Absolut Seeks Growth Through 'Fu'
The market for premium vodka is a tiny one in China, but with a swath of the country's vast population swiftly becoming more affluent, a certain Swedish distiller is moving to seize what its ads might term an Absolut Opportunity.
Absolut vodka is celebrating the Chinese New Year, which began last week, with its most aggressive integrated advertising and marketing campaign in China to date. The "Absolut New Year" effort centers on the Chinese character "fu," which means "blessing" or "fortune." The character, often printed upside down during the new year holiday to mean "fortune arriving," will be prominent in print ads, on billboards and in a new Chinese-language Web site. Absolut, a unit of V&S Vin & Sprit, also will run promotions in bars, restaurants and liquor stores.
Interactive Billboard
Like many global marketers, Absolut is looking to China as a potential growth engine as the U.S. and other mature Western markets provide relatively slower growth. Absolut leads the Chinese vodka market with a 34% share by volume, compared with 27% for Diageo's Smirnoff, according to the market-research firm Euromonitor International. V&S, which is controlled by the Swedish government, wants to solidify and improve its position in China while fending off competitors.
A Chinese ad for Absolut features a calligraphic character that means 'blessing,' 'fortune' or, when turned upside-down,'welcome.'
The print ads, created by the Paris and Shanghai offices of Omnicom Group's TBWA, resemble the iconic ads Absolut has used in the U.S. since 1980, featuring a photo of an Absolut bottle. However, the bottle in the new Chinese ads bears the "fu" character, with "Absolut New Year" printed upside-down atop the page -- the idea is for readers to upend the ad to get the double meaning of the symbol, Absolut says. A billboard featuring the character-bedecked bottle will appear in Xintiandi Plaza in Shanghai, with a street-level control button that lets passersby make the bottle rotate.
Absolut's previous Chinese ads were little different from Western versions, except for featuring scenes from a Chinese city, but the new effort is meant to tap directly into Chinese culture, says Peter Wijk, director of marketing and communications for the Asia-Pacific region at V&S Absolut Spirits.
"The campaign is obviously very Chinese," Mr. Wijk says, adding that a non-Chinese person probably wouldn't understand it. "This is a way for us to celebrate the Chinese New Year with the Chinese, and be very relevant with that culture." Absolut wouldn't disclose spending on the campaign.
The Web site, Absolut's first in China, furthers the campaign's celebration of the New Year but also addresses a key need: teaching drinkers just what they should do with this unfamiliar spirit. Written in simplified Chinese characters, the site features tips on mixing and consuming vodka, along with information on the brand's heritage. In addition to the ads and Web site, Absolut plans to teach bartenders how to serve Absolut and will introduce Absolut cocktails into bars and clubs.
Growth Outpaces U.S.
Absolut says the market is growing fast, as years of social and economic policies, including the single-child restriction, have spawned a growing generation of educated and affluent middle-class Chinese drinkers. But for now, all imported spirits account for just 1% of the Chinese spirits market.
The vodka market, of course, is smaller still, with 134,200 gallons sold in 2004, generating $19.5 million in sales, according to Euromonitor. Volume was up 14% compared with 2003. Last year's U.S. vodka market of 107.8 million gallons and $10.93 billion in sales dwarfs China's, but volume growth was a more modest 6.1%, Euromonitor says.
Analysts share Absolut's view that the Chinese market has great potential. "Imported spirits are seen by the young generation as being cool and trendy, hip drinks," says Parita Chitakasem , global spirits analyst for Euromonitor. "Young Chinese are becoming more Westernized....With vodka being a fashionable spirit in the West, it is sure to take off in China."
But Ms. Chitakasem warns that imported spirits often are expensive in China, and out of reach for most Chinese drinkers. A bottle of Absolut costs 110 yuan, or about $13.30, compared with an average of 4.5 yuan for a local spirit, according to Euromonitor. Despite rising disposable incomes among the Chinese middle class, Ms. Chitakasem says local spirits will continue to account for the majority of spirits sales.
"It is really the rich kids who are following these trends," Ms. Chitakasem says of imported spirits. "They are pretty fickle, and can afford to buy these drinks."
