Jägermeister launches “Deer and a beer” drive

The German spirit brand said it will visit licensees that stock Jägermeister to develop “bespoke solutions” aimed at maximising the opportunity of shot sales.

It cites recent research from CGA, which reveals that shots are worth £819m, accounting for 15.2% of the total spirits value in the on-trade.

Its own study also shows that every 1% increase of the shots category is worth £58.5m in the on-trade and 50% of shot sales are incremental.

The Give It A Shot initiative defines shots as party spirits that are traditionally consumed neat in a shot format, but also lend themselves to long serves including cocktails.

The long-term campaign aims to help licensees:

• Improve visibility of drinks, as research shows 43% of consumers have not decided what they want to order when they reach the bar and 60% will not buy what they cannot see
• Alter quality of brands stocked and theatre around presentation to encourage repeat purchase e.g. serve miniature bottles of Jägermeister in a bowl of ice instead of traditional shot glasses
• Look at opportunities to up-sell to premium brands e.g. suggesting a ‘Deer & Beer’ (shot of Jägermeister to accompany a pint) when customers order a round of beers
• Make the most of seasonality and time of day to change the consumer drinking journey, for example enjoying shots as a digestive or aperitif

Mast-Jaegermeister UK customer marketing and insights controller Jonathan Dennys said: “As the nation’s drinking habits are evolving, there is a great opportunity for outlets to tap into these trends and make the most of our changing tastes. Taking advantage of the dwell time at the bar is critical as good outlets can influence the purchasing decision with some very simple changes and actions, which could reap massive rewards in terms of sales and long term repeat purchases.

“To support our trade partners, we are working on a range of tools to help outlets maximise the category such as our ‘Deer & Beer’ bar mats which will provide bar staff with an easy way to up-sell sales of shots alongside more traditional drinks and encourage outlets to start thinking proactively about other ways to create standout.”

Jägermeister was recently criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority for an ad that was deemed to link drinking with “tough, daring behaviour.”