Rum Brand Champion 2016

Rum Brand Champion 2016: Appleton Estate

Appleton Estate was the only international rum brand to grow volume sales last year

The rum category was awash with declines in 2015, but a select few brands represented a beacon of hope with their impressive gains.

Gruppo Campari’s Appleton Estate was one such brand and was the only international rum to witness any growth last year, after four previous years of flat-lining volumes. The Jamaican rum benefited from a new naming classification and packaging redesign for its core range.

“In addition, our markets also introduced a number of exciting initiatives that focused on educating both bartenders and consumers on premium rum and what makes Appleton Estate so unique,” claims KK Hall, director, global strategic marketing – rums, at Gruppo Campari.

The brand boasted “excellent results” in Canada, as well as the US, New Zealand, the Caribbean, key European markets and in global travel retail. Looking ahead, Appleton Estate will continue its educational ‘cane to cocktail’ focus and launch in new markets around the world.

“Rum is one of the key major spirits categories that has not demonstrated significant premiumisation on a global level,” continued Hall.

“The advent of new brands in this premium space, coupled with the increased level of trade and consumer education, lends to our strong belief that the time is ripe for the category to premiumise, and we intend to get our share of this action.”

McDowell’s No.1 Celebration, meanwhile, has clung on to the world’s best-selling rum title despite losing volume and Bacardí – rum’s former number one – continued its decline. In total, the brand has lost almost 2.5m cases since 2012.

Scroll to the bottom of the page to see the rest of our Brand Champions 2016