Australian Drinks Awards 2018

from Drinks Trade | Nov/Dec 2018

by Racs Salcedo

The Eye

2018 WINNERS SHOWCASED

CONGRATULATIONS WINNERS!

Innovation and evolution is vital to keep pace in our dynamic industry, which is why the Australian Drinks Awards announced an exciting new format this year.

After consultation with suppliers, Thrive Research and Advantage Australia, The Drinks Association overhauled the judging process and award categories for the drinks industry’s most prestigious event.

The result was a night that celebrated the achievements of the talented people and companies in our industry.

The re-imagined Australian Drinks Awards saw Australia’s top 200 brands automatically considered in Award segments of Fan Favourite, Most Distinctive Brand and Emerging Brand.

The Supplier category was expanded, adding Most Improved Supplier and Supply Chain Management Awards to the coveted Supplier of the Year trophy.

To reflect industry focus, three Contribution to Industry awards were also introduced: the Gender Equity Award, Inclusive & Diverse Workplace Award, and the Corporate Social Responsibility Award.

One thing that didn’t change was the credible, clear and transparent judging that has made winning at the Australian Drinks Awards so desirable.

Thank you to our Award Sponsors – Manildra Group, Endeavour Drinks Group, Aon, Mainfreight, Advantage, Kegstar, Coles Liquor and BevChain – without you we couldn’t have celebrated such a wonderful night.

Congratulations to all the winners at the 2018 Australian Drinks Awards. It was a proud moment for me to see so many fantastic brands and people awarded on stage.

I look forward to The Drinks Association contributing to another successful year for the drinks industry in 2019.

GEORGIA LENNON

Chief Executive Officer The Drinks Association

AUSTRALIAN DRINKS AWARDS 2018 ALL THE WINNERS!

What an amazing night it was at the 2018 Australian Drinks Awards.

More than 400 guests celebrated the achievements and innovations of the Australian industry at the Ivy Ballroom in Sydney, in a re-imagined awards ceremony.

This year, the top 200 brands were automatically entered in the brand awards, which include Fan Favourite, Emerging Brand of the Year and Most Distinctive Brand. All three categories celebrate success in beer, cider, wine, spirits and RTD.

And the result was an exciting mix of old and new, well-established and bravely innovative, big and small players.

The Drinks Association also expanded the supplier awards to include Supplier of the Year, the Supply Chain Partnership Award and Most Improved Supplier of the Year.

Plus, a Contribution to Industry category was added, to align with the industry’s focus on diversity, inclusion and social responsibility.

“Congratulations to all the winners,” said The Drinks Association CEO Georgia Lennon. “It was an incredibly proud moment for me to be in the room with so many dynamic and inspiring members of our vibrant industry.”

By Alana House

Ralph Dunning, President, Drinks Association

HOW THE AWARDS WORK

This year, the Australian drinks Awards have been re-imagined to be more relevant and industry inclusive. These Awards are the most independent, credible and transparent in the alcohol industry, thanks to the rigorous process undertaken by a panel of judges and leading market research bodies Thrive and Advantage Australia to find the winners. Here’s how they do it. BRAND AWARDS

This year, The Drinks Association introduced three new consumer judged awards - Fan Favourite, Most Distinctive Brand and Emerging Brand – to the Australian Drinks Awards. Australia’s top 200 brands across the categories of Beer, Wine, Spirits, RTD and Cider were automatically entered, removing the requirement for drinks companies to submit entries for Brand Awards, resulting in an awards process that was more streamlined, inclusive and accessible.

1. CONSUMER SURVEY

The Drinks Association joined with Thrive

Research to determine the winners of the new Brand Award categories, which were judged via a survey of 4000 target consumers.

2. WINNERS APPROVED

Thrive Research compiled all the analysis from the consumer survey to determine the winners of the 33 awards comprising

Fan Favourite, Most Distinctive Brand and Emerging Brand across the 11 drinks categories: Beer- Domestic, Beer – Imported,

Cider, RTD – Dark, RTD – White, Spirits – Dark, Spirits – White, Spirits - Aperitifs/ liqueurs, Wine – Red, Wine – White, and Wine - Sparkling/Champagne.

SUPPLIER AWARDS

In addition to the Supplier of the Year, two new Supplier awards were added this year – Most Improved Supplier and Supply Chain Management. These awards are determined by Advantage Australia via its Benchmarking Report, which measures how favourable a supplier is among their respective customers in the onpremise, off-premise and wholesale trade.

The Most Improved Supplier Award was introduced to recognise suppliers who have been recognised by retailers for improving their professionalism and delivery across the entirety of their commercial relationship.

The Supply Chain Management Award was introduced to place increased focus on the vital connection between suppliers and retailers in supply chain engagement beyond just the hard service level results.

