what works; In the Spirit - Canandaigua Brands Inc

American Demographics, Dec, 2000

"The advertising campaign doesn't stand alone," Fox adds. At the same time, CWC was changing its distribution strategy for Paul Masson Brandy, expanding from city locations into the suburbs. The company stocked those suburban stores with larger bottles, which were expected to appeal to white consumers. (Black consumers tend to buy smaller bottles.)

The Payoff Although it's too soon for a complete post-mortem on the strategy, Fox believes that the advertising campaign is going to keep Paul Masson ahead of its brandy competitors this year. She says that as a category, brandy will grow 3 percent for 2000 - but Paul Masson will grow six to seven times faster than that. Not bad, especially considering that this growth is occurring during a "recession" in the U.S. spirits industry. Total per capita consumption of spirits is at its lowest level in 58 years, according to the National Institutes of Health.

What the Critics Say "They've got an awfully big assignment," says Neil Kelliher, consultant and owner of The Scott Lindsay Group LLC, an alcohol and spirits marketing consultancy in New York City. "When you're trying to transition from one culture to another, you're going against history and established patterns," he explains. But he believes that CWC's advertising perfectly describes the way that consumers view brandy. "I've done enough focus groups to know that they'll get a sound, positive response from consumers," says Kelliher.

The ad is right on, but the strategy could use a little tweaking, however. Kelliher's first critique: CWC's approach is too broad. There's a world of difference between a 21-year-old brandy drinker and a 54-year-old brandy drinker, for instance. And, he believes, The Brandy Moment could mean different things to consumers of different ages. Younger drinkers are more likely to be returning home for their after-dinner drink, while older drinkers may just be changing rooms. He also contends that the distinction between married and single drinkers is too wide to be contained in a single ad campaign.

Also on his list of concerns is a cultural trend affecting "after-dinner usage." The number of people who finish the evening off with an amarreto, sambuca, cognac, or brandy is on the decline, he says. "The people who were doing that, were on the older end of the demographic spectrum," says Kelliher. In their later, health-conscious years, the after-dinner drink is the first kind of alcoholic beverage to go, he says. Consumers would rather forego their after-dinner beverage than miss their pre-dinner cocktail, or skip wine with dinner.

This is why Kelliher believes that while the ads may resonate on an aspirational level, actual "brandy moments" may be quite rare in the real world - which could pose a problem for repeat sales. "It's like taking that white wine with you for a picnic under a tree on a nice day. When was the last time you did that?" Kelliher asks.

So while consumers may get inspired by the ad, and rush out to buy that perfect end to the perfect evening, that bottle may gather dust waiting on the perfect moment, which may never arrive. But for now, thanks to CWC's campaign, at least those bottles will be sitting in more diverse liquor cabinets.