NIGERIA – Pernod Ricard, the French spirit and wine group has introduced Seagrams Imperial Blue whisky into the Nigerian market following the launch of the brand in Ghana mid this Month with an aim to further bolster its presence in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Whisky brand which is a perfect blend of quality grain spirits and imported scotch malts has been introduced into the Nigerian market, targeting the young and vibrant Nigerian whisky loving consumers.
Speaking during the event, Pernod Ricard Nigeria’s Managing Director, David Langlois highlighted that the brand will be produced locally in Nigeria, the 37th country where the whisky is making in- road throughout the world.
He explained further that Nigeria was a crucial growth market for Groupe Pernod Ricard in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, which contributes to 44% of Pernod Ricard’s international business for Imperial Blue.
The Chief Marketing officer, Pernod Ricard India, Kartik Mohindra stated that, “We are excited by the business potential and size of the market. The relatively young population of Nigeria is fast moving into the middle-income bracket and we are proud to introduce Seagram’s Imperial Blue to them.’’
“This launch is hence crucial to help fulfill our ambition of becoming the leader in the mainstream spirits market among the emerging middle class within the next 5 years,” he said.
Imperial Blue was launched in 1997 in India and since then has become not just one of the largest but also amongst the fastest growing whisky brands in the world.
According to IWSR 2018, Imperial Blue is the world’s third-largest selling whisky and is also the largest volume contributor to the Pernod Ricard Group globally.
According to the company, Imperial Blue Whisky is the winner of Monde Selection Gold Award 2018 for its product quality. It has also won Gold & Bronze awards at Abby’s for its iconic brand communication.