Piña Coladas will be key to Malibu's success this summer

So called “shot-tails,” and a tour of 300 bars this summer, also form part of plans.

The company said the Piña Colada was one of the best-selling cocktails in mainstream bars and that it had “strong roots” in Malibu’s history.

Summer drinks​

It has teamed up with cocktail consultants, Soul Shakers, and fruit purée brand Funkin, to create a series of cocktails, and will be investing in bespoke drinking vessels to create, “I want one of those” moments in pubs and bars, said marketing controller, Adam Boita.

“When surveyed, 24% of non-Malibu consumers and 42% of Malibu consumers said they were more likely to buy Malibu if it was served in a unique sharing vessel.

“Therefore the brand is launching a host of unique serving receptacles including Piña Colada single serves, Malibu pineapple corers and real coconut shell cups.

“The branded vessels emphasise the Piña Colada’s forte as a refreshing shareable cocktail and give licensees simple, innovative tools to drive sales through their summer drinks offering,” he added.

Increased visibility​

The company is also investing in 42% more Malibu-branded trays, 62% more branded glasses and 52% more pitchers for the on-trade, following research which suggested Publicans believed increased visibility would help drive sales.

Shots and a summer tour​

The booming shot market – shots now account for one in every seven spirits served, according to CGA - is also a focus for the brand this summer and the company has revealed a number of “shot-tail” recipes to try and capitalise on this, including the Mango a Coco and the Coconut Hot Shot.

It also announced a Spirit of Summer tour of 300 bars from Brighton to Blackpool between May and September. As well as Malibu cocktails, venues will be giving away sunglasses, hats and frisbees to revellers to help boost the brand.

“With off and on-trade volumes of Malibu showing good growth year-on-year, we want to continue to drive momentum in the off-trade and relevancy in the on-trade, by helping all of our customers maximise sales of Malibu during the key summer sales period. We’re also showcasing the mixability of the brand – cocktails are at the heart of our activity,” Boita said.

Malibu was one of the five key brands Pernod Ricard MD Denis O’Flynn told the Publican’s Morning Advertiser that the company would be “over-investing” in, over the next few years.