Brown-Forman maximises rapid rise of single malts in the Chinese market

It has released three super premium whisky brands in a high-profile event.

The rapid rise and channel expansion of single malts in the China market are inseparable from the hard work of practitioners in the industry. Whether it is a collection or daily drinking, single marts have become a status symbol, social network, and lifestyle for Chinese consumers.

Moreover, young people who pursue personalised consumption are trying to demonstrate their personal interest in life with their taste in whisky and imported spirits. The gradual establishment of China's whisky ecosystem is further meeting the needs of increasingly diversified consumers.

To establish the growing market, the Chief Whisky Society (CWS) has been assisting international whisky merchants to enter the Chinese market for many years. The organisation hosts an annual WHISKY L! International Trend Imported Wine & Spirits Exhibition to promote whisky brands. 

The event also provides new opportunities for whisky lovers to communicate and build a platform for brands. Having been in existence for 13 years, WHISKY L! has become a high-profile super event within the industry. 

In 2021, the event had to be done virtually amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. It has mobilised the most popular live media and live broadcast platforms in China. With a series of extremely rich  interactive and welfare content, it presents a brand-new comprehensive consumption experience for users, and opens a new era of WHISKY L! chapter.

Brown-Forman featured three super premium whisky brands to whisky lovers, trade, media, and social key opinion leaders during the event. With unique and eye-catching decorations, consumers got a full experience and a professional advocacy programme on-site. 

One of the difficulties the company faced was how to reflect the independence of the three brands in the same space without losing the overall style of each brand. Brown-Forman aided this by creating a complex experience centre and building up premium art-deco and interactive devices for its brands.

The event saw a total of 70 million people online and offline through live streaming, high frequency, and high-density media coverages.

“We are delighted to see a 'new generation' of whisky drinkers highly engaged in our portfolio of brands, [with] very positive feedback from trade guests and consumers on-site as well,” Brown-Forman said.

The company’s efforts to engage people in its portfolio of brands have earned the recognition of the Asian Experience Awards 2022. Brown-Forman brought home the China Brand Experience of the Year - Food & Beverage award.

The prestigious awards programme aims to highlight the ingenious initiatives of creative companies delivering meaningful brand experiences to their stakeholders.

The Asian Experience Awards is presented by Asian Business Review Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2023 awards programme and be acclaimed for providing meaningful brand experiences to stakeholders, please contact Jane Patiag at [email protected].