Santa Teresa 1796 global travel retail expansion gathers pace

Bacardi Global Travel Retail has hailed the success of Santa Teresa 1796 rum following its launch in the channel with Lagardère Travel Retail late last year.

According to Bacardi, customer demand for the Venezuelan rum has accelerated at pace and distribution has expanded across Europe travel retail. The rum is now available at airports in Brussels, Copenhagen, Munich, Heathrow, Gatwick, Zurich, Madrid and Barcelona as well as Eurotunnel.

Ron Santa Teresa 1796 is available in travel retail in 1-litre bottles (US$60)

JFK and Boston are the first US airports to launch Santa Teresa 1796, with more to come in the next few months. In Canada, the rum is available at Calgary and Edmonton airports and will roll out to Vancouver and Toronto airports by the end of March. Santa Teresa 1796 has also launched in Latin America with Motta Internacional. Locations include Colombia, Panama and Ecuador.

The retail roll-out is supported by a major shopper engagement campaign that will run throughout 2018. ‘Exceptionally Crafted by Extraordinary People’ focuses on the people behind the brand, its 220-year-old craft, heritage and culture at the Hacienda Santa Teresa in the Aragua Valley, run by the Vollmer family.

Injecting excitement into the rum category: Santa Teresa 1796 has a rich history which is proving popular with travellers

Bacardi Global Travel Retail Managing Director Mike Birch commented: “Santa Teresa is an incredibly exciting addition to our rum portfolio, building momentum day by day wherever it goes on sale. The sell-through rates are extraordinary, driven by shopper interest in the unique people story running all the way through this maverick brand and its 220-year-old track record of success in overcoming obstacles by never being afraid to face adversity with courage.

“It’s a perfect example of the excitement we are determined to inject into the rum category, and its sales success shows the appeal to travel retail shoppers looking for new discoveries amongst established premium rums.”

Shopper interest: Travellers are particularly drawn to the people story running through the brand

Bacardi said that one of the key talking points and sales drivers for in-store promoters is the story of Proyecto Alcatraz. This is Ron Santa Teresa’s criminal rehabilitation programme, created by CEO Alberto Vollmer.

When the Hacienda was badly damaged by criminal gangs in 2002, Alberto looked to his own experience as a former university rugby captain to give the offenders a radical alternative to prison. Instead they were offered employment, education, psychological help, and training at the hacienda to rehabilitate them away from a life of crime and to develop their craft in rum-making.

A central strategy of the programme’s success is rugby, chosen as a vehicle to instill a sense of team, respect, discipline, and a shared sense of purpose, all helping create personal transformation. The Vollmer family believes passionately in the synergy of rugby and rum-making.

In-store, against a backdrop of video showing the Santa Teresa story, the hacienda-inspired promotional unit features heritage props and rugby cues. These include vintage-style rugby balls embossed with the Santa Teresa monogram. Promotional staff wear Santa Teresa branded rugby shirts and help shoppers explore a flavour wheel of key notes within Santa Teresa 1796.

The rum is available for sampling neat, on the rocks or with a splash of sparkling water, orange juice and garnished with a twist of orange peel. Single estate Venezuelan chocolate is offered as a pairing to enhance the sampling experience.

Eltjon Osmani (left) made a lasting impression on Ron Santa Teresa CEO Alberto Vollmer with his knowledge of the brand
The story of the HeathrowAirport store promoter

One in-store promoter at Heathrow Airport recently enjoyed a special experience, when a shopper stopped to ask him about Santa Teresa 1796. Eltjon Osmani was happy to share the story of Proyecto Alcatraz and the heritage behind the brand, only to discover his mystery shopper was Ron Santa Teresa CEO Alberto Vollmer.

Alberto was so inspired by the quality of this shopping experience that, on his return to the hacienda, he called a factory meeting and relayed it to the entire workforce. They were reportedly ecstatic to hear how their personal story is being shared with such enthusiasm at airport stores around the world.

 

 

 

 

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