The South African Brandy Foundation is pulling out all the stops to reverse brandy’s downward spiral, following years of decreased consumption, often in contrast to the success of whisky. The Foundation is bringing a much-needed ‘facelift’ to the category.
Through digital, print and e-media, the Foundation has roped in local personalities to generate awareness of ‘fire water’, educating and redefining the perceptions around brandy. With an increase in the country’s middle-class citizens, it’s time brandy showcased itself as a true South African brand that can be enjoyed by all.
The Brandy Foundation recently invited the media to Paternoster to engage with SA Brandy ambassador Dr Winnie Bowman, celebrity chef Reuben Riffel, and the chairperson of the Foundation, Christelle Reade-Jahn, about changing perceptions around brandy.
Fire food and cocktails
“Dr Winnie opened my eyes to the world of brandy. She told me about the history and styles, and the awards that our brandies have been winning all over the world,” Riffel said. At the International Wine and Spirits Challenge alone, a South African brandy has, for 11 out of 14 years, claimed top honours in a pool of 7 000 entries from brandy-producing countries. The KWV 12 year old, made by master distiller, Pieter de Bod, won the best brandy trophy for 2014. Accolades like that cement the great quality of the brandy that is made in the country, he added.
To play up brandy’s culinary link, Reuben’s at Abalone House presented a five-course South African food and brandy pairing menu. It featured five brandies, from the lesser-known Kingna 5 year old to the world-renowned Van Ryn’s 12 year old. Mixologist Kurt Schlechter, complemented Riffel’s food-pairing with a range of cocktails that expressed the creative and lighter side of brandy.
The creative cocktails ranged from ”Ama-lekker licious”, a mix of KWV 3 year old, Trip Sec, fresh lemon juice, peach syrup, cranberry juice and a dash of bitters, to the Oude Meester Franklin, made using Oude Meester Demant, bitters and ginger ale. *Cocktails such as these have led to the birth of the Urban Brandy Cocktail Route (UBCR), which further exposes consumers to the adventurous side of brandy. The route can be followed in major cities in the country.
The spirits playing field
These innovations aim at boosting domestic sales of brandy. Statistics paint a picture of a category that has been declining, compared to other spirits. Whisky has been driving price points, leading to an increased market share in terms of volume from 26.6% in 2006/7 to 36.5% in 2013/14.
Other spirits like vodka are also taking their share of the market. The drop in brandy’s market share in volume terms by almost 12% from 2006/7, has also seen the same value percentage drop in the category when compared with 2013/14. The table on the next page expresses volume in terms of market share of brandy and other spirits.
With such a competitive spirits market, it is unfortunate that the same consumers are targeted by all of them. This is even more reason to be creative for brandy to appeal to new consumers.
Building blocks
Education and premiumisation are seen as key to grow brandy’s popularity. Danie Pretorius, general manager of the Brandy Foundation, has been doing extensive training sessions, telling bartenders and sommeliers how brandy is made, served and paired with food, and how it differs from Cognac and Armagnac. Pretorius has compiled a training manual for restaurants, sommeliers and bartenders, and in Reade-Jahn’s view that is a start in driving the education aspect home.
Brandy houses need to take the same approach as whisky, where premium brands become the face of the category, Reade-Jahn said. “Whisky sells as a premium category, with the lesser-known brands falling under the umbrella.” She further explained that it would benefit the lesser-known brandy houses “if we have our premium brands more visible and out there, educating not only the consumer, but also the professionals at the point of sale”.
In electronic media, celebrity hip hop artist Pro Kid is the face of Flight of the Fish Eagle, which sends a message of exclusivity and an expensive price, which links to premiumisation. Proverb, also a hip hop artist with a massive countrywide following, has been the programme director of the Brandy Fusion for two consecutive years and has set the social media scene abuzz with frequent tweets and countless selfies with a goblet. “Their massive social media following increases the visibility of brandy, which sparks interest in the product,” she said.
Name change: a game changer?
Geographical indicators (GIs) for Cognac and Armagnac have played a key role in selling these equivalents of brandy. Yet, South Africa has not been able to benefit from such unique classifications. This was emphasised by the passionate Reade-Jahn who posed the question: “How do we sell the word ‘brandy’?”
Renaming the category has been explored, with a study on its possible impact underway. “Once the study is completed, we will have to get industry backing in introducing a name change – that is, if it will be necessary. The bottom line is that we need to make it work,” she emphasised.
Brandy is in need of a U-turn that will take it back to its once glorious state. With all in place, the South African Brandy Foundation looks set on a path to change this drink of the manne to an easy, hip, everyday sipper.