Male market in sights of Slate 20
by Jo de Mille
Diageo is hoping a new RTD brand aimed at men can invigorate sales in the flagging market.
Slate 20, which is a 4.5% abv blend of bourbon, lime and ginger, has been deliberately packaged to look like a beer bottle in a bid to bring more men into the RTD category.
The launch will be supported with a £2m marketing campaign, including adverts in national press such as FHM and Loaded magazines, outdoor and in-bar activity.
Slate 20 takes its name from the blended bourbon used in the recipe, which is sourced from the Four Roses distillery in the US. The '20 refers to 1920, when bourbon was first distilled in Chicago.
Diageo GB innovation manager Lavinia Leung said: 'We believe there is a real opportunity to boost the RTD category. From our experience with the Australian market, dark-spirited RTDs are seen as more masculine with 70% of drinkers being male. Slate 20 also offers men an original choice alongside beer.
She added: 'We are targeting men, but if women like it as well, that's a bonus for us.
Diageo tested the drink in Australia, where Slate bourbon is well established.
Consumer research was also carried out in the UK ahead of the launch to decide the amount of alcohol Slate 20 should contain.
It's not the first time a whisky-based RTD has been developed. In 2003 Diageo's rival, Bacardi Brown-Forman, trialled two RTDs using Jack Daniel's, Black Jack and Tennessee Gold.
