Bacardi's Anshuman Goenka shares his vision for Casa Bacardi

<ul><li>At the launch of Casa Bacardi in Mumbai, Bacardi’s Anshuman Goenka, Head of Marketing, Bacardi India, spoke to Advertising and Media Insider about the history behind the event</li><li>He spoke about how branded content is Bacardi’s primary way of reaching out to consumers and more</li><li>He further shared the advantages of using music as a medium and idea behind organizing social events such as Casa Bacardi.</li></ul>Bacardi has launched ‘Casa Bacardi’ – an immersive platform bringing together cultures, creativity and celebrations of freedom and individuality. Through ‘Casa Bacardi’, the brand brings to life its global '#DoWhatMovesYou' campaign, a movement that inspires everyone to truly live in the moment. At the launch event in Mumbai, Bacardi’s Anshuman Goenka, Head of Marketing, Bacardi India, spoke to Advertising and Media Insider about the history behind Casa Bacardi and why it renewed its association this time, the advantages of using music as a medium, idea behind organizing social events such as Casa Bacardi, and how Bacardi’s focus is changing in terms of marketing and advertising. The brand spends most of its marketing monies on influencer marketing and digital storytelling. Goenka said that branded content is Bacardi’s primary way of reaching out to the consumers. Watch the interview here to know how Bacardi’s content plan is changing: 
 
 
 
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Here is how Bacardi’s focus on content and event marketing is changing

