The Absolut strikes back

 Well well… Okay… I do have to admit that Smirnoff bottles aren’t my only party friends. If I look at the pictures of the past month parties I have to say that Absolut Vodka bottles are at the back of most of crazy pictures and yes most of the time… empty! And nothing is more normal given that Absolut is the second best VODKA seller worldwide, after Smirnoff. The originally Swedish brand, now owned by the giant French group Pernot Ricard sold more than 11,2 Millions cases in 2011 and the figures are getting bigger and bigger year after year. (http://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2012/07/vodka-brand-champions-2012/)

 

So what can explain the success of Absolut? They were the first to diversify their flavors, peach, caramel, lemon, and strawberry and so on and so forth. True and it has participated to the success of the brand but this diversification is quite recent and the success of the brand has not only been built on this. Actually Absolut has always believed in continuity combined with  variety (http://fr.slideshare.net/FeLix29/absolut-vodka-marketing-strategy-11547939).

 

The first Absolut Bottle advertising started in 1975 and ran over 25 years, remaining as one of the most famous marketing campaign that have ever existed. The campaign won more the 350 awards. All the Bottle ads campaign was focused on the original shape of the bottle associated with a city, a famous person or just a word. It was a really efficient campaign as it had a continuous background corporate message ‘Absolut is everything and everywhere with you’ and could adjust a secondary message to each different advert in order to emphasize on a new product, a new trend a new place, a news in the media or a new flavor.

 

Since 2010 Absolut has a new marketing campaign, totally discontinued from the previous one, now emphasizing on a message rather than on the Brand. What Happen ‘In an Absolut world’ The message is simple and greatly playing on humor and emotion. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49UCWUxLRO4&list=PLDF58EB4212D7C942)

 

This simple message enables Absolut to send messages about how the Brand sees the world, pushing the common rules away and positioning the brand on serious worldwide issues (Global warming). Thanks to this new campaign, sales have jumped about 10% between 2009 and 2010.

What’s more, it is important to note that Absolut also support the brand through cooperation with artists and musicians (http://www.contactmusic.com/pages/lennykravitzx18x01x06)

Absolut also does expose its products in Medias, movies and unlikely locations (here below in the  famous Simpson series)

 

To conclude, we can easily say that Absolut strategy has been over the years a real success, overexposing the brand to their target, and sending clear and precise messages to their target… And yes targets like me so once again not a surprise to notice that I have a lot of Absolut carcass at home.