As always, a business wins Supplier of the Year by having the highest Net Favourable result from the combined, total retail/wholesale network across all the important aspects of business engagement.

1. QUANTATIVE RESEARCH

Members of the on-premise, off-premise and wholesale trade are asked to take part in an online survey and rate suppliers they have worked with in the last 12 months against 35 performance factors such as business relationships, customer service and supply chain.

2. METHODOLOGY

In the trade survey, respondents rate suppliers using a five-point scale (one = highest and five = lowest). These are then converted to give each supplier a net favourable score, which can range from 100 to -100. Each supplier is then benchmarked against other suppliers based on this score.

3. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

The surveys are then followed up with interviews with personnel from all levels and functions of the trade businesses to gain deeper insights and specific feedback about the suppliers’ performance.

4. THE RESULTS

The quantitative data and qualitative feedback are analysed by Advantage to determine the

Supplier of the Year, which is the company with the highest net favourable score across the total program. These results are also integrated into supplier specific reports and presented back to participating suppliers.

CONTRIBUTION TO INDUSTRY AWARDS

The 2018 Australia Drinks Awards saw the introduction of a new segment of Awards called Contribution to Industry. There were three Awards in this segment including Gender Equity Award, Inclusive & Diverse Workplace Award and Corporate Social Responsibility Award.

Organisations entered these awards submitting content against a set of criteria, providing evidence of initiatives and strategies, as well as measurable outcomes.

Each of these Awards were judged by an independent set of judges, including leaders in industry and experts in the fields of Corporate Social Responsibility and Diversity & Inclusion.

Women in Drinks Chair Jennifer Collins, Diageo’s Francine Boyes and Aon’s Shannon O’Shea.

GENDER EQUITY AWARD WINNER - DIAGEO

Diageo Australia credits its focus on diversity as driving “brilliant performance” at the organisation.

The company recently won the inaugural Gender Equity trophy at the 2018 Australian Drinks Awards, which was introduced by The Drinks Association to celebrate excellence in gender equity initiatives and programs in the workplace.

The award recognises organisations that demonstrate excellence in initiatives and strategies facilitating gender equity in the workplace including engagement of women in the workplace, attraction and retention strategies for women, flexible work practices, training and development for women and returning to the workplace programs.

“Creating a work environment with a diverse mix of people, where everyone feels totally comfortable to be their authentic selves not only makes Diageo a great place to work that attracts the very best talent, it makes sure everyone is giving their very best and enjoying it,” said David Smith, MD Diageo Australia. “This in turn drives brilliant performance.

“We’ve had a sustained focus on gender diversity in recent years and from listening to our employees, we’ve designed programs and policies to support greater gender equality and there’s a lot to be proud of.

“My Executive Team is 50 per cent female and 50 per cent male. Likewise our Leadership Team, the 30 or so people who report directly into the Exec Team are also 50 per cent female, 50 per cent male.

“We consistently have no gender pay gap and in the last 12 months we’ve had four or five new dads from varying functions and levels all take parental care leave for between 4-6 months. We’ve worked with each employee to make the policy flex to their requirements whether that’s full-time parental leave, part time parental leave, or a combination. We now ask everyone who is becoming a parent regardless of gender, ‘what type of leave will you take?’

“We’ve got a strong focus on balance, wellbeing and connection, and we encourage our people to manage their energy not their time. We support this through a flexible work philosophy that allows employees to work in the way that works best for them to deliver the outcomes they and the business strive for.”

Diageo has formed an Inclusion Council that is made up of employees from across the business who volunteer their time to run events and information sessions that promote diversity and inclusion. The company also invests in welldeveloped coaching and mentoring programs.

“I’ve learnt that to make inroads in tackling gender inequality it’s got to be led from the top and it’s everyone’s responsibility,” Smith added. “Once the ball is rolling everybody gets involved to give it a push.”

Smith paid tribute to the work done by The Drinks Association’s Women in Drinks and Diversity & Inclusion Council to make the drinks industry an even more attractive place to work.

“As an industry we’ve recognised the importance of greater gender equality in our sector,” he said. “It’s fantastic to see these new Contribution to Industry awards that celebrate the progress we’re making. It’s an honour for Diageo Australia to receive the inaugural Gender Equity Award, and for our on-going commitment to drive gender equality in all parts of our business to be formally recognised by our industry peers.”

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR

The Gender Equity Award was sponsored by Aon.

“At Aon we believe in taking action today for a brighter future and as a leading HR consultancy, we are passionate about people,” said Aon Channel & Market Development head Simon Wolnizer.

“What better way to bring these together than recognising the actions taken by members of The Drinks Association. We are thrilled to be the sponsor of the very first Gender Equity Award at the Australian Drinks Awards and look forward to learning from Diageo and celebrating their success.”

