Australians swap Johnnie Walker for Jameson’s

The greater number of Australian consumers aged 20-30 drinking whisky has caused Jameson’s to begin to outpace Johnnie Walker, new figures show.

Roy Morgan Research has discovered that consumer preference among 25 to 34-year-old Australians has created a market shift between top whisky brands

Latest figures by consumer research agency Roy Morgan shows that there has been a substantial shift in the market share of top whisky brands in Australia, thanks to the spirit becoming increasingly popular among younger generations of drinkers.

Researchers found that the country’s population now drinks almost 19 million glasses of whisky in an average four week, with the average consumption rate sitting just below 10 glasses per whisky drinker.

This compares to the consumption of around 16 million glasses in 2009.

The study also found that consumers enjoying the spirit have shifted dramatically over recent years, as the number of younger people developing a taste for whisky continues to climb.

In 2006, Australians over the age of 65 were most likely to drink whisky, and 18 to 34-year-olds were least likely.

However, these new figures show that the proportion of 25 to 34-year-olds drinking whisky has grown by over 50%, from 8.6% in 2006 to 13% in the year to September 2013, and is now the most likely group to drink the spirit.

Researchers have claimed that this shift in consumer patterns has caused the market shares of major brands to alter dramatically in Australia.

Mad Men effect

Angela Smith, group account manager for consumer products at Roy Morgan Research, said that the popular Mad Men hit US television series may have led to this change in consumer trends.

“In the whisky market, not only are consumer preferences changing, but consumers themselves are changing,” she said.

“Perhaps as Don Draper and his colleagues are watched sipping high-end whisky in Mad Men, consumer trends have shifted from mainstream whisky brands to more premium brands, particularly in the growing 25-34 segment.”

The research found Johnnie Walker Red to be the market leader with 22% of shares, that is, of the 18.7 million glasses of whisky Australians drink in an average four weeks, almost 4.2 million are Johnnie Walker Red.

The market share of Grant’s, Black Douglas and Ballantine’s have all substantially declined over the past five years and been overtaken by Jameson’s, Chivas Regal and Johnnie Walker Black, of which each have a 10% market share.

Notably, however, Jameson’s now replaces Johnnie Walker Red as the most popular brand among 25 to 34-year-old whisky drinkers. In this group, Jameson claims 22% of the market while Johnnie Walker Red claims only 13%.

Smith added: “It is clearly important for liquor distributers and marketers to stay attuned to how the revitalisation and skewing of the whisky market is affecting the market share of major brands.”

Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), Oct 2008 to Sept 2009 and Oct 2012 to Sept 2013, average sample size – 948 Whisky Drinkers 18+.