Exclusive | A million reasons to cheer: ABD's Ahmed Rahimtoola

Allied Blenders and Distillers Pvt. Ltd (ABD), India’s largest domestic alcobev company has achieved a rare feat as its semi-premium whisky brand ‘Officer’s Choice Blue’ has crossed sales of one million cases within one year of its launch. The phenomenal success of Officer’s Choice Blue is on the back of unique marketing initiatives, exquisite blend, attractive packaging and right pricing. The overall whisky industry in India had a modest growth of 3% (YTD Jan ‘13) while the semi premium whisky segment grew aggressively by 15% (YTD Feb ‘13). Officer’s Choice Blue’s introduction in this segment and expansion over the last few months has yielded rich dividends for the brand.

While talking to adgully Ahmed Rahimtoola, Senior Vice President-Marketing, ABD shared few insights about the company’s foray into the semi-premium whisky segment and the achievement.
“Crossing the magical one million cases mark within one year of launch is a rare feat. Numerous consumers across country have adopted Officer’s Choice Blue as their brand of choice in the semi premium whisky segment.”

When asked about the reason for entry into the segment, Ahmed said, “The alcobev industry has been witness to a trend of increasing premiumisation across the spectrum of categories and segments. Consumers are now aware and more informed about the choice of beverages that they consume. The increasing demand for grain-based whisky from entry-level consumers spurred us to develop a best-in-class blend to meet the needs of these discerning consumers. Thus Officer’s Choice Blue was born”

In terms of marketing and promotions he said, “Officer’s Choice Blue is targeted at the discerning youth of today who are image-conscious and are cognizant of the qualities of good whisky. It talks to consumers about its blend superiority that highlights the right elements that go into making Officer’s Choice Blue right for its consumers – be it the lineage, the right water or the right grain. Since its national launch, we have given Officer’s Choice Blue consumers unique experiences such as the 3-city Mika Singh Hadippa Nights tour and Fight Night, the IPL of boxing. Officer’s Choice Blue’s unique Twist-Lock caps on the 750ml bottle are being used for the first-time ever in the alcobev industry in India providing enhanced security and tamper-proof features with greater convenience to consumers. This initiative is in keeping with our focus on constant innovation to deliver enriching experiences to our consumers. We will be utilising the television medium during the upcoming festive season to build stronger emotional equity and bring the brand closer to consumers’ hearts”

In terms of spends, Officers Choice Blue has spent a fourth of what other brands in the segment are spending. McDowells Platimum used MS Dhoni as its brand ambassador and spent crore’s on the world cup to build saliency. At ABD our mantra is to get More out of Less, and hence we make every rupee count

Next year, the company has big plans on OC Blue. We plan to open a few more states and have taken a stiff target to increase sales by over 150%. This shouldn’t be much of a challenge, considering the traction the brand is gaining across markets. Delving further, Ahmed said that OC Blue has also found acceptance in international markets like Nigeria, Ghana, Togo and UAE. We plan to further penetrate these markets going forward

Finally Ahmed said, “We, at ABD, believe in continuously engaging with our consumers at multiple levels and I am happy that they have given us resounding success with Officer’s Choice Blue. This historic landmark that Officers’ Choice Blue has crossed is another driving force that would enable us to achieve our vision of becoming the most admired spirits company.”