Intangible Business researched nearly 10,000 spirit and wine brands across the globe to produce The Power 100, now in its fifth year.
The league table, which assesses both the financial contribution of each brand alongside its strength in the eyes of the consumer, has been compiled by combining scores from a panel of drinks industry experts. The brands are rated according to share of market, future growth, premium price position, awareness, relevance, heritage and brand perception.
Smirnoff achieved an overall score of 93.6%, giving it a significant margin over the other brands that make up the top ten.
Johnnie Walker remains the world’s leading whiskey brand at number 2 in The Power 100, despite seeing its score fall by 20%, keeping it ahead in the whiskey sector from Jack Daniel’s (6 overall), Chivas Regal (8 overall), Ballantine’s (10 overall) and Jim Beam (15 overall).
Bacardi, the number one rum brand and number 3 in the overall The Power 100, came narrowly behind Johnnie Walker, but comfortably ahead of Martini Vermouth in 4th place and Hennessy in 5th place.
The biggest climber in the Top 20 is Chilean wine brand Concha y Toro, which climbs five places to number 17. Other big climbers in The Power 100 include Cuban rum brand Havana Club (up seven places to 25); Cognac brand Rémy Martin (up six places to 27) and American wine brand Robert Mondavi, which climbs six places to number 31 on this year’s table and Australian wine brand Lindemans, which climbs eight places to number 55.
There are nine new brands in this year’s The Power 100, the highest of which – Swedish vodka brand Svedka – comes straight in at number 46. Others include Russian Standard (54), Wyborowa at 59, Aperol (70), Clan Campbell (73), William Lawson’s (78), Clan MacGregor (89), Three Olives (94) and Wild Turkey (100).
They replace established brands in The Power 100 including Banrock Station, Dom Perignon, Kumala, Lanson and Tattinger.
The USA is the country with the most brands in The Power 100 with 18 brands, led by Jack Daniel’s, Gallo and Jim Beam; Scotland has 16 brands in The Power 100, led by Johnnie Walker, Chivas Regal and Ballantine’s, and France with 14 brands, led by Hennessy, Moet et Chandon and Ricard, although France has four fewer brands in this year’s table compared to last.
Stuart Whitwell, joint managing director of Intangible Business, said: ‘The biggest brands have taken quite a battering, marking the end to a 15 year drive to premiumisation. This has been replaced with a drive to value which new entrants are taking advantage of. Vodka is still a high growth area with fewer barriers to entry and greater consumer choice emerging from both established companies and new value entrants.
“It will be interesting to see if consumers return to the big brands once their economic situation improves. Or perhaps greater choice and innovation has changed the landscape for good.”
