Liquor makers are pulling out all stops to market brandy in North India. It is aggressively consumed in the South now.
Currently, 99 per cent of the brandy consumed in India is in the South, with Tamil Nadu contributing to over 60 per cent of total sales, according to market research firm AM Mindpower Solutions. The total volume consumed across India is about 400 million litres a year. In value terms, it is pegged at around Rs 17,500 crore.
Even though brandy is seen as a spirit that is best consumed during winter, surprisingly, it has not found many takers in north India, where the winters are usually quite harsh compared to the South, a liquor company executive pointed out.
“When you think brandy you think ‘trust', ‘remedy', ‘Cognac', ‘smooth'. When you think whisky, things that come to your mind are ‘fashion', ‘stars', ‘lifestyle'. Whisky is no doubt louder than brandy,” says Mr Lalit S. Sethi, President and Chief Finance Officer, Tilaknagar Industries, which has rolled out its iconic Mansion House brandy in nine northern and eastern States.
The North India–based Radico Khaitan too has devised plans to roll out its Morpheus XO (extra old) brandy.
Mr Mukesh Agrawal, Vice-President — Treasury and Investor Relations, Radico Khaitan said even though surrogate advertising of brandy does happen, it should be more focused. “Brandy is largely a South phenomenon. Any ATL (above the line) advertising on electronic media (surrogate ad) has all-India reach and if the consumers are in South, then it goes waste.”
Mr Sethi disagreed with the notion that brandy is not being properly advertised. “I wouldn't say that brandy is invisible. Chennai Super Kings have Mansion House Brandy as cheers partners.”