According to Dr. Vijay Mallya, Chairman, the UB Group, “I have been involved with the development of the McDowell's brand franchise since the early 1980s. It is hence, a matter of great pride for me personally to see the McDowell's No 1 Franchise realize its vision. Half a billion standard (750 ml each) bottles of McDowell’s No. 1 portfolio, of which the whisky forms the most significant part, is an endorsement of our early recognition of the prestige and premium opportunity in India. McDowell’s No. 1 Whisky has created an equally iconic landmark in global markets, clocking nearly half a million cases of sales in a single year in Nigeria. It is now the largest whisky brand in Nigeria. Going forward, with the emerging markets initiative, I am confident that this portfolio will continue to be a front runner in creating shareholder value through consistently delighting consumers through path breaking innovation and market activation.”
According to Ashok Capoor, President and Managing Director, United Spirits Limited, “Never before has any brand achieved a double digit growth of 12% on a significant volume base of 44 million cases in the previous year, in a highly regulated market with sales and marketing challenges in every state. United Spirits has created an unprecedented landmark yet again in the history of alcoholic beverage industry in the world. This success has been driven by USL's premiumization strategy and innovation - introduction of premium brands under the McDowell’s No. 1 banner, refurbishment of the range. The brand has created new benchmarks be it by way of contribution to USL’s top-line and bottom-line, retail value or, growth vis a vis industry performance. The record breaking performance by McDowell’s No. 1 is a reiteration of the great faith affirmed in the brand by consumers and our trade partners. We thank our consumers and all our partners for their support."
McDowell’s No. 1 operates in the prestige and above price segments with its McDowell’s No. 1 Brandy, McDowell’s No.1 Celebration Rum, McDowell’s No. 1 Whisky, McDowell’s No.1 Platinum Whisky, and McDowell’s No.1 Diet Mate Whisky. Prestige Industry’s growth for last year was 10%. CAGR for 5 years for Prestige was 12%. McDowell’s No. 1 brandy grew by 6% CAGR, McDowell’s No. 1 Celebration rum recorded a growth of 15% CAGR over 5 years, while the segment grew only by 10% CAGR during the period. The McDowell’s No. 1 whisky franchise grew by 19%. McDowell’s No. 1 Celebration Rum is 4.5 times its nearest competitor, Old Monk, while McDowell’s No. 1 whisky is 1.5 times of Royal Stag. McDowell’s No. 1 Brandy is 1.5 times its nearest competitor.
“Consistency in quality, innovative packaging, value packed innovations, strong sales push, has triggered the brand to capture disproportionate growth in the market. We have consistently launched new and premium variants across flavors to move consumers up the value chain and increase portfolio contribution. The trend will continue in the next couple of quarters. We had spotted the opportunity in the prestige and premium segment early on. This record success is an outcome of our revolutionary approach to consumer demands,” added Capoor.
The McDowell’s No. 1 franchise has held this position for five consecutive years since 2007 according to Impact International, USA. A similar look at the world’s top 25 brands by growth, by International Wine and Spirit Record (IWSR), UK, puts McDowell’s No. 1 Celebration Rum at No 8, McDowell’s No. 1 Whisky at No. 10 and McDowell’s No. 1 Brandy at No 12 in the global tally. In November 2012, Euromonitor International rated McDowell’s No. 1 amongst the top 20 best spirits in the world. This inclusion reveals that one of the world’s most loved whisky is produced in India with the time tested tradition of blending and maturing, McDowell’s No. 1, true to its Scottish origins.
The brand – McDowell’s No.1 was born in 1960 with the launch of McDowell’s No.1 Brandy. Just as modern India was waking up to appreciate well produced, consistent and well marketed brands as against commodities, it augured well for the McDowell’s No. 1 template that followed with the launch of whisky and rum in the 1970s and the 1990s respectively. This was also the era of evolving friendships and moments to celebrate with friends. McDowell’s No. 1 pushed the paradigm with never-before packaging, wearing the quality assurance seal literally on its sleeve. The brand introduced several SKUs and many packaging innovations to consumers, as an opportunity for consumers to experience a differentiated value proposition. The SKUs covered every price point within the prestige segment to ensure availability to the consumer for various moods and occasions (prestige defined by the Rs. 300/- to Rs. 580/- price band for a 750ml bottle). The brand became integral to celebrating the spirit of male bonding.
Today, McDowell’s No. 1 sells 1.68 billion units of whisky, rum and brandy in India – ahead of the total 1.53 billion mobile handsets sold the world over in 2012 (estimated by Korean Investments and Securities, a cellular market analyst company). Conversations just as important as celebrations with McDowell’s No.1!
Over 15 international category awards for product and packaging to the McDowell’s No. 1 franchise further stem consumer and investor confidence in this brand and USL’s fortunes. The portfolio is now on its premiumization march with grain based McDowell’s No. 1 Platinum whisky and McDowell’s No. 1 Cariba rum with imported Jamaican blend. Globally, McDowell’s No. 1 is a chartbuster in markets like Nigeria, Angola, Ghana, Myanamar and Vietnam.
Leaders like to keep their company exclusive with like-minded personalities. Appropriately so, when McDowell’s No. 1 chose its brand ambassadors, be it skipper MS Dhoni for his unconventional leadership traits for McDowell’s No. 1 Platinum, or Chris Gayle, for his true spirit of the Caribbean for Cariba rum, or even Bollywood’s youth icon and producer director, Farhan Akhtar, with Purab Kohli, Cyrus and Chang for McDowell’s No. 1 whisky, the brand lives upto its leadership stature.
As a matured and responsible industry leader, security against counterfeit, convenience and sustainability have always been a part of McDowell’s No. 1 brand agenda. Introduction of Guala caps, flexi smart packs and tetra packs, are testimony to McDowell’s No. 1’s regal heritage and contemporary societal relevance. The brand recently added a 2 litre SKU to its packaging innovation.
With 42% market share and growing annually at 16%, McDowell’s No.1 clearly drives the prestige segment’s growth of 12% in the current scenario. It continues to add large pegs of cheer to moments spent with friends over 7 million loyal consumers making it the undisputed leader with its immediate competition sitting far behind at a gap of about 20% in terms of market share
McDowell’s No.1 is savored across 25 countries and is undoubtedly friend’s favorite companion that enriches every moment spent in togetherness. *Impact International Retail Valuation of World’s Top100 Spirits Brands, Calendar Year 2011. Report Published in Feb 2012
