale to your line-up

• To offer cask ale during quieter times during the week

Pins are not suitable for all customers and our 9-gallon firkins may be a better and more cost efficient option for your venue.

Our Cask Iron Guarantee programme offers customers who have signed up to the programme peace of mind as they could recover costs of any unsold beer from a 9-Gallon Firkin.

For more information speak to your sales representative. Full details available on our website: www.greenekingbrewery.co.uk/caskironguarantee

FAQ – CASK PINS

What are pins?

Pins are smaller containers for cask conditioned ale. Containing 4.5 gallons of ale, they are half the size of a traditional 9 gallon firkin.

This means you only need to sell 12 pints a day to maintain quality (rather than 24 when using firkins), which is vital for keeping your ale drinkers happy.

Are pins always a better option?

Not necessarily. If you sell a full firkin every three days you do not need to switch to pins.

Clearly, however, you could still take advantage of pins to add more choice to your range.

And don’t forget Greene King’s Cask Iron Guarantee – customers who have signed up can

recover costs of any unsold beer from a 9-gallon firkin.

How do you prepare cask for sale?

It’s important to prepare cask ale before selling. It is after all, a live brew that needs time to develop a full flavour and aroma, just like wine, whisky and other spirits.

The good news with cask is that this time is much less – so your members get to enjoy a great pint of fresh cask within four days!

It takes around three days for ale to fully ferment, clarify and develop its full flavour and aroma – but it’s worth the wait.

Where can I get help if I need it?

• Cellar Doctor

Cellar Doctor is here to help you diagnose and troubleshoot any problems you may be having. Visit beergenius.co.uk/cellar-doctor for more information.

• Beer Genius

Beer Genius is a great source of online training videos, free e-learning courses and problem-solving tools to enable anyone working with beer to learn the essentials required to serve the perfect pint.

• To discuss supply with Greene King & Belhaven call 0345 850 4545 and quote “CLUB23”.

• Already trade with us? Contact your SDM for more information.

Greene King offers full cellar training and guidance for its club customers who serve cask beer.

Spotlight on the UK’s Cider Industry

The 8th edition of the Westons Cider Report sets out the main trends that the company is witnessing in the cider category across the UK’s on-trade.

We’ve certainly had some challenges in the industry and cider category over the last few years,” said Helen Thomas Managing Director of Westons Cider and a 4th generation Weston family member, adding that 2023 could prove equally challenging in terms of the economy.

“There is continued pressure for all cider makers and manufacturers in terms of increased costs in raw materials, packaging and energy, and for the consumer there are the obvious broader cost of living concerns that could change drinking habits,” she said.

Nevertheless, Thomas is confident that the cider industry continues to evolve and continues to be a dynamic marketplace.

“It remains a vibrant drinks category, with continued innovation that offers consumers new products and brands,” said Thomas. “In this challenging year, it is essential for the health of cider that all cidermakers continue to find ways of recruiting more drinkers.”

The report identifies four key dynamics which influenced the on-trade marketplace in 2022:

1. A changing on trade structure with all sub-categories in decline (Eating, Drinking and Sleeping).

2. Changing consumer behaviour, with Thursdays and Sundays becoming more important for hospitality total sales, occasions becoming more casual and lower tempo since the resurgence of late night, higher tempo occasions fuelled by ‘Freedom Day’ in July 2021.

3. Quality and value for money remain a constant as pockets become squeezed.

4. The shifting dynamics of flavoured cider as draught fruit decline deepens with the continued shift into packaged.

Mainstream and Premium

The move from mainstream into more premium brands continues to accelerate, says the report, with Mainstream apple commanding an average RSP of £3.57 per pint. Premium and Crafted brands now account for 56.8% of draught apple cider and combined they attracted an average RSP of between 45p - £1.11 more than Mainstream.

Packaged

Overall, packaged cider’s share has declined 2.6ppts from December 2021 to represent just 23.7% of the

total cider category in December 2022. Anecdotally, draught cider is seen as a far better value for money serve in times of austerity than packaged.

Flavoured Draught Ciders

Despite strong growth from their launch and the promise of a greater share than draught apple, flavoured draught ciders are now significantly losing share with a reduction of 2ppts vs December 2021. Strongbow Dark Fruit is still the market leader with 55.6% share, a reduction of 7.5ppts from December 2021 as new draught flavoured ciders become established, including Old Mout Berries & Cherries, Cornish Rattler Berry and Stowford Press Mixed Berries. Yet in a declining category, premiumisation is clearly evident as the average price per pint of a draught flavoured cider is £3.93, 11p per pint higher than the average price of a pint of Strongbow Dark Fruit.

On-trade stocking recommendations

An effective and efficient cider range is one that is clearly differentiated with each brand and format offering something uniquely different. Achieving

maximum revenue will be determined by the proposition of each brand and whether it is first point of entry cider or a more premium trade-up.

Format has a large part to play when refreshing a cider range. Limiting the number of draught lines has become common place as economic conditions prevail. Outlet style, geography and volume will ultimately guide this but careful consideration should also be given to the balance of apple vs fruit taps. For example, despite Central proving the largest TV region for draught flavoured cider, the northern bias remains for flavoured cider. The South West has moved up the draught fruit rankings since last year’s report following distribution gains, and it remains the leading region for draught apple cider with just over 20% of total UK volume.