<ul><li>As the restrictions on the AlcoBev category grew stronger, there was an upsurge in music associations</li><li>Bacardí was among one of the first brands to marry music into its marketing strategy and in the last 20 years, the way it has used music has also evolved</li><li>The last song released under <keyword id="8065961" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bacardi-House-Party-Sessions">Bacardi House Party Sessions</keyword> was Sage by Ritviz, which gained a lot of love from millennials and we asked <keyword id="7306339" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anshuman-Goenka">Anshuman Goenka</keyword> how much it helped the brand</li></ul> Bacardí India has leveraged music since its inception in India, forming a strong brand identity for its rum portfolio. The brand’s journey from the beginning of <keyword id="20541" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="bacardi-blast">Bacardi Blast</keyword> in the early 2000s to <keyword id="497469" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="NH7-Weekender">NH7 Weekender</keyword>, to <a href="https://youtu.be/qnAo7OgHfi8" data-type="tilCustomLink">Bacardí House Party Sessions</a> (BHPS) proves how music was the anchor to its growth, as if its inseparable from its brand identity. In the last four to five years, as the restrictions on the AlcoBev category grew stronger, there was an upsurge in music associations. However, Bacardí was among one of the first brands to marry music into its marketing strategy and in the last 20 years, the way it has used music has also evolved. Anshuman Goenka, Head of Marketing, Bacardí India shared how music has helped <keyword id="15277" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="bacardi">Bacardi</keyword> maintain a strong brand recall, surf through the restrictions on alcobev brands in our country, and how it has pushed the brand to come up with innovative solutions every time. Out of all their properties, Goenka holds Bacardí NH7 Weekender closest to his heart. As he feels nostalgic for the golden days and excited for their on-going campaign called ‘<a href="https://youtu.be/uL-aOQD2CQQ" data-type="tilCustomLink">Do What Moves You</a>,’ we are bringing to you some excerpts from our interview: Q. Can you walk me through Bacardí's music journey? Which musical property do you place close to your heart? In its 20 odd years in India, Bacardí has gone from being famous for hosting parties way beyond it’s time like the Bacardí Blast campaign and that one early jingle “Be what you wanna be”, to associating with iconic music festivals and content creators. In 1999, when we launched the Bacardí Blast campaign, we literally took the concept of nightclubs out in the open, pioneering the idea of open-air music experiences. For the last couple of years, we have used every platform possible to give our artists a bigger and better stage to create the music that moves them and showcases their talent. Continuing to work with music, we realized that there seemed to be no platform where music-lovers could just spend a few days in the company of what they enjoyed the most. That is when the brand along with OML created Bacardí NH7 Weekender to bring the best of music - independent artists, local and international to perform to the cheering crowds in India, a few days of pure music bliss. This platform helped us create several new relationships with the indie scene and we slowly came to understand the gaps these talented artists face leading to the culmination of Bacardí House Party Sessions, an avenue for independent artists to create, develop and promote their music with the benefit of every resource possible and mentorship. Yet, of all of our properties, the one that remains closest to our hearts, will have to be Bacardí NH7 Weekender. We take immense pride in having built one of the most anticipated music festivals in the Indian calendar, or better yet, one of the happiest music festivals. This year, we’re celebrating a decade of Bacardí NH7 Weekender, one of the first, large scale music festivals India had ever seen. When we see the online excitement leading up to the Weekender, the crowds lining up to enter and audiences singing along to indie artists, it’s worth far more than any measurable outcome. Q. Bacardí was one of the first few brands in our country to leverage music as a marketing strategy. Tell me how has this played out – how has using music benefited the brand so far? From Bacardí Blast to Bacardí NH7 Weekender, music is truly entrenched in Bacardí’s DNA and we understand that building equity takes years of both consistent interest and investment, and seeing real impact requires long-term assessment. When we look at the benefits from campaigns such as Bacardí House Party Sessions, we see the rise in brand uplift scores and based on our brand surveys, over 80% of Bacardí NH7 Weekender attendees have a strong brand recall and resonate with the fact that Bacardí stands for great musical experiences. The increase in engagement that we’ve been garnering on digital platforms, the artist’s familiarity across regions and sheer audience love at BNH7 Weekender, where these songs are sung along within a week of their release, are a testament to our efforts and investments. Q. Do you think music has been a great alternative for AlcoBev brands in India? How do you see the category using it now v/s when you began? In the last 5-6 years, there has been a surge of AlcoBev brands in India associating with music. Music knows no boundaries and increasingly, brands are starting to latch on to this emerging trend because it allows them to communicate to a wider target audience. This began in the late 2000s with the outbreak of several sponsored music festivals and events cropping up across the region. However, brands have long moved beyond mere sponsorships and are now engaging with the community by curating meaningful experiences. Workshops, panel discussions and intimate house gigs are a few of the prominent mediums that brands have employed. Some have even gone further to facilitate long-term collaborations directly with artists building creative brand narratives through these artists’ voices. For Bacardí itself, music was never just a tool, but a means for us to give back to our audiences. Our approach has consistently been to engage and uplift the music community and our consumers, leading up to our most recent and focused campaign BHPS. It is a platform that identifies artists with a unique sound, followed by a dedicated team that works with them right from production to marketing. From our experience, right from Bacardí Blast and Bacardí NH7 Weekender, to Bacardí House Party Sessions, we have realised that music opens avenues for brands to own a space and host global platforms that resonate with consumers over a long time. Q. Do you think Bacardí was able to create a niche by focusing specifically on independent music? While we’re not the only brand to work with independent musicians, with Bacardí House Party Sessions, we are unique in the way that we help artists scale their careers. We work only with emerging artists year on year, giving them the right exposure and opportunity, allowing them to break through in a much shorter time frame. We identify artists who we feel have a unique sound, followed by a dedicated team that works with them to create, curate and promote their music. We also give them an opportunity to work with and learn from the best in the industry. This year, we had mentors like Amit Trivedi, Benny Dayal and Mohini Dey on board, who help the artists craft their music better. Bacardí supports the artist from the moment the music is penned, to the point where people sing along to their songs, from the production of their music to the promotion of the videos we helped create. This approach has helped us create a niche not only within independent music but also as an enabler of a community that requires resources, recognition and mentorship. That’s where we feel that we have bridged the gaps just nudging the undeniable talent that already exists in our country. Q. How are these associations being leveraged digitally, considering the restrictions placed on alcohol marketing in India? India is a challenging market, one that encourages us to find innovative and interesting ways to connect with our consumers. Bacardí functions on a unique content-creator model wherein we work with artists like comedians, dancers and musicians, and allow them to curate their content while keeping our brand ethos in mind, which is ‘Do what moves you’. This encourages the artists to do their thing, without fear of interference from the brand. Digitally, this approach works well with audiences who identify with our campaigns much more, when the artist is the hero of the story. It ensures that our content is original and more relevant, especially for millennial viewers. BHPS itself has taken off entirely through a digital approach lately. A combination of both mediums (digital and on-ground) is what we believe will really sustain our work.

How Keeping Music at the Heart of Bacardi’s Identity Helped it Create Strong Brand Recall

