As the distilled spirits world continues to lean into the super-premium category Campari Group has established a new division in the U.S. to focus on the category.
Campari Group has announced the launch of the RARE division. Operating from New York City, this sector will focus on Campari Group’s super-premium and above offering through a new, dedicated interior department. This incubator division, as an agile alternative brand equity building laboratory, will be led by Julka Villa, who will retain her role as Global Strategic Marketing Spirits Managing Director, and will operate distinct from Campari America under the direct aegis of the Group CMO. The RARE division will pilot across an ensemble of brands including Champagne, Cognac, Rum, Bourbon, Single Malt Scotch, and White Spirits.
Campari Group Launches The RARE Division
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Campari says RARE aims to unlock and accelerate the growth potential of a select range of super-premium and above brands and individual expressions in the US market, by creating a bespoke business and brand building model. With an increased strategic focus on the development of dedicated capabilities and tools, the ultimate objective is to establish long-term value and growth for this offering, according to a model potentially scalable globally. In this endeavor, the Group has established a dedicated marketing and sales team in order to define and implement a new brand building and commercial strategy and model for the future of the super-premium & above portfolio.
Through the art of brand storytelling, an omni-channel approach, and the development of specific selling capabilities RARE wants to celebrate a “sip of the extraordinary” in every selection chosen for this journey. “By developing a new route-to-market architecture for these resilient and dynamic jewels in our portfolio, we aspire to unlock their true potential,” remarks Julka Villa, Managing Director of RARE. “These are brands rooted