With the increasing trend away from mainstream cider, draught space should be reserved for those more premium brands to which consumers will be drawn. Balanced with this will be those brands which are perceived to have an affordable, value for money, quality proposition.

• For the full report visit www.westons-cider.co.uk

Make some noise with your soft drinks offering

At a time when one in three adults say they now rarely or never drink alcohol, there are huge opportunities for licensed venues to reevaluate their approach to soft drinks and the way they serve alcohol-free options. Britvic estimates that by adapting their offering, out of home operators stand to yield a sales boost worth a staggering £170m by encouraging 10% consumers to trade up from tap water to a soft drink.

“As consumers curb their alcohol consumption, particularly millennials and Generation Z, soft drinks

are well and truly in the limelight,” comments Dino Labbate, GB commercial director for hospitality at Britvic. “Soft drinks have obviously always been crucial to the licensed sector, but, this year our Soft Drinks Review really highlights the size of the prize available to operators who are able to adapt to keep pace with consumers’ changing needs. We’re expecting low and no alcohol on-trade volumes to grow by a huge 48% to 117 million litres by 2027, with higher average prices pushing value sales up by 69% to £432m.

“That’s why we’re challenging ourselves and licensed venues to rethink soft drinks. Our Soft Drinks Review shows that consumers want compelling non-alcoholic drinks options with real wow factor – as good as, if not better than, the hard stuff. We want operators to take stock this year, rethink your range, how you’re serving it and what you’re pairing it with. Think sophisticated in-house mocktails and exciting flavours like Roasted Pineapple and White Peach & Jasmine Crafted Sodas from The London Essence Company. While there will always

Soft drinks are having a renaissance within the on-trade, reveals Britvic’s latest Soft Drinks Review, but, warns the soft drinks giant, the industry needs to rethink their drinks offering in order to stay ahead of the game.

be an important place for Pepsi MAX and 7UP Zero at the bar, soft drinks can also offer so much more at a time when we know guests are on the hunt for elevated experiences.”

The alcohol moderation movement isn’t the only challenge facing the industry. Britvic believes that the pandemic has had an undeniable impact on what consumers want from a night out. The cost of living crisis hasn’t helped either – 38% of Brits report that they are going out to eat and drink less often; 72% cite cost of living concerns, 58% cite price increases in venues and 53% cite a decline in their disposable income as reasons why they are spending less.

“In the current climate, consumers need more reasons than ever to go out and spend; this explains some of the new trends we’re seeing,” said Labbate. “For example, 88% of consumers say they want bars to provide them with an experience they can’t get at home. As a result, we’re seeing venues really up their game by developing experiences that can’t be recreated at home. Operators who can follow suit and rise to the challenge will reap the rewards.”

Making the most of consumer trends

There have been a number of shifts in consumer trends, which should be key considerations for operators looking to adapt. It’s become very much quality over quantity. Overall, 35% of consumers say they are drinking fewer drinks when they go out with 11% say

they are choosing higher quality drinks. What’s more, 32% of consumers have increased their overall spend on cocktails and 92% say they are now choosing cocktails that are better quality, or of the same quality, when they go out for a drink. Consumers are associating ‘additional health benefits’ with quality too, with 45% equating such benefits with value and 43% stating that they value claims relating to naturalness.

Top tips to help licensed operators adapt their non-alcoholic drinks offerings:

• Provide an elevated soft drinks selection that rivals the alcoholic options on offer, think elegant glassware with ice, beautifully presented with garnishes. The Mathieu Teisseire range of flavoured syrups is a simple solution to injecting excitement into non-alcoholic ranges.

• Consider pairing food with premium soft drinks, such as J2O, that offer greater depth of flavour –79% of food consumed out of home in Britain is served with a soft drink.

• Encourage drinkers to trade up – Britvic estimates that 10% of tap water drinkers trading up from:

– Water to soft drinks = £170m sales boost.

– Soft drink to an elevated soft drink = £123m sales boost.

• Spirits and mixers are highly profitable, offering an average margin per typical outlet of more than 80%. Licensed operators should stock up on premium mixers to push those margins higher. Add a touch of excitement to your range with products such as London Essence Company’s Original Indian Tonic, warming Pomelo & Pink Peppercorn and zesty Blood Orange & Elderflower Tonic waters.

• Give people more reasons to go out by developing experiences that cannot be recreated at home –69% of those aged 16 to 24 and 64% of those aged 25 to 34 would rather spend their money on experiences instead of physical goods.

• Full report available at www.britvic.com

• Britain’s clubs, pubs and other licensed venues have been reborn in the past year, with sales of soft drinks surging by 60.3% and volumes up 53.2%[1]

• The cost of living crisis is continuing to bite, with 38% of Brits reporting that they are going out to eat and drink less often[2], with 72% citing cost of living concerns [3]

• Britvic’s Soft Drinks Review 2023 reveals advice for venues during these challenging times, and calculates that out of home operators could deliver a sales boost of up to £170m by encouraging 10% consumers to trade up from tap water to a soft drink[4]

calculations based on

tap water occasions, trading up 10% of tap water consumers to a soft drink, or an elevated soft drink, based on a soft drink cost of £2.52 and elevated cost of £3.7

Nearly 80% of food consumed out of home in Britain is served with a soft drink.

