A drink with… Alfonso Morodo, Vantguard
The CEO of Vantguard, parent company of Gin Mare, discusses the changing tides of gin and how a chilled out Mediterranean lifestyle can actually keep you ahead of the competition.
Alfonso Morodo, CEO of Vantguard, believes consumers are now “bored of marketing games”You recently launched a new brand identity, changing from Global Premium Brands to Vantguard – what has the reaction been like?
The new company name has been a great success. Vantguard allows us to stand out as a company that works with premium liquid. While as Global Premium Brands we were widely known as a Spanish importer, we wanted to show we have our own portfolio of brands, which we export to more than 46 different countries. Under Vantguard we are able to do this and show that we are very different to other companies.
How has the gin market changed since Gin Mare launched in 2008?
There’s certainly been an increase in interest in the gin category worldwide. It used to be a category that was falling in sales globally; now more brands are entering the market and are created in a more premium way. Even people who do not really like traditional gin and tonics are starting to pay attention to the category because they are discovering certain types of gin that suit their preferences. It’s a much more interesting category these days and it is adding value to the wider spirits world. Gin now interests consumers who are bored of marketing games.
Has Gin Mare changed direction much as a brand over the years?
From the beginning we knew that we did not want to be a normal gin. There were a lot of fantastic brands coming out of the UK in particular, but we proposed to the world a new gin that we could relate to the spirit of the Mediterranean. We also wanted to use botanicals that had a lot to offer in terms of gastronomy and food pairing. Gin Mare offers not only a different taste profile, but also a different lifestyle – this is what sets us apart from other brands.
Is it difficult to achieve success in such a competitive category?
There are indeed a great number of new brands launching in the category, making it very competitive. The older brands on the market are already set in their ways. But for us, new players are not necessarily a threat because our initial proposal was to always be different and bring something fresh to the market. Differentiation is key and coming up with new brand concepts is very important to remain relevant.
How does the Gin Mare Mediterranean Inspirations cocktail competition set itself apart from others?
Our competition is about being creative and trying to conquer what hasn’t been conquered before. We want participants to do something different with the simple things and make them special. We try not to be as competitive as other competitions that are searching for perfect bartenders.
Do you think there are too many cocktail competitions these days?
I could understand from a bartender’s perspective that there might be too many competitions, but having a lot of options is always beneficial. While on the one hand this could be seen as a good thing, I can understand that there are probably too many and it’s difficult for bartenders to pick which they would like to enter.