THE CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AWARD WINNER - PERNOD RICARD WINEMAKERS

The Contribution to Industry category was added this year to align with the industry’s focus on diversity, inclusion and social responsibility.

The Corporate Social Responsibility Award acknowledges the work drinks companies are doing to promote positive social and environmental change.

Pernod Ricard Winemakers won the inaugural Corporate Responsibility Award for its Responsib’All Day initiative, which was created to find ways to get all employees, from directors to line workers, personally engaged in day-today corporate sustainability efforts, integrate sustainability into everyone’s job.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR

The Corporate Social Responsibility Award was sponsored by Endeavour Drinks Group.

Michael Jackson, Director - Merchandising, Marketing & Customer Insights EDG, noted, “It was a pleasure to sponsor and present the first CSR award at the Australian Drinks Awards. The award is a reflection of how all our businesses are changing and how important CSR is now to our curious customer. I look forward to seeing the industry evolve in this space over the coming years.”

THE INCLUSIVE & DIVERSE WORKPLACE AWARD WINNER - LION FOR LIONFLEX

The Inclusive & Diverse Workplace Award was created to recognise businesses that prioritise diversity and understand the value of an inclusive workplace for individuals and their organisations.

The entrants all demonstrated excellence in initiatives and strategies facilitating a diverse and inclusive workplace including wellbeing initiatives, fair and equitable treatment of employees and corporate values/principles that incorporate cultural change to diversity and inclusion.

Lion won the inaugural Inclusive & Diverse Workplace trophy at the 2018 Australian Drinks Awards for its LionFlex flexible work options initiative.

Lion has won the inaugural Inclusive & Diverse Workplace trophy at the 2018 Australian Drinks Awards for its LionFlex initiative.

The Inclusive & Diverse Workplace Award was created to recognise businesses that prioritise diversity and understand the value of an inclusive workplace for individuals and their organisations.

However, Lion’s LionFlex initiative came out on top. The initiative championships flexible work options for all Lion employees.

A spokesman for Lion said, “We are honoured to have received the award for Inclusion and Diversity at the 2018 Australian Drinks Awards.

“Flexible working was identified as key barrier for women and men. We didn’t want to just to attract more women to apply for roles or to support mothers in the workplace; we did it to provide our all our people with more options to balance their work and personal commitments.

“We have taken this approach to enable men to take a more active role in the family, to support our people with eldercare needs, to support those wanting to study or engage in fitness activities, to minimise time spent sitting in peak hour traffic, and to assist those individuals transitioning from, or into, extended leave.

“We had also noticed that the requirements were different for those working across different areas of the business. The needs of those individuals in corporate roles compared with

Michael Ritoli, Corporate Social Responsibility Judge, Jeff McKenzie, Sales Director, Pernod Ricard Australia and Michael Jackson, Director - Merchandising, Marketing & Customer Insights, EDG.

The Drinks Association’s Diversity & Inclusion Council Chair Denis Brown; Margherita Maini, Lion Beer Australia’s People & Culture Director; Cathi Scarce, Acting Director Liquor.

those at our manufacturing sites can be quite disparate, as an example.

“As a result, we developed LionFlex to respond to these changing needs, and to ensure that we could continue to attract and retain top talent. Our approach to LionFlex has been to make holistic cultural and systematic change, not just at an individual level.

“While the option to work flexibly had always been available at Lion, flexibility was not championed cohesively across the company, and was previously seen as primarily being a program for mothers. Furthermore, availability of flexible work options was dependent on an individual leaders’ discretion and perspective.

“Since LionFlex was launched, we have seen dramatic and positive changes in our people data, as highlighted by the results in our engagement and Inclusion and Diversity surveys, as well as our LinkedIn metrics. We have also seen more intangible changes in the feeling around the office where team members arrive and leave their workplaces as required openly sharing family stories, and the overall discretionary

effort and wellbeing of our people. ‘Flexing’ has become part of the Lion vocabulary, and team members and leaders challenge each other to make the most of flexible work options.

“It is an ongoing priority at Lion to make our workforce more inclusive and diverse, and we still have more way to go, however being recognised with this award is a sign we’re moving in the right direction.”

The Drinks Association’s Diversity & Inclusion Council Chair Denis Brown notes, “Like all the Australian Drinks Awards categories, showcasing real-life examples by member companies encourages us all to raise our game.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR

The Inclusive & Diverse Workplace award was sponsored by Coles Liquor.

“Attracting the best possible people to the industry means recognising that broadening your diversity range opens you up to a whole new world of potential talent,” said Cathi Scarce, Acting Director Liquor. “We sponsored the award as it is through our own belief in this that we have seen some fantastic people come into our business offering diversity of thought and experience that has enabled us to continue on our growth journey as a business.