The extraordinary story of how Diet Coke came to be

In the summer of 1980, plans to introduce a “diet” version of Coca-Cola began to form. This is a remarkable story of a remarkable brand which has starred in the Top 5 of Club Mirror’s Brands Report since they first began publication in 2006. Welcome to the birth of Diet Coke.

In the summer of 1980, plans to introduce a “diet” version of Coca-Cola began to form. The project had been percolating within the company for two decades but never came to fruition, until that marketchanging summer, when a Coca-Cola planning man ager named Jack Carew was tapped to lead the project.

Until that time, extending the Coca-Cola Trademark to another brand had been a no-no. But times had changed.

“We needed a big idea to come out of one of the toughest decades we’d ever seen,” Carew explained.

Diet Coke was pegged a top priority. The project was strictly top secret; only a handful of senior executives knew about it, and team members had to agree to the assignment before getting the details.

“It was an entrepreneurial, cloak-and-dagger operation in the purest sense,” said Jerry Bell, who worked with Carew in the Planning Department. “I remember getting this weird phone call from Jack... and I couldn’t say no.”

Within a few weeks, they presented a draft study to Coca-Cola USA President Brian Dyson, followed by Roberto Goizueta, who had been elected Chairman and CEO just months earlier, President Don Keough and Chief Marketing Officer Ike Herbert.

No risk, no reward

Goizueta green-lighted the Diet Coke project, which shifted quickly from planning to implementation. “This was a difficult decision because there were two big risks,” Carew said. “TaB was the money-maker at the time, so if Diet Coke turned out to be a disappointment, the company would seriously complicate its future. Second, if senior leadership said no to Diet Coke, then we likely would have lost cola position.”

Despite concern that Diet Coke would cannibalize TaB – which was the No. 1 diet soft drink brand in the U.S. at the time – and erode the long-term health of the Coca-Cola Trademark, the team’s research concluded just the opposite.

Colas accounted for 60 percent of all soft drink sales in the U.S. back then, but diets were growing three times faster than the rest of the category. Diet Coke was seen as the right product for the right time.

“We said Diet Coke would be more accretive to Coca-Cola brand value, because we would source volume from the competition versus the Coke franchise,” said Pat Garner, who joined the Diet Coke

team with 10 years of bottler and field marketing experience. “And we were right.”

What’s in

a name?

The team debated over whether to adopt the “diet” prefix – the label Nielsen had given to the relatively new category because the term was used in the names of two of its top three brands. “Sugar Free” was one alternative, but many saw it as a slur on Coca-Cola’s main ingredient. And “Light” was already taken by a competitor brand.

Diet Coke was the most straightforward articulation of the promise of the brand. “It just seemed like the logical answer,” said John Farrell, who joined the team from Corporate Finance. “The equity of the Coca-Cola name promised the delivery of taste, and ‘diet’ told you it didn’t have sugar or calories.”

For many years, the brand name was written and marketed as diet Coke – with a lowercase “d” – to reinforce the positioning of the product. Coke’s trademark lawyers wouldn’t allow the uppercase “D.”

Their reasoning: Diet with an uppercase “D” was a noun, and the use of a noun changed the name of the trademark. Use of the lowercase “d” was an adjective and, therefore, did not alter the legal basis of the trademark.

A plan that pays

As the positioning began to come together, Farrell built a financial model to demonstrate the link between the brand’s marketing activities and bottler revenue. The plan motivated the system and turned bottlers into full-fledged Diet Coke enthusiasts.

“John’s model made us highly credible,” Carew said. “We’d present our marketing plan to a bottler, and then he’d explain how it would pay out.”

As Farrell explains it, “The economics of Diet Coke were so unbelievably simple because it didn’t have any sugar. When you remove the second-highest cost item after aluminium cans, you can make the numbers trend pretty well. Diet Coke gave us dramatically accelerated growth in a growing category with a very high-margin structure.”

‘Just for the taste of it’

The financial model gave Coca-Cola USA the confidence to invest in marketing the brand. Steve Norcia, a former executive at the McCann Erickson ad agency, and his team at SSC&B – a division of Interpublic – crafted the ad campaign that would introduce and sustain Diet Coke in its first year.

“We positioned it as a great-tasting soft drink that happens to have one calorie, rather than as a diet

July 29, 1982 revealed the first ever Diet Coke TV Ad at Radio City Music Hall, New York.

Members of the Diet Coke team beneath the Radio City Music Hall marquee before the filming of the brand’s debut TV commercial.

Diet Coke’s introductory tagline communicated ‘everything anyone needed to know about the product’ and became the team’s mantra.

drink that tastes great,” Norcia explains. “We thought this would broaden its appeal as the first diet soft drink to emphasize sheer pleasure and great taste – not just part of a diet regimen.”

According to Farrell, the resulting “Just for the Taste of It” tagline “communicated everything anyone needed to know about the physical product.” This vision drove Team Diet Coke’s decision-making on everything from packaging graphics, to instore merchandising, to billboards.

“It became our mantra,” Garner said.

The face of the brand

Diet Coke existed only on paper for months, but mock-ups of the initial packaging graphics gave the brand a visual identity. The team built a makeshift grocery aisle inside an abandoned syrup plant next to company headquarters to see how the designs would look on the shelf alongside other brands. Paper graphics were taped to empty cans.

