Date:08/02/2006 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/02/08/stories/2006020802760800.htm

Back UB revamps major brands, launches new variants

K. Giriprakash

Bangalore , Feb 7

UB is revamping some of its largest selling brands and adding new variants, including a complete relaunch of Romanov vodka and a diet variant of McDowell's No. 1 Whisky.

While Romanov vodka has been relaunched with new packaging and its manufacturing process has been upgraded, McDowell's No 1 whisky will now be available in an easy-to-carry flexi-pouch.

Its diet variant, Diet Mate, will soon enter major markets in the country.

"The profile of the consumers of Romanov is changing as its sales are being increasingly driven by the youth," Mr Debashish Shyam, General Manager (Marketing), UB Group Spirits Division, told Business Line.

Romanov has a new packaging and is now triple distilled, which is in line with international standards of vodka manufacturing.

In a market dominated by another UB brand, White Mischief - which has half the market share - Romanov expects to become a millionaire brand in 2007.

It currently has one-third share in the two million cases a year market. UB has three Vodka brands and over 90 per cent share of the total market.

Mr Shyam said that vodka has been growing at 40 per cent every year.

"A lot more younger consumers are taking to vodka drinking because it can be easily mixed and is affordable."

Vodka is now being seen as a daytime drink and more women have taken to the brand.

Mr Shyam said that he expects vodka to grow to a Rs 300-crore market in five years from the current level of around Rs 60 crore.

The market size is expected to grow to 7-9 million cases a year within five years. The pricing, however, has not been changed and remains in the range of Rs 45-200 for various sizes.

Mr Shyam said that UB has also introduced two variants of Romanov - the apple and the tropical variants - with more variants to follow soon.

UB spent around Rs 5 crore in relaunching the brand, which is distilled in 17 distilleries across the country.

UB has also started test marketing Diet Mate in Mumbai. The initial response has seen sales garnering 25 per cent of the total sales of the mother brand, which sells a record six million cases a year.

"Diet Mate is not a low-calorie whisky but has ingredients that increase metabolism," Mr Shyam said.

UB has also launched McDowell's No 1 whisky in ginger and lime variants.