Black Dog does a good turn to USL

UB Group flagship United Spirits (USL) has captured 10 per cent market share in the mid-priced scotch whiskey segment since the launch of Black Dog 8-year-old in 2006.

Encouraged by the buzz created among the consumers by the Black Dog 12-year-old deluxe, the company has now decided to launch the 8-year-old centenary variant of the brand.

"We are getting the benefit of youth dividend. With a large section of youth taking to drinking and their increasing income, we launched the 8-year-old version to expand the affordability of the brand," said Amrit Thomas, executive vice-president (marketing), USL.

Despite a tagline reading "Proudly old-fashioned since 1883", it has tried to make a connection with the younger lot.

Thomas explains that USL has not not tried to influence the consumers' choice of drinking or going without it. But it will offer all brands once the choice has been made to drink. Hence, the company has decided to extend the Black Dog offering by unveiling its 8-year-old centenary variant.

With the existing restrictions on liquor advertising, USL has promoted the brand by having strong on-trade presence through exclusive tie-ups with retailers and associating its brands through live events such as the McDowell Indian Derby and Jazz.

These events were carefully selected when consumer research showed that its target consumer was a person with mature taste in music and sports like these.

While whiskey along with rum form 40 per cent of total liquor sales in India, 50 per cent is contributed by beer and the rest by other kinds of alcohol drinks. The regular scotch whiskey market in India is pegged at 400,000 cases and growing at 30 per cent and the premium scotch whiskey market is 200,000 cases, growing at 40 per cent annually.