“At that point, it all became very real,” Bell said. The winning design included bold red letters against a white background with diagonal pinstripes revealing the shiny silver aluminium.

Understanding the diet consumer

The core Diet Coke demographic was baby boomers who were getting 20 years older and 20 pounds heavier. “We had an in-depth knowledge of our target consumer and the issue of weight in America,” Carew said. “It all added up to a total impression of a better experience in the diet segment than the consumer had been getting.”

SSC&B’s extensive consumer research revealed several key insights that steered the brand’s marketing strategy. “We asked people which celebrities they thought would drink Diet Coke, and they responded with names of very masculine movie stars,” Norcia said. “That gave us the enthusiasm and verification to go after men.”

Hurry up or wait?

Behind the scenes, researchers had been working for more than two years to formulate a new low-calorie soft drink worthy of sharing the Coca-Cola name. And while extensive consumer taste tests revealed

that Diet Coke was preferred over the competition, both were sweetened with the only approved noncaloric sweetener at the time: saccharin.

This meant that Diet Coke needed to get a leg up by playing up its taste, the strength of the Coca-Cola name and a keen understanding of the social psychology of the target consumer through packaging and advertising.

Coke’s regulatory team predicted that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would approve aspartame by 1985. Several executives wanted to ride the wave of the industry by waiting until a standard sweetener was available to launch Diet Coke.

“We knew aspartame was going to happen; it was just a matter of when,” Carew says. “Our counterargument to those who wanted to wait for was differentiate or die. We had to get out in front, enter the market with a saccharin base and take advantage of the awareness and acceptance of the event. In short, we had to succeed with brand power and bottler system power.”

Six lead markets – New York, Jacksonville (Fla.), San Diego, Minneapolis, Denver and Baltimore –were selected to debut the brand. “By rolling out slowly, we hoped to spark a bit of friendly competition among markets,” Carew explains. “For example, we wanted Los Angeles to keep an eye on what New York was doing. Because they set the standard… and it was high.”

A premier event

Coca-Cola held a high-profile press conference in New York City on July 8, 1982. Reporters packed the Hyatt Hotel, where Dyson announced that “the most significant new product introduction in the entire 96-year history of The Coca-Cola Company” would be available in the Big Apple within days.

A week later – before the first case had been delivered – 75 percent of the area population was aware of Diet Coke’s imminent introduction. This awareness, fuelled by mounting bottler enthusiasm, gave the brand a big head start.

Diet Coke’s first TV commercial had to define the character of the brand and make a bold statement. Dyson told Mal MacDougall, SSC&B’s creative director, that he expected the advertising equivalent of putting a man on the moon.

Carew arrived at the office one morning, having just heard the news that Princess Diana had given birth to Prince William. After kicking around the idea with the team, he called Norcia and asked him if Diet Coke could be positioned as heir to the throne of Coca-Cola.

“Steve bounced it off Mal, who came to Atlanta a few days later to show us how the ‘heir to the throne’ metaphor could translate to a TV commercial,” Carew said. “After seeing the story boards, Brian said, ‘My socks just fell down.’” He had his moon shot.

The spot was filmed on July 29, 1982 at Radio City Music Hall in New York after a gala event for bottlers and key customers. The ad carried the mystique of the Academy Awards with the brand’s name in lights on the Radio City marquee, footage of the famous Rockettes performing onstage, and the voiceover, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the world pre-

miere of a great new soft drink called Diet Coke.”

“We wanted to make it clear that Diet Coke was a new product no one had ever seen before,” Norcia said. “When the advertising broke, we went to all the major TV stations in New York and brought cases of Diet Coke in for the staff to drink so they could celebrate with us.”

Team Diet Coke – who took in the spectacle from the third balcony – stayed at Radio City until about 4 a.m., when production finally wrapped after 42 takes. “By the end, I think the Rockettes had been on stage for six or eight hours,” Garner remembers.

Making a mark

Months later, Nielsen reported the first market share for Diet Coke in Denver. Carew jotted down the data and went to the company auditorium where Dyson was holding a meeting with bottlers. “I walked across the stage and handed him the piece of paper,” Carew recalls. “The room turned into a celebration… cheers, whistles, hugs, bravos.”

The news lit a fuse. Who would beat Denver? No one ever did, but a series of once-in-a-lifetime bottler rollouts soon followed with great fanfare.

“The success of the launch showed the greatness of the entire Coca-Cola system,” Carew said. “Our bottlers truly understand what it takes to make an indulgent, impulse product launch a success. So much of what Diet Coke did was excite and motivate the bottling system… which goes back to John’s model.”

By the end of 1983, Diet Coke was the No. 1 diet soft drink in the U.S. and the top soft drink brand among women. At the end of 1984, Diet Coke displaced 7UP as the No. 3 soft drink in the U.S. behind Coca-Cola and Pepsi – a position it held until the end of 2010 when it overtook Pepsi. At the end of the ‘80s, Advertising Age named Diet Coke Brand of the Decade.

“Being the number-one diet drink was an automatic slam dunk,” said Garner. “That was just a stepping stone for us. Our aspiration was never short of being one of the top-selling soft drinks in the world.”

Lessons learned

The success of the brand demonstrated the importance of trusting people to do their jobs and to take risks.

