German liqueur brand takes a shot at India

BRAND PROMOTION: Jagermeister to give competition to Jack Daniels, Tequila.

German premier spirit label Jagermeister (pronounced as Yagermeister) is aiming to become the number one shots brand in India in the next three years.

"Jagermeister is a spirit that is a category by itself. It will be endorsed as a shots brand largely due to the emerging shots culture in India," says David Bell, regional director (Asia Pacific), Jagermeister.

"Since it is a niche drink, our competition will be more image-based. For example, a Jack Daniels or a tequila brand would be our competitor," he adds.

The Mast-Jagermeister AG offering, which debuted in India in May this year, is all set for a national roll-out through a series of parties in the metros before heading for tier-2 cities.

The herbal liqueur is said to be made of 56 herbs. The company sold 6.2 million cases of Jagermeister last year globally and is currently rated as the 13th most popular brand internationally.

The liqueur market in India witnessed nearly 90 per cent growth with the total consumption touching 12,000 cases this year, as against 6,300 cases in 2006.

"Our business in the Asia-Pacific region has witnessed more than five-fold growth in the last two years. India will be an important market for us moving forward. I think the time is right to take the first step into the market, as the drinking preference of the Indian consumer is changing," says Bell.

Jagermeister has already been launched in 15 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. "These markets are not only diverse, but they are also at different stages of economic development. Every sale is local, so we adapt our brand building strategy for each country following a multidomestic approach," adds Bell.

"The company's marketing strategy is driven by the 'think global, act local' approach," says Bell.

At present, the company is concentrating on brand building initiatives, with a below-the-line approach and on-premise activities to establish the brand before going in for national-level advertising.

Jagermeister hopes to establish its presence in India through a series of consumer parties which will be held across Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata, followed by Chandigarh and Bangalore.

In the international arena, the product was repositioned as a party drink to push sales and the concept of branded tap machines at the point of purchase to serve chilled Jagermeister was also introduced.

The company plans to apply this international marketing mix to India with Jagermeister party series, designed to communicate the Jagermeister brand essence to Indian consumers.

The Jagermeister party crew, known as the Jagerettes, will introduce Indian consumers to Ice Cold Jagermeister shots and mixed drinks.

The Jagermeister Tap Machines will also be used at venues to ensure Jagermeister shots are served at an ice cold temperature. The company plans to introduce 1,000 Tap Machine Dispensers by 2009.

Jagermeister Music Tour is also likely to come to India once the brand has established its presence in the country.

"At this point, we are more concerned about image competitors within the party drink brands. We see great potential in tier-2 markets and plan to take the promotional activities to these cities within the next six-eight months," says Bell.