“It’s just a plain fact that any business that wants to thrive must be future fit and this means recognising that a diverse and inclusive workplace will give you the best possible chance of keeping the industry growing.

“I couldn’t be more pleased or proud to see Lion named as the winner of the inaugural award. It’s through the commitment of businesses such as Lion that people see the drinks industry as a wonderful place to have a career and the many opportunities that are available ensuring the success of the drinks industry for many years to come.”

MOST DISTINCTIVE BRANDS OF THE YEAR

BEER (DOMESTIC):

Young Henrys; Young Henrys

RTD (WHITE):

Coco Vodka; Think Spirits

APERITIF/LIQUEUR:

Fireball; Southtrade

THE AWARD WINNERS

BEER (IMPORTED):

Guinness; Lion

SPIRITS (DARK):

The Kraken; Proximo

WINE (RED):

d’Arenberg; Inglewood Wines

CIDER:

Rekorderlig; Chilli Marketing

SPIRITS (WHITE):

Crystal Head; Think Spirits

WINE (WHITE):

Oyster Bay; Delegat Australia

RTD (DARK):

Jack Daniel’s & Lemonade; Brown-Forman

APERITIF/LIQUEUR:

Pimms; Diageo

WINE (SPARKLING):

Jansz; Samuel Smith & Son

YOUNG HENRYS

MAKING IT REAL

Six years young, Young Henrys took centre stage at this year’s Australian Drinks Awards amongst the country’s most established names when it brought home the Most Distinctive Domestic Beer Brand of the Year Award.

Drinks Trade sat down with founders, Richard Adamson and Oscar McMahon, to get the low down on what makes a successful indie beer brand and it’s not just great taste.

Drinks Trade: What did receiving the Most Distinctive Domestic Beer Brand of the Year award mean to the team at Young Henrys? Richard Adamson and Oscar

McMahon: We have always tried to do things that fit with our own tastes and ethos. Our focus, as a business, has always been on making great tasting beer and supporting our mates. We haven’t historically placed a lot of emphasis on awards but hey, we’re incredibly humbled (and yes, pretty bloody excited) to be recognised by the industry for doing things our own way. More than anything else, we’re inspired and encouraged to see independent, Aussie craft standing out alongside the domestic giants. The future is bright for indie craft beer.

DT: Tell us about Young Henrys, how did the brand get started?

RA & OM: Young Henrys started over two basic principles; the first, to create a beer company that spoke to our personal tastes and that of our friends, both in beer terms, and in regard to the soundtrack, the look and the marketing/party activities; the second was to create a beer company that was in touch with its drinkers and community.

And for the last seven fun-filled years we’ve been putting all our energy into ensuring our beer speaks for us and others and that we are using our brand to shine a light on the artists, musicians, and do’ers in our network and around the country, who continue to inspire us.

DT: What does the Young Henrys brand represent and how does it differ from other domestic beer brands?

RA & OM: One of the things that amazes us most about where we are as a company is how passionate and proud our staff and wider YH family are. Rather than setting out to market a brand, we’ve created products, events and projects we enjoy with the people we love, and always done it in our own way. Whether they’re artists, musicians or innovators in sustainability, the people we work with tend to come to us through mates (often staff or customers) who share a legitimate interest in their work. The result is a whole lot of fun and the kind of genuine relationships money can’t buy.

DT: This award indicates your brand is kicking goals in the trade. How has Young Henrys forged these strong relationships?

RA & OM: Our customers are a huge part of this award. We feel bloody lucky to have a bunch of customers who have been big supporters of our business (and in turn independent craft). It’s always a two-way street. We take a genuine interest in the venues and businesses that serve the people. By fostering some incredible, mutually beneficial relationships, we’ve been able to grow with our customers.

DT: Can you elaborate a bit more on your ‘extended relationships’ and whey they are important?

RA & OM: Our extended family and partners are like-minded people, who we respect and share our values. They’re a constant source of interesting conversation and big ideas. Visit younghenrys.com/ extended-family

DT: Are there any new exciting developments for the Young Henrys brand you can share with us?

RA & OM: We’ve just released the Hemp IPA we created with our mates at Afends (Byron Bay hemp clothing label). It was more than a year in the making so we’re stoked to share it with everyone. It’s been a wild ride and we’ve learned a lot in the process, including just how sustainable and versatile hemp is, and how well it complements the other flavours in beer. The project with Afends is a classic example of how a conversation with mates over a beer can turn into something fun and interesting that connects us with mates we haven’t met yet.

Visit the Young Henrys Newtown Brewery and taste the award-winning brew at 76 Wilford Street Newtown NSW.