A drink with… Alexi Lambrou, Stolichnaya

Stolichnaya Premium vodka’s global brand manager, Alexi Lambrou, discusses his passions and how in anything, from cars to digital marketing, simplicity and consistency equals success.

Alexi Lambrou fills us in on Stolichnaya Vodka’s plans for the future

Alexi, what are we drinking?

It has to be elit by Stolichnaya on the rocks with a squeeze of lemon. It’s so simple but absolutely refreshing.

Have you noticed a trend for consumers choosing to drink vodka neat lately?

It depends on the quality; Stoli Premium is great for mixing in cocktails, but elit is perfect for drinking neat as its soft, smooth mouthfeel means you can drink it like a whisky. I wouldn’t say it’s a consumer trend; it’s down to personal choice and plenty of people still like to drink vodka in cocktails.

How much are you promoting elit as a sipping spirit?

Elit is a fantastic story that’s not really told as well as it could be. We are still striving to get elit on the pedestal it should be on. We want to celebrate elit’s quality a bit more often, especially in markets like the US, UAE, UK, Italy and France. We know elit won’t sell itself; it needs people to shout about it, which is why we are working with bartenders so closely. The future is bright for elit for sure; you’ll be seeing it a lot more on the back bar.

The US is a huge market for Stoli – have you noticed competitive pricing affect sales of elit at all?

The elit customer knows what they are buying, and I don’t think they will only be happy to buy it if it’s discounted. If you like elit and you understand why you drink it, you will always pay for it. Perhaps for Stoli and other brands in the premium sector price is a factor, but in the ultra-premium category, elit is solid.

Is Stoli at the forefront of digital marketing?

I wouldn’t say we are at the forefront, because everyone is doing exciting things. Our consumer app, Recapp by Stoli, was trailblazing – there was nothing else on the market quite like it – and now this year I’m hoping to drive it forward and expand it. We’ve got some surprises in the bag for this year though.

Any particular innovations that stand out to you from others?

The Kraken rum has a slick digital presence and their brand identity is consistent. Look at another classic brand dear to my heart, Porsche. As my former CMO Marco Ferrari would always say: “Consistency, consistency, consistency.” When you’re looking at a prospectus, or at a trade show, on Facebook, every single part of the brand identity is translated consistently. And Kraken does exactly that. All their communication has that dark, moody but fun translation. They are doing a great job. We try to do that too with a bold, vibrant message, always putting the bottle at the centre of attention.

Why is Porsche dear to you?

Because I love cars. I’m a petrol head and if I wasn’t in the spirits category I’d be in the automotive sector for sure. I can geek out about engines for hours. Porsche is the ultimate expression for me because of what it stands for – progression and the search for perfection.

Do you see those values reflected in what you’re doing with Stoli?

Absolutely. And the reason being no one just ‘likes’ Stoli – you either love it or you don’t. Everyone that works on the brand is protective and passionate; it’s like a Stoli family and that’s one of the things I love.