INDIA – United Spirits, a subsidiary of beverage giant Diageo in India, has reported a significant 25.6 percent year-on-year (YoY) increase in profits for the first quarter ending June 30, 2024.
The company’s profits reached Rs 2.99 billion (US$35.7 million), showcasing a strong start to the fiscal year.
The net sales for United Spirits increased by 8.3 percent YoY to Rs 2,352 crore (US$28.1M), driven by an enhanced footprint and the successful introduction of innovative and renovated product offerings.
The company’s revenue growth management interventions also played a crucial role in this performance.
Notably, the sales value of premium spirits, which is United Spirits’ largest revenue contributor, saw a 10.1 percent increase.
Additionally, the company’s consolidated net sales rose by 3.5 percent to Rs 2,761 crore (US$32.98M), though this growth was partially offset by the timing of the men’s IPL matches.
Ms. Hina Nagarajan, CEO & Managing Director of United Spirits, stated: “We have commenced fiscal 2025 with a steady performance in the first quarter. Our renovation and innovation offerings are rolling out progressively with an encouraging response.
Looking ahead, we remain focused on enhancing the long-term competitiveness of our portfolio, and to sustainably deliver in a soft demand environment and harness every opportunity to create long-term value for all our stakeholders.”
Diageo Launches AI-Powered Personalization Experience
Concurrently, parent company Diageo has recently unveiled a Generative AI-powered experience that allows guests to co-design a personalized bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label.
This innovative experience, available exclusively at the Edinburgh venue from August 1-31, 2024, is believed to be the first of its kind, combining world-class Scotch whisky, art, and AI.
The experience prompts visitors to answer three simple questions that influence key themes in Scottish artist Scott Naismith’s work, ultimately impacting their bottle design.
These prompts generate various colors, locations, artistic styles, and times of day, resulting in a unique bottle design that is printed in minutes.
Powered by ‘Project Halo’, a Diageo Breakthrough Innovation, this technology leverages Generative AI to empower consumers to co-create personalized designs on Diageo products.
Will Harvey, Senior Global Innovation Manager at Diageo, said: “Demand for personalisation shows no signs of slowing down, so we’re delighted to offer the chance to create one-of-a-kind AI-enabled designs with Scott.
With Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s previous experience of using AI to enhance customer experiences, it’s the perfect place for us to launch this innovative offer to the world.”
The Johnnie Walker x Scott Naismith experience will be available for a limited time, with guests able to access it with every purchase of Johnnie Walker Blue Label in the venue’s retail store throughout August.
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