BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® – World’s top valued premium gin
August 4, 2009
London, 4 August, 2009 – Bombay Sapphire gin, already the fastest growing of the major premium gin brands, is now also the world’s number one premium gin by value. Bombay Sapphire now commands an extraordinary 31.7 percent share by value within the premium gin category, as reported by IWSR, International Wine and Spirit Record, for the 12 months to the end of December 2008.
This benchmark solidifies the brand’s enduring and growing consumer appeal and the global momentum of Bombay Sapphire – a brand which has become an icon in the spirits world. In the current economic environment where many other spirit brands are promoting on price, consumers have shown that they will pay a premium price for Bombay Sapphire – a spirit with distinctive taste and superb quality.
“We’ve taken the time to create the right consumer brand experience, while consistently and carefully nurturing the brand, building Bombay Sapphire into one of the most successful spirit brands in the world,” said Andrew Carter, global gin category director for Bacardi Global Brands Ltd.
Bombay Sapphire is growing its share in the top international gin markets – the US, UK, Spain and travel retail, outperforming the category in both value and volume. In 2008, Bombay Sapphire gin grew faster than all other major international premium gins. In addition, the iconic gin has achieved a consistently strong rate of growth in value over the last five years with a compound annual growth rate of 11.7 percent, according to IWSR.
Bombay Sapphire has nearly tripled in size in the 10 years since Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world, acquired the premium gin. This rate of growth under Bacardi ownership is a testament to the Company’s strategic focus on acquiring premium and super premium brands and respecting brands’ heritage, authenticity and superior quality. Bacardi has ensured that Bombay Sapphire has global consistency in marketing and imagery across the more than 120 markets where it is sold.
One of the secrets to its success has been the pioneering quality of Bombay Sapphire. It was the first premium gin to showcase the importance of botanicals, which for Bombay Sapphire, are hand selected from around the world. These botanicals along with the brand’s signature vapour infusion process create a refined and delicately balanced taste.
Bombay Sapphire established and maintained its highly successful relationship with the world of design, a natural alliance for a brand with its distinguished and design-forward bottle. Most recently, the brand embarked on a global roll out of its highly successful U.S. campaign to promote the Bombay Sapphire Collins – a modern twist on the classic cocktail featuring fresh lemons and sugar.
“Bombay Sapphire redefined what discerning consumers expect from a gin,” added Mr. Carter. “Its distinctive flavour, exceptional mixability and striking packaging set it apart. While the eye-catching bottle design successfully engages consumers, it’s the quality and taste of the spirit in the bottle, which keeps them coming back.”
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Why is Bombay Sapphire gin so special?
Based on a secret 1761 recipe, the taste of Bombay Sapphire gin is created by perfectly balancing a unique combination of the finest botanical ingredients sourced from around the world. Unlike many other gins, which boil their botanicals directly in the spirit to achieve their taste, the 10 botanicals in Bombay Sapphire are placed by hand into a perforated copper basket. The spirit vapour passes up through the basket and in a process known as ‘vapour infusion’ it is delicately infused with the aromatic flavours of the botanicals. The result is the refined and delicately balanced taste which gives Bombay Sapphire gin its extraordinary versatility.