Absolut伏特加巧借“福”祈福
在中国，高级伏特加酒的市场微乎其微，但在中国庞大的人口中，一部分人变得越来越富有，一家瑞典酿酒商制作了名为“绝对机会”(Absolut Opportunity)的广告，力图抓住这一商机。
眼下，Absolut伏特加酒正在庆祝中国的新年，并展开了迄今为止在中国最大张旗鼓、规模最庞大的广告和营销活动。“绝对新年”(Absolut New Year)活动将中国的“福”字定为它的主题，“福”在中国含祝福及财富之意，在新年到来时常常被倒写，寓意“福到了”。“福”字将醒目地出现在Absolut平面媒体广告、广告牌以及新中文网站中。Absolut是V&S Vin & Sprit的子公司，该公司还将在酒吧、餐馆和烟酒商店中展开推广活动。
像全球其他许多企业一样，在美国和其他成熟的西方市场增长相对放缓之际，Absolut将中国视为一个潜在的增长引擎。据市场研究机构Euromonitor International称，按销量计算，Absolut在中国伏特加酒市场的占有率为34%，位居首位，Diageo的Smirnoff占据了27%的市场。由瑞典政府控股的V&S希望在与对手展开竞争的同时，能巩固并提高在中国的地位。
其平面广告由Omnicom Group旗下的TBWA在巴黎和上海的办事处制作，广告与Absolut自1980年以来在美国使用的以一个Absolut酒瓶为主题的图标广告类似。但是在中国的新广告中，酒瓶上面有一个“福”字，在广告页的上面倒印著“绝对新年”字样－－Absolut称，这个广告的构思是人们可将广告倒置过来，由此令这一符号具有双层含义。一个以“福”字酒瓶为主旨的广告牌将会出现在上海的新天地广场，行人可以通过路边的一个控制按钮让酒瓶旋转。
V&S Absolut Spirits的亚太区营销以及市场传播总监彼得?维科(Peter Wijk)说，Absolut以前的中文广告除了中国的城市场景，其他地方与西方的版本大同小异，而新的宣传活动直接融合了中国文化。
“此次活动显然非常地中国化，”维科说，他补充道，外国人可能看不懂这个。“这是我们和中国人一起庆祝中国新年的方式，这应该非常切合中国的新年文化。”Absolut拒绝透露此次营销活动的开支。
作为此次庆祝新年营销活动的一部分，Absolut首次建立了中文网站。该网站还满足了一个重要需求：向饮酒者传授如何饮用这种陌生烈酒的知识。这个简体中文版的网站上有一些调酒和饮酒的小知识，此外还有Absolut品牌历史的信息。除了广告和网站，Absolut还打算教酒吧招待如何向客人提供伏特加，并将把Absolut鸡尾酒引入到酒吧和俱乐部。
Absolut称，市场规模正迅速扩大，原因是中国实施数年的、包括计划生育政策在内的各种社会和经济政策催生了越来越多受过良好教育、富余的新一代中产阶级饮酒者。但在目前，进口烈酒仅占中国烈酒市场的1%。
据Euromonitor称，目前中国的伏特加市场规模仍然较小，2004年全年的销量只有134,200加仑，销售额为1,950万美元，销量与2003年相比增长了14%。Euromonitor表示，去年美国的伏特加销量为1.078亿加仑，销售额为109.3亿美元，这些数字让中国相形见绌，但是美国伏特加销量的增长幅度仅为6.1%。
分析师赞同Absolut的观点，也认为中国市场有著巨大的潜力。“在年轻一代的眼中，进口烈酒是时尚、新潮的酒精饮料，”Euromonitor的全球烈酒市场分析师基塔卡森(Parita Chitakasem)说，“中国的年轻人越来越西化...伏特加在西方是一种时尚的酒精饮料，在中国肯定会受到追捧。”
但是基塔卡森警告，进口烈酒在中国通常较为昂贵，无缘于中国大多数饮酒者。Euromonitor称，一瓶Absolut伏特加售价为人民币110元，合大约13.30美元，而当地烈酒平均售价为人民币4.5元。尽管中国中产阶级的可支配收入增加，但是基塔卡森称，国产烈酒仍将继续占领市场的大半江山。
“实际上是中国有钱的年轻人造就了这股潮流，”基塔卡森在谈到进口烈酒时表示，“他们常常是兴之所至，且能买得起进口烈酒。”