“Give them all the latitude they can possibly take,” Carew said. “You also have to be credible. You have to know your stuff, study everything, and have an answer to any question that might come up. And lastly, you have to be so confident that you charge out there and demonstrate to the world that you know what you’re doing.”

Teamwork and an entrepreneurial spirit are important, too, Garner said. “Yes, each of us can do great things as individuals. But we worked as a team, including our agency partners.”

He concluded: “My entrepreneurial seeds were sown in the days of Diet Coke. Every time I speak to these guys, that entrepreneurial spirit comes back. This team will be together forever.”

• www.coca-colacompany.com/about-us/ history/diet-coke-global-premiere-1982 <

Diet Coke as it looks today alongside its caffeine-free stable mate.

No/low alcohol shows healthy growth

No- and low-alcohol beer/cider,

markets

IWSR’s report examined 10 focus markets in December 2022 – the UK, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Spain and the USA – and the results showed that the market value of no/low alcohol products in 2022 surpassed £9 billion, up from £6.5 billion in 2018.

The pace of growth of this category is expected to surpass that of the last four years, with forecast volumes of +7%, 2022-26, compared to +5%, 201822 (figures reflect the compound annual growth rate). No-alcohol will spearhead this growth, expected to account for over 90% of the forecast total category volume growth.

“The dynamic no/low-alcohol category presents opportunities for incremental sales growth as consumers are recruited from drinks categories such as soft drinks and water. Brand owners have an opportunity to recruit non-drinkers of alcohol,” said Susie Goldspink, Head of No-and Low-Alcohol, IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. “As more people opt to avoid alcohol on certain occasions – or abstain from it altogether – no-alcohol is steadily increasing its share of the no/low category. No-alcohol is growing faster than low-alcohol in most markets.”

Improved taste, production techniques and a diversification of consumption occasions, are driving no-alcohol’s dominance over low-alcohol in

many markets, and IWSR expects no-alcohol volumes to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of +9% between 2022 and 2026.

The maturity of the no/low-alcohol category varies widely by market, with the world’s most valuable no/low-alcohol markets being the UK, Germany, Japan, Spain and the USA.

No-alcohol beer/cider is expected to represent 70% of the overall no/low-alcohol growth between 2022 and 2026, and no-alcohol spirits will see some of the more dynamic growthas brand owners invest in innovation and products are given more space by the on-trade and retailers.

A maturing consumer base

No/low consumers are maturing at a global level, with Millennials the largest age group, according to the report.

Switching between alcohol and no/low is common, both in the same occasion and between different ones, with 78% of consumers of no/low products also drinking full-strength alcohol. The largest subset (41% of no/low consumers) are classified as ‘substituters’, who choose no/low products when avoiding alcohol on certain occasions.

However, ‘abstainers’, who refrain from drinking alcohol altogether, account for 18% of no/low consumers, and their numbers are rising in most markets, with younger legal-drinking-aged consumers at the fore. The ‘abstainers’ group has changed most in size in the past year, with nine out of 10 markets seeing an increase.

Driving growth

With people motivated to drink no/low by lifestyle, rather than necessity, growth is now being driven both by recruitment of new consumers and by greater participation. Daytime consumption of both no- and low-alcohol has increased, signalling potential for the category to expand beyond alcohol-replacement occasions.

“This pattern of avoiding alcohol on certain occasions or altogether is driving no- over low- alcohol growth,” said IWSR’s Goldspink. “Pair this with the rise of functional beverages – often containing ‘mood-enhancing’ adaptogens or nootropics – and the result is a strong outlook for no-alcohol.”

• For the full report visit theiwsr.com

wine, spirits and ready-to-drink products grew by more than +7% in volume across 10 key global

in 2022, according to a study published by IWSR Drinks Market Analysis.

”

As more people opt to avoid alcohol on certain occasions – or abstain from it altogether – no-alcohol is steadily increasing its share of the no/low category. No-alcohol is growing faster than low-alcohol in most markets.

No-alcohol beer/cider is expected to represent 70% of the overall no/low-alcohol growth between 2022 and 2026.

Live sport a key driver

Greene King explains how live sport can prove instrumental in driving footfall, growing sales and profits.

With the new football season having kicked off and the Rugby World Cup now well underway, there are plenty of up-coming opportunities to use live sport to boost footfall, sales and profits in clubs.

According to research, depending on what you pay for your sports TV subscriptions, venues can see an average return on investment of some- where between x4 and x8. (Through its Money Maker initiative, Greene King and Belhaven are able to offer their customers discounts of up to 50% on their subscriptions.)

With a veritable feast of top-class sport on the cards over the next few months, now is the perfect time to consider how you could cash in on the British love of competitive sport to drive increased footfall and help grow your bottom line.

Thirst quenchers

Leveraging the allure of sport, however, is only part of the solution. The key challenge – and major opportunity – lies in turning that extra footfall into increased sales in your venue.

Fortunately, Greene King and Belhaven’s longstanding and very deep links with a range of sports offers you the perfect platform to build on.

Top-quality ale has long enjoyed a harmonious and mutually beneficial relationship with quintessentially British sports like rugby and cricket.

Greene King IPA is the perfect example, having been the Official Beer of England Rugby for eight consecutive years and title sponsor of the English Rugby Championship for eight years.

