Cuvana ditched as Dead Crow wins the battle of the speers
The company, which also makes WKD, Merrydown and Bottlegreen, expects the category to double in value in the next year, and double again the following year, to reach £400m (CGA).
To capitalise on this it has redesigned the packaging for the original Dead Crow bourbon beer and brought rum beer, Cuvana, under the same brand.
“The two initial flavours have proved to be popular – hence our retaining both variants – but consumer feedback over the past 15 months has shown Dead Crow to be a striking, distinctive, memorable and highly compelling brand proposition,” said Mark Hopper, head of innovation and development.
“We have, therefore, taken the decision at this stage to move forward with Dead Crow as the brand name which will unite and align the projected family of spirit-flavoured variants in our speers portfolio, rather than launch a series of individual brands.
“It has also given us the opportunity to review the pack design and introduce the embossed bottle and refine the graphics to deliver a more premium image, whilst providing a strong platform for bringing on board new speers further down track.”
The new-look bottles are rolling out now, alongside a marketing drive under the slogan, “Follow the crow and not the crowd.”
Sampling to drive trial, activity on social media websites and outdoor posters are part of plans, alongside sponsorship activities, which have yet to be finalised.
“SHS Drinks intends to remain at the forefront of innovation in this dynamic new sub-category and we will be looking to expand the portfolio in due course, drawing inspiration, as we have done with bourbon and rum, from flavours from around the world,” said Hopper.
