FDBusiness.com

Diageo has again increased its leadership of Impact Databank’s Top 100 Spirit Brands lists. Brands owned by Diageo, which for the first time includes United Spirits’ brands, now account for nearly a quarter of all volume in the top 100.

With 14 brands in the top 100 by volume – including five in the top 20 – sales volume in litres for Diageo brands is now more than double that of its nearest competitor.

Retail value also increased with the United Spirits acquisition, with Diageo’s spirits now accounting for over 28% of the value of all the top 100 brands, up from 23% last year. Overall Diageo owns 20 brands in the top 100 by value and seven in the top 20, more than any other company.ii

For the eighth consecutive year, Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker have topped the rankings, as the number one brands by volume and value respectively. Smirnoff remains the number two brand by value while Johnnie Walker is in the top three for volume.

Syl Saller, Chief Marketing Officer at Diageo, comments: “We are the custodians of some of the world’s most iconic brands. Many of these brands were created by visionary entrepreneurs such as Arthur Guinness and Alexander Walker hundreds of years ago and it’s wonderful to see them continue to thrive today. These rankings truly demonstrate the impressive strength and depth of our portfolio. This coupled with our leading innovation credentials and focus on delivering amazing consumer experiences mean we are well placed to continue to drive growth for many more years to come.”

A number of Diageo brands have risen up the rankings, including J&B up to 33rd from 36th and Tanqueray up from 74th to 70th, both in the value list. Cîroc is up from 31st last year to 27th this year and was the fourth largest vodka by retail sales, with the brand’s retail value increasing by 8.6% to $945 million.

As with previous years, Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff lead the Scotch whisky and vodka categories, with the two brands combined accounting for just over 10% of the total retail value of the top 100 brands. Johnnie Walker accounted for a 34.5% share of the retail value of the 15 Scotch brands on the top 100 list. Baileys is the number one liqueur by volume (10th of the top 100) and value (16th of the top 100) while Crown Royal is also the number one Canadian whisky in both rankings (12th by value and 14th by volume).