ABD’s Bikram Basu on curating experiences to build strong alcobev brands

ABD (Allied Blenders and Distillers) is one of India’s largest and most influential players in the alcoholic beverages sector. Their portfolio includes popular mass-market brands like Officer’s Choice, Sterling Reserve, and ICONiQ, alongside premium offerings such as Zoya Special Batch Gin and Arthaus Blended Malt Scotch. With a strong market presence in India and expanding internationally, ABD continues to lead with innovative approaches across various segments of the spirits industry.

In this interaction with Adgully, Bikram Basu, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, ABD, shares his insights on the company’s dual approach to mass-market and premium product positioning, their strategies for integrating traditional and digital media, and their focus on sustainability in the alco-bev industry. He also discussed their efforts to tap into cultural events and festivals, and how celebrity collaborations contribute to elevating the brand’s premium offerings.

How does ABD navigate the challenge of positioning both its mass-market and premium products in the market? Are there specific strategies you employ to maintain a balance between the two?

At ABD, we focus on tailoring our strategies to meet the distinct needs of both mass-market and premium consumers. For mass-market brands like Officer's Choice, we emphasize dependable quality, consistency, value, and wide accessibility. In the mid-segments leading to premium, our brands like Sterling Reserve and ICONiQ focus on quality, communication, packaging and consumer promotions.

For super-premium brands like Zoya Special Batch Gin, which is priced at Rs 2200 for a 750ML bottle in Mumbai, and the recently launched Arthaus Blended Malt Scotch, which is priced at Rs 4,800 a bottle, we focus on craftsmanship, exclusivity, and unique brand experiences.

Our strong distribution networks and clear segmentation allow us to effectively balance value, mid-segment and premium plus segments, ensuring each brand builds and retains consumer equity effectively.

In today’s marketing landscape, both traditional and digital approaches play key roles. How does ABD integrate these two methods to effectively reach and engage the diverse Indian audience?

We believe in the power of blending tradition with innovation. Traditional media like TV, Print, Out-of-Home, give us the ability to create moments that resonate with a wide target audience, especially with impact and live action properties. However, with younger audiences we truly connect on digital and social platforms, participating with their individual likes and screen experiences for deeper engagement. With these approaches, we ensure that our brands aren’t just seen – but felt and remembered. I do believe that no planning, budget or media will work if the content does not. Content needs to be at the heart – be it traditional or new media.

Interactive consumer experiences seem to be central to ABD’s recent marketing campaigns. Could you share an example of a successful initiative, particularly one tied to festivals or cultural events?

The Sterling Reserve marketing campaign for Durga Puja has been a successful initiative from a cultural context. The brand worked with a regional media house to build engagement with the many apartment buildings in Kolkata and their communities which celebrate in their own premises. The focus was on traditional media and team presence.

In terms of cultural events our brands are quite active and some of them do amazing mainstream work running good budgets. However, I was particularly impressed with our teams working in sync with the organizers to ideate, create and execute the first ICONiQ Jorhat Music festival with top local artists in Assam recently, which used a great mix of local out-of-home and digital, social handles.

How does ABD ensure that its premium products remain aspirational for its target demographic? What steps are being taken to set these products apart in a competitive market?

Quality, aspiration, pricing are key to selling premium brands. With brands like Arthaus and Zoya Gin, every drop ensures exceptional quality. In F&B, of which alcohol beverage is an integral part, what consumers taste and experience matters. The strongest advocates are the consumers who believe in you, the harshest critics are the ones who have not liked you. At times it can be subjective. The idea is to give the best product, make every experience a desirable one, and build the consumer narrative. It is a competitive brand market, and we are happy with it. Makes all of us give our best and the consumer has a wide choice and great experiences to choose from.

To build and remain aspirational we curate experiences, release limited editions with different customisations or collaborations, elevate occasions, consistently work on the intrinsic product quality.

Celebrity collaborations, such as with Ranveer Singh, have proven to be influential in shaping luxury brands. How has his partnership with ABD affected the perception of your premium offerings?

Ranveer Singh’s partnership with ABDL will redefine the narrative for our premium portfolio, a few of which are in the making. As a business and creative partner, his influence is very different from a celebrity endorser. Ranveer embodies the bold, dynamic spirit of today’s luxury consumer – someone who seeks authenticity, craft, and cultural relevance. His involvement will allow us to seamlessly blend world-class quality with the vibrancy of India’s evolving luxury market.

What major trends have emerged in the alcobev industry this year, and how do you plan to incorporate these insights into ABD's strategy for the coming year?

This year, the alcobev industry has been buzzing with discussions on sustainability and trends for premiumization. Consumers are more conscious than ever, demanding eco-friendly packaging, carbon reduction, and ethical sourcing. ABD is stepping up by reducing our dependence on glass for bottles as it requires a lot of energy, cutting down on paper and paperboard consumption by removal of permanent secondary cartons by 3,559 MT in FY24 and saving a possible count of 89000 trees. We are also very actively reducing usage of water in servicing products in washing, rinsing at manufacturing units and with better technologies.

On the premium brand front, consumers are gravitating toward unique, high-quality spirits like Arthaus and Zoya Gin, looking for experiences rather than just products.

As ABD looks to expand internationally, what are the key goals for global growth? How do you plan to maintain ABD’s market leadership in India while exploring new international opportunities?

While ABD is the third-largest Spirits organisation in the country, and the largest Indian player by volume, it is also one of the top exporters of IMFL from its shores with Officers Choice Whisky.

We will expand the value to premium markets in South-East Asia, Middle East, Africa and parts of South America with Officers Choice, ICONiQ and Sterling Reserve. Simultaneously, we are also building strength to win with our premium portfolio of brands in advanced markets.