Alcohol companies go to great extent to differentiate themselves. A strategy followed by few companies involves lacing their alcohol with ‘ingredients’ which can deliver benefits desired by a section of connoisseurs.
1. Goldschläger - derived from German word Goldschläger - "gold beater”, is a Swiss cinnamon schnapps liqueur which claims to contain very thin, yet visible flakes of gold floating in it. The actual amount of gold is about a tenth of a gram per 750 ml bottle.
Benefit: The flakes facilitate the absorption of alcohol in the bloodstream thereby delivering a ‘high’ expeditiously, a benefit desired by a section of connoisseurs.
2. Cobra Snake whiskey – This special whiskey is available in South East Asia. It is infused with a real farm raised baby Cobra snake, ginseng roots and herbal seed pods. The whiskey is steeped for several months, which then imparts a unique flavor into the whiskey. Remember it is an acquired taste.
Benefit: It is believed to have properties of an aphrodisiac; and also has other medical uses, such as the treatment of back and muscle pain.
Two Chinese distillers have raised the game by adding ‘Viagra’ to baijiu, a harsh grain liquor. Of course they are under investigation.
Benefit: The manufacturer were marketing it as having “health-preserving qualities".
Bottom-line: As a brand owner do create innovative products by embellishing it with ingredients. But do not cross the Rubicon which will invite investigation.
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In this series, Rajesh Srivastava, Business Strategist and Visiting Faculty at IIM Indore gives you a regular dose of strategy case studies to help you think and keep you one step ahead as a professional as compared to your peers. Rajesh is an alumnus of IIM Bangalore and IIT Kanpur and has over 2 decades of experience in the FMCG industry. All previous Strategy with RS posts can be found here