<ul><li><keyword id="7928244" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="premium-liquor-brands">Premium liquor brands</keyword> in India have been witnessing a growth in the market. </li><li><keyword id="15277" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="bacardi">Bacardi</keyword> recently launched <keyword id="7928246" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ocho">Ocho</keyword> – a premium rum in India. </li><li>Rum in India has so far been associated with being the cheaper alcohol with the likes of Old Monk long being the market favourite.</li></ul>It’s been 21 years since Cuban rum maker Bacardi entered India. Now, the global liquor giant is wants to net more consumers with its premium rum – <keyword id="7928245" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bacardi-ocho">Bacardi Ocho</keyword>. It is no ordinary rum either. It is a closely guarded secret family recipe, from a company which has been making rum for 157 years. It believes the Indian market has matured enough, to introduce its premium brand. Last year, Bacardi sold around 2 million cases of rum in India. Now, that Bacardi has settled in fine, it wants to bring in its best. “Last couple of decades, the focus has been to establish Bacardi in India. Now, that that is done, the opportunity is right to drive premiumisation,” Anshuman Goenka, Head of marketing, Bacardi India told Business Insider India. ‘Drink less, drink better’ The Indian market for rum is driven by cheaper brands as of now, and the market favourite is Old Monk. But, can Bacardi Ocho priced at ₹3,710 a bottle (in Delhi), be able to find a footing? “Increasingly, we have been seeing that there is a whole segment of consumers that is buying premium alcohol in other categories – scotch, gin, vodka. However, rum is one of the last categories to be premiumised. Consumers are willing to shell out money for good quality. The growing trend is drink less but drink better,” said Goenka. As more and more Indians travel abroad, they are tasting better quality liquor and are coming back home with ‘higher taste’. Other brands too have been picking up on this trend. "India is the largest whisky market in the world, and now has the strongest potential for growth of premium products," Rajesh Mishra, CFO of Pernod Ricard India told <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/companies/new-highs-pernod-ricard-rides-on-indias-demographic-change-to-drive-growth-4213841.html">Moneycontrol</a> in an interview. The France-based Pernod Ricard marks India as its second-largest market. Another maker of premium liquor brands like Johnnie Walker – Diageo too saw a spurt in sales thanks to its premium brands. Diageo’s subsidiary United Spirits reported last week that its net sales for ‘Prestige &amp; Above segment’ grew by 9%.

Bacardi is bringing its 'secret family recipe' to India with a new brand 'Ocho'

<ul><li>From <keyword id="3882886" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Beam-Suntory">Beam Suntory</keyword> to <keyword id="15277" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="bacardi">Bacardi</keyword> and Vbev, all have recently launched premium <keyword id="6356212" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="LIQUOR">liquor</keyword> brands in India. </li><li>The recent economic slowdown in the country did affect the liquor market but it also led to a new trend of premiumisation. </li><li>Awareness around brands in India is growing, even though the consumption is limited to certain cities. </li></ul>Indian millennials are travelling around the world, living that instagram-worthy life... and they are also increasingly aware of the finer things in life. Whether it’s a 12 year aged scotch or a fine wine, they don’t mind spending that extra bit on a good bottle. This willingness to spend and the desire for premium liquor brought a host of international <keyword id="6359858" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="alcohol">alcohol</keyword> brands to India. Even brands that have existed in India for a long time are finally expanding their premium offerings. “For us, millennial consumers are increasingly getting more discerning. They are travelling around the world and seeing great quality products and demand the same thing in India,” Anshuman Goenka, Head of marketing, Bacardi India had told Business Insider in an earlier interview. Bacardi recently launched an eight-year old fine rum called Ocho. The world’s third largest liquor producer – Beam Suntory, which has been in India for long with the likes of Teachers and Jim Beam, too launched its Japanese <keyword id="6396190" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="whiskey">whiskey</keyword> Yamazaki and Hibiki, along with the craft gin Roku. It also launched an Indian whiskey called Oaksmith. In Haryana, Yamakazi and Hibiki both have a price tag of a whopping ₹20,000, although in Karnataka it is priced at ₹10,900 a bottle. In fact, Beam Suntory global calls India as an emerging market priority. The recent economic slowdown in the country did affect the liquor market - but it also led to a new trend of premiumisation. “Even with the economic slowdown, from a spirits point of view, it has resulted in a greater degree of premiumisation. They are drinking lesser but quality products as international brands continue to grow. The base of international brands is still tiny in India but when you look at 2019, the category still saw a 10% plus growth,” said Neeraj Kumar, Managing Director of Beam Suntory India. Kumar added that the awareness around brands in India is growing, even though the consumption is limited to certain cities. “It’s not just about a particular category, for example, gin as a category is going through a renaissance so to say. In terms of whiskey, the quest of knowledge around single malt continues to be a driver for sales,” he said. Sumedh Singh Mandla, CEO, Vbev India, said that the strong growth in International white spirits in India has been widely contributed by the millennials. Vbev recently introduced the premium Chinese Baijiu JIANGXIAOBAI Pure. “We closely monitor and understand the consumption pattern as well as occasions for millennials,” said Singh. He also believes that the segment of premium brands offer great promise. “The imported white spirits category has shown robust growth over the last few years and the cocktail culture is evolving as well,” said Singh. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/beam-suntorys-shinji-fukuyo-who-made-japanese-yamakazi-whiskey-visited-thekas-in-india/articleshow/73079066.cms">The maker of Japanese Yamazaki whiskey, visited thekas, ate bar food to understand how Indians want their drink</a>

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Bacardi's Anshuman Goenka shares his vision for Casa Bacardi

Business Insider India

Here is how Bacardi’s focus on content and event marketing is changing

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How Keeping Music at the Heart of Bacardi’s Identity Helped it Create Strong Brand Recall

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Bacardi is bringing its 'secret family recipe' to India with a new brand 'Ocho'

Sanchita Dash

Indians develop a taste for expensive alcohol – and that is bringing home global brands

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