Martini was facing a brand challenge. Without sustained investment in the brand, its popularity had declined considerably – and its consumers had aged. Despite a glowing heritage of owned cocktail suites in prestigious penthouse locations, in many markets, Martini had become a tipple for older women. The brand needed a relaunch.
Redmandarin was appointed to develop the strategy for Martini and to deliver preliminary scoping, in conjunction with its activation agency. With great support from the in house insight team, we quickly built up a clear picture of Martini consumption in European markets and individual sessions with local heads of marketing complemented that insight with understanding of the challenges around distribution, brand image and competition.
It was relatively painless to arrive at a clear strategic framework to prioritise visibility, exclusivity and modernity which was approved by all markets. The scoping exercise however was challenging, as different markets had been used to pursuing their local agenda. With time, we helped convert the markets to support a single European platform which would lift the brand in all markets – even if this did not offer the same level of bespoke sales support as existing activity.
After healthy discussion, it became clear that a revival of Martini’s famous stripes and a return to its heritage in Formula One was the smart option – allowing it to leverage its archive imagery, demonstrate the longevity of the brand and at the same time to remind audiences that it was as modern as ever.