Greene King IPA also supports grassroots rugby through its ground-breaking Proud To Pitch In initiative, as well as counting over 100 rugby clubs as Free Trade customers.

At 3.6% ABV, it’s the perfect session beer for your customers to enjoy during big rugby occasions – so make sure you keep it prominent in-venue in the coming months.

Similarly, the recently refreshed Belhaven Best has enjoyed a lengthy involvement with rugby and is a firm favourite of many drinkers when it comes to spending a few hours in the club watching the match.

Packed programme

It seems that there are more live sporting fixtures than ever these days and this summer in particular is packed to the rafters with top notch matches and tournaments across all key sports including both codes of rugby, cricket, football, golf, tennis and F1 to name but a few.

On Friday, August 11, the new Premier League season gets underway with Burnley hosting reigning champions Manchester City and there will be plenty more live games across the season on Sky Sports,

Prime Video and TNT Sports.

Work it hard

According to the experts, however, the key to turning live sports into sales and profits lies in working your sports TV subscriptions hard.

The biggest battle clubs face isn’t other venues showing live sports, it’s getting sports fans off their sofa in the first place.

Key to this is communicating the fixtures you are showing in your venue as widely as possible, to both existing and potential members.

A chalkboard outside your club or a fixtures list on the wall might help drive more business among existing members but to reach new people, social media is vital.

It’s also recommended that venues maximise the value of their subscriptions by experimenting with sports other than just football, rugby and cricket.

You wouldn’t pay for a keg of beer and throw half of it away, so why pay for a subscription and only show a fraction of the matches?

Fresh profit

It’s worth remembering that you’re already paying for your subscriptions, so every single new member you can sign up by showing live sport is helping increase a return on investment.

And, if you don’t currently show live sports but

Greene King showcased their Value For Venues strategy at the CIU’s Beer & Trades Exhibition in April in Blackpool.

are considering it and would like to take advantage of the discounted deals available through Greene King and Belhaven, speak to your Sales Development Manager now to find out how to win with sport this summer.

Making the most of live sports

When it comes to making the very most out of your sports TV subscriptions, the key is to avoid simply sticking a TV on in the corner and hoping people come in, according to Fanzo, the app that helps fans find venues showing live sports in their local area.

Their top tips are:

• Maximise the range of sports you show

It’s a big mistake to only show the Premier League. Yes, Premier League and Champions League ties will always reign supreme, and football is critical: it accounts for 53% of all online searches for clubs showing sport.

That other 47%, however, represents a massive opportunity to experiment, set yourself apart from other venues and maximise your profits.

Consider sports, such as NFL, that are experiencing huge growth each year and experiment with new sports to target specific groups.

Is there a South Asian or Australasian community in your town? Advertising live cricket could be a great way to get new people through the door.

The best thing about diversifying what you show is that most of these events happen outside of the traditional football slots.

Indian Premier League cricket takes place on weekday afternoons, whilst the NFL and Serie A (Italian football) are great opportunities to get sports fans into your venue on potentially quiet nights.

• Find out what’s on

Not sure what to show? There are lots of ways to check out every sporting event that’s scheduled, including a free TV guide for sport at Fanzo (fanzo.com/en/tvguide). And, of course, all the key sporting events of the month are printed in Club Journal on pages 30-31 each month.

• Reach members online

With an exciting range of sport in your venue each week, it’s vital you tell people about it, both existing and potential customers. In the past, you might have placed a chalkboard listing the games outside your bar but these days you’re far more likely to drive new footfall by reaching customers on their mobile phone. So, it makes sense to list your fixtures on social media.

• Deliver a high-quality experience Flatscreen TVs and dropdown projectors are more affordable than ever so it’s cheaper now to offer the

sort of high-quality experience that will get customers off the sofa, away from their own TV and their cans of beer, to come to the club for great quality pint and an immersive, social experience.

The key to winning this battle is to offer a superior experience to the one that customers can get at home.

Sport means spend...

According to Ipsos data from June 2022, 57% of club-going sport viewers spend more when watching sport than when not.

Sport delivers unmatched drama, which is proven to bring in more customers, who stay for longer, spend more – and keep coming back.

Greene King and Belhaven have a range of discounts to help you save on your bill, and free marketing support tools so you maximise your return on investment.

Another thing to bear in mind when planning activity around live matches is that sports fans love a challenge, whether that’s quizzes, prediction games or raffles.

Running these in your pub is a brilliant way to engage customers before and after big games whilst rewarding them for their loyalty.

So, with a feast of sport on the way, be sure to speak to your Greene King Sales Development Manager about how we can help.

The best of

Saturday, October 14, 5pm – Sky Sports Super League: Grand Final

A punishingly physical Super League season reaches its climax at Old Trafford. Can St Helens make it an astonishing five consecutive Grand Final wins? They clinched the 2022 title in comprehensive fashion beating Leeds Rhinos 24-12 and are once again among the favourites to continue their incredible dominance of this competition.

Thursday, October 5, 9.30pm

Sky Sports Cricket Cricket World Cup 2023: England v New Zealand

Thursday, October 5, 5.45pm TNT Sports UEFA Europa League: SC Freiburg v West Ham United

Thursday, October 5, 8pm

TNT Sports

UEFA Europa League: Liverpool v Union Saint-Gilloise

Friday, October 6, 8pm

Saturday, October 21, 12.30pm – TNT Sports Premier League: Liverpool v Everton

The ‘Friendly Derby’ takes place at Anfield as the city of Liverpool breaks down into its red and blue components. After back-to-back seasons of relegation battles, their 2023-24 campaign got off to a terrible start as, for the first time in the Toffees’ 145-year history, they lost their opening three games of a season without scoring a single goal. Can they spring a major surprise in this fixture?

