S p e c i a l F e a t u r e

When was Dennis Whisky launched? What is the price segment they are competing in?

Dennis Whisky was launched late in 2014 in the semi premium segment, competing with brands like McDowell’s No. 1 and Officer’s Choice Blue, from USL Diageo and ABD.

We understand that you could manage to sell million cases last month? Please let us know how did you manage to create history in such a short span?

Rock and Storm has sent a clear

message to the Indian industry. No longer will the big boys dominate the consumer’s mind with their big ATL budgets and activations. The product must deliver to the consumer palate. Dennis Whisky moved swiftly up the taste ranking by consumers in one part of the country. This is inevitable in the new markets where Dennis Whisky will be launched shortly. We will scale up very fast from being a young start up and a regional player to a national player. This is the MAKE IN INDIA story. This is our success story.What are the reasons you attribute to the success of this brand?

We are a young player in the beverage alcohol market. We identified the gap in quality in the prestige whisky segment, invested in a differentiated blend and pitched Dennis Whisky high on taste, but inclusive on price. Dennis Whisky is a peaty whisky with hints of wood and spice, offering a palate experience that no other whisky in India can match at this price point. We knew this was the game changer and that we will outsell competition. We are proud of the one million cases sales achievement for Dennis Whisky in such a short period of its launch in just three States in India.

Dennis Whisky is now a millionaire brandDennis Whisky has achieved a remarkable feat in the history of Indian alcobev industry by achieving sale of 1 million cases in a short period of one year. Ambrosia speaks to the management to know about how they strategised in a competitive market.

AMBROSIA • March 201656

We understand that the malt content in the Dennis Whisky is substantial to make it smooth? Would you like to highlight the special care taken by your distillery to maintain the quality?

To maintain the quality of our products, we have taken a principled, quality-driven approach so that every product that leaves the manufacturing unit is of the highest standard and exceeds all expectations. The first and foremost aspect of our manufacturing unit is the usage of natural and authentic ingredients from the base of origin of Scotch whisky i.e., Scotland. This preserves the authenticity of our products as even our Vatted Malt Spirits are sourced from Scotland. These ingredients were chosen by a highly qualified team of professionals who have vast experience in the alcohol manufacturing industry. Stringent measures are taken to assure that the highest quality blends are added to our brands.

Another aspect of Rock & Storm that sets us apart from the rest of the competition is good manufacturing practice, a set of ideologies that govern the manufacturing of our products to assure that every product that leaves the assembly line surpasses all expectations. These practices are used for quality control in the production process

ensures timely elimination, prevention of production defects and an unblemished quality of finished goods produced from production line.

Any brand, is built on the image it holds and a very integral part of building brand image for a consumer goods product like a beverage is packaging. Giving maximum attention to packaging and design, our designers and printers work round the clock to ensure that the products bear an extremely premium and luxurious appearance so that customers may feel a sense of ownership and pride when purchasing the products.

All these aspects and approaches taken by the Rock & Storm brand assure that

our company has a strong foundation that builds an unmatched market presence, which holds a remarkable brand image.

What are the challenges and opportunities you see for this brand to make it pan India?

Semi premium segment in Indian beverage alcohol industry has seen the maximum new entrants over the last three to four years, given the attractive volumes at various price bands within this segment be it for Dennis Whisky or Rich N Rare aged premium whisky. We will be competing with established brands as well as regional players as we move into other markets in East and South in India. We are confident about the delivery of our product on taste, pricing, distribution through strong Team and Retail coverage (WOD), to win this battle.

In how many states this particular brand is available and how many more you will touching this year?

We are moving swiftly from a regional player status to a serious national player. We will elbow out some of the popular established brands with our winning product quality, distribution strategy and extremely engaging trade and consumer promotions. We will continue to build brand recall through BTL and TTL activities. In-shop innovations will be another key focus area to break the clutter and get Dennis Whisky noticed in the outlets in metros and upcountry markets.

Which are the other brands in your portfolio and how are they developing? What potentials you see for the other brand?

Rich N Rare aged premium whisky crosslined to Pernod’s Royal Stag, is faring well in all markets where we have launched. Rich N Rare aged premium whisky is matured in wooden vats. Crafted from the finest oak aged Scottish malt whiskies and blended with Indian grain spirits, Rich N Rare has an outstanding warm texture and expression of golden colour. This has resonated well with the consumer currently franchising Royal Stag. We are expanding Rich N Rare availability across Northern India based on trade response. We will chip away marketshare points from competition in this segment this year.

We are a young player in the beverage alcohol market. We identified the gap in quality in the prestige whisky segment, invested in a differentiated blend and pitched Dennis Whisky high on taste, but inclusive on price. Dennis Whisky is a peaty whisky with hints of wood and spice, offering a palate experience that no other whisky in India can match at this price point. We knew this was the game changer and that we will outsell competition

Vinay Ratan Khare

Arundeep Singla and Prashant Arora

AMBROSIA • March 201657