By Lancelot Joseph. Executive Editor, Business India

With Covid-19 disrupting on-premise accounts, the world’s best selling whiskey is reinventing its marketing with its largest global campaign in its history. It has also introducing a new tagline – Make It Count.  “Jack Daniel’s enjoys a cult status and unmatched love in the hearts and minds of consumers across the world and is often ranked among the top 100 most valuable brands in the world. With ‘Make it Count’ we have a long term platform that resonates with consumers, especially in today’s environment, and carries the message of Jack’s bold, independent spirit,” explains Matias Bentel, Chief Brands Officer, Brown-Forman, Jack Daniel’s parent company. “We know that this world class creative will continue to drive the successful globalization of Jack Daniel’s brand,” he adds.

The inspiration for the campaign comes from Mr. Jack’s philosophy that ‘Every Day We Make it, we make it the best we can’. “We know that is how Mr. Jack lived his life and we think these values still resonate today,” explains Siddharth Wadia, Director & GM, IMENA Region, Brown-Forman. “The new creative platform reintroduces Jack Daniel’s to the world in a big, bold way that would create meaning and difference in the hearts and minds of the next generation of consumers. It focusses on the impact on peoples’ lives when they decide to choose boldly and enjoy the ride, much like Mr. Jack did throughout his own life.”

Wadia, based out of the company’s India region office in Gurugram, oversees its entire operations spanning sales and marketing, strategy, finance, supply chain, among others in the markets across India, the Middle East and North Africa. He is an industry veteran with over 19 years of experience.

 Relevant for India

“The new creative platform cuts across cultures and is a simple articulation of living boldly and making the most of every moment,” says Vineet Agrawal, Marketing & Commercial Director, India Area, Brown-Forman. “This, we believe, is relevant for our Indian consumers as well. To bring this to life here, we are using digital extensively as we believe that most of our audiences are on that medium. We are also promoting the campaign at the point-of-sale in certain states to engage with consumers through enhanced visibility and launching special packs designed around the new platform”. 

Agrawal leads the sales & marketing functions for the company in the region of Indian sub-continent and the Maldives. Agrawal, an experienced hand in the alco-bev industry, was with Beam Suntory as Assistant Marketing Manager prior to joining Brown-Forman. Previously, he had also worked with Carlsberg Group.

In India, Jack Daniel’s brand has been growing at consistent double digits over the past few years. “India has been identified as one of the key emerging markets for Jack Daniel’s, given the huge potential for whiskey here and, as we see more and more consumers looking for newer expressions of whiskey and brands they relate to,” adds Wadia.