Why one spirits brand ditched its ‘most distinctive’ asset
Suntory Global Spirits whiskey brand Basil Hayden saw sales and brand health metrics grow after it ditched its most recognisable asset, its “bib” label.
Brands choosing to scrap a distinctive asset is normally a pretty unpopular move among marketing circles. People on LinkedIn still point to Tropicana’s 2009 rebrand, where a decision to move away from its orange and straw image on front of packaging contributed to a 20% plunge in sales.
Yet, this was exactly what Suntory Global Spirits decided to do a few years ago, by scrapping “the most distinctive asset” for one of its brands, in pursuit of its future growth, according to Suntory global senior manager for insights and analytics Noemi Marelli, speaking yesterday (26 September) at the Market Research Society’s Behavioural Science Summit.