Sky Sports Football Championship Football: Birmingham City v West Bromwich Albion

Saturday, October 7, 5.30pm

Sky Sports Premier League Premier League: Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest

Friday, September 8, 11am

Sky Sports Cricket International One-Day Cricket: England v New Zealand, 2nd ODI

Sunday, October 8, 2pm

Sky Sports Premier League Premier League: Brighton & Hove Albion v Liverpool

Sunday, October 8, 4.30pm

Sunday, October 29, 3.30pm – Sky Sports Premier League Premier League: Man United v Man City

The first time these two sides have met since the FA Cup Final back in May and City will be favourites to continue their winning streak against their red counterparts, despite this tie taking place on the hallowed turf of Old Trafford.

Sky Sports Premier League Premier League: Arsenal v Manchester City

Tuesday, October 10, 6am

Sky Sports Cricket Cricket World Cup 2023: England v Bangladesh

Wednesday, October 11, 7.45pm Viaplay Sport/S4C

Football – International Friendly: Wales v Gibraltar

Friday, October 13, 7.45pm

Channel 4

Football – International Friendly: England v Australia

Saturday, October 14, 5pm

Sky Sports Super League: Grand Final

Tuesday, October 10, 9.30am

Sky Sports Cricket Cricket World Cup 2023: England v Afghanistan

Sunday, October 15, 7.45pm

Channel 4

Football – UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifier: Wales v Croatia

Tuesday, October 17, 7.45pm

Channel 4

Football – UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifier: England v Italy

Tuesday, October 21, 9.30am

Sky Sports Cricket Cricket World Cup 2023: England v South Africa

Saturday, October 21, 12.30pm

TNT Sports Premier League: Liverpool v Everton

Saturday, October 21, 1pm

ITV Horse Racing: British Champions Day, Ascot

There is no shortage of fantastic sporting action next month with some huge Premier League and UEFA Champions League ties, plus the climaxes of both the Rugby World Cup and the Super League.

October’s live sport

Horse Racing: QIPCO British Champions Day, Saturday, October 21, 1pm, ITV

Saturday, October 21, 5.30pm

Sky Sports Premier League Premier League: Chelsea v Arsenal

Saturday, October 21, 8pm

Sky Sports Premier League Premier League: Sheffield United v Manchester United

Sunday, October 22, 4.30pm

Sky Sports Premier League Premier League: Aston Villa v West Ham United

Monday, October 23, 8pm

Sky Sports Premier League Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham

Tuesday, October 24, 5.45pm

TNT Sports

UEFA Champions League: Galatasaray v Bayern Munich

Tuesday, October 24, 8pm

TNT Sports

UEFA Champions League: Manchester United v FC Copenhagen

Tuesday, October 24, 8pm

TNT Sports

UEFA Champions League: Sevilla v Arsenal

Wednesday, October 25, 8pm TNT Sports

UEFA Champions League: Newcastle United v Borussia Dortmund

Wednesday, October 25, 8pm TNT Sports

UEFA Champions League: Young Boys v Manchester City

Thursday, October 26, 9.30am

Sky Sports Cricket Cricket World Cup 2023: England v Sri Lanka

Thursday, October 26, 5.45pm TNT Sports UEFA Europa League: Olympiakos v West Ham United

Thursday, October 26, 8pm TNT Sports UEFA Europa League: Liverpool v Toulouse

Friday, October 27, 8pm

Sky Sports Premier League Premier League: Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur

Saturday, October 28, 12.30pm

TNT Sports Premier League: Chelsea v Brentford

Saturday, October 28, 5.30pm

Sky Sports Premier League: Wolves v Newcastle United

Saturday, October 28, 7pm

TNT Sports Box Office Boxing: Tyson Fury v Francis Ngannou

Saturday, October 28, 7pm

ITV Rugby World Cup 2023: The Final

Sunday, October 29, 8.30am

Sky Sports Cricket Cricket World Cup 2023: India v England

Sunday, October 29, 1pm

Sky Sports Premier League

Premier League: West Ham United v Everton

Sunday, October 29, 3.30pm

Sky Sports Premier League

Premier League: Manchester United v Manchester City

TNT Sports and trade charity team up

On July 29, St George’s Park, Home of English football, played host to TNT Sports Pub Cup as well as a high-scoring charity match between a Pub & Club Trade team and a TNT Sports side.

The 2023 TNT Sports charity match raised an impressive £2,750 for the Licensed Trade Charity, after a high scoring match where £250 for each goal scored was donated.

The TNT Sports team emerging victorious after a convincing 9-2 win over a Pub & Club Trade Select team, which included representatives from Punch Pubs, Marston’s, licensees, suppliers and the media, including Club Mirror’s very own Sean Ferris.

Paula Smith, Head of Marketing, Licensed Trade Charity, added: “We’re delighted that TNT Sports chose to support the Licensed Trade Charity. Every goal scored in the charity match will raise vital funds to help us provide emotional support, specialist guidance or a financial grant to people in the drinks business confronted with challenging times, so we were cheering every goal that went in!”

Former England international goalkeepers David James and Siobhan Chamberlain, along with defender Phil Jagielka, helped to coach the two sides in the charity match.

The trade team enjoyed the advice and expertise of David James, and despite not reaching their full potential on the day, put heart and soul into their game.

David James, former England international goalkeeper, commented: “I’ve always loved grassroots football. The standard of play was exceptional, with some performances that could rival the very top level.”

The Moline Cross from Stockton-on-Tees won the women’s tournament, while Tyneside pub, the Mauretania, were crowned winners of the men’s competition, collecting the trophy from former England international Phil Jagielka. Both winning pubs receive free TNT Sports for a year plus a £1,000 voucher. The runners up receive a £500 voucher each.

Hundreds of teams entered the TNT Sports Pub Cup, with 16 finalists playing on the day in the men’s and women’s competition after winning a place at regional heats in London, Cardiff, Manchester and Newcastle.

Alasdair Collis, director of commercial customers at TNT Sports said: “The TNT Sports Pub Cup is an exceptional way of celebrating the vital link between pubs and their communities. This year we were delighted to be able to use the world class facilities at St George’s Park for a charity game to raise funds

and awareness for the Licensed Trade Charity at a time when many people need support more than ever before. Congratulations to all of those who took part in the charity game and the tournament itself, especially our champions for this year, The Mauretania and The Moline Cross.”   TNT Sports now presents the premium live

sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Heineken Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE.

• www.tntsportsbusiness.co.uk

1. Get ready, get set – dressing room at the ready.

2. Coach David James inspires the trade team. “What’s your name?” he asks. “We don’t know” they reply. The trade We Don’t Know team is born.

3 and 4. The trade team – visions of glory? Pictured with the iconic Premier League Trophy.

5. All for charity.

6. And the winners are? The team from TNT Sports.

7. Tyneside pub the Mauretania are crowned winners of the men’s trophy.

8. The Moline Cross from Stockton-on-Tees won the women’s Pub Cup tournament.

ABOUT THE LTC

The Licensed Trade Charity (LTC) was established in 1793 to support the licensed trade. It has established commercial operations and investments that generate the income used to fund its charitable work, alongside an army of fundraisers.

It’s mission is “to equip people to be selfreliant and achieve their personal best”.

It is estimated that around 250,000 people working in the licensed trade are in need of support at any one time and the LTC helps hundreds of people facing a crisis with practical, emotional and financial support each year.

The LTC has also been educating children from the trade since 1803 and owns and manage three independent schools. (A 20% discount on school fees is offered to the licensed trade and a few full scholarships are available.)

• www.licensedtradecharity.org.uk

Drinks Trust – top priorities for workforce revealed

Results from The Drinks Trust’s annual survey shows that 96% of the hospitality and drinks industry want to undertake professional development initiatives to help them in their career in the next 12 months.

The Drinks Trust is dedicated to the drinks and hospitality workforce and aims to empower people within the industry through services designed to assist financially, restore wellbeing and develop skills.

Alexandra Miller, Education and Training Programme DEVELOP Manager at The Drinks Trust said: “The research shows the workforce is

hungry for tangible, measurable and worthwhile experiences that can benefit them in the long term. We’re heartened to learn that there’s a large population considering stress as a factor to address proactively. However, it also unearths a vital need for managers to talk to their teams more about resources available to them.”

While over half of the industry’s workforce ben-

efit from some signposting to available resources, worryingly, 40% of respondents are not spoken to by their managers about their development or wellbeing at all.

DEVELOP Training Courses

The Drinks Trust launched its Education and Training programme, DEVELOP, in 2022 with the

aim to bring new talent to the trade while helping people out of long-term hardship. It offers individuals educational opportunities, resources, and bursaries to enter the industry or learn new skills to grow their careers. Support includes a variety of training options, from generalist short courses for skills such as CV writing and customer service, to specialist courses in bartending, brewing, distillation amongst others. Click here for more information or visit www.drinkstrust.org.uk

KEEP UP TO DATE

Stay up to date with all things Drinks Trust by connecting on the Drinks Community Platform, a member platform for people in the drinks industry to network, share ideas and have access to resources to help them upskill and develop their careers.

• www.drinkstrust.org.uk

THE DRINKS TRUST – A HISTORY

The Drinks Trust, formerly The Benevolent, has been supporting the drinks industry since 1886.

On 1st of February 1886, Robert Gray, a City of London wine merchant, wrote to the Chairman of the Wine and Spirit Association proposing the formation of a Benevolent Society for current and previous long-term employees of the wine and spirit trade facing hardship.

Following this, a letter was published in the press voicing concern that the drinks industry was in recession and therefore could not afford a trade charity. This prompted Robert Gray to comment that this made the need even more urgent, and his colleagues agreed.

The charity’s first general meeting was held on 8 December 1886 at the Vintners’ Hall in London hosted by the Worshipful Company at Vintners’.

From March 2020, The Benevolent became known as The Drinks Trust. The mission remains unchanged – to help those in the industry facing serious social and medical issues, as well as financial hardship. In addition, a new holistic approach aims to enable members of the drinks community to thrive and succeed in their professions.

• www.drinkstrust.org.uk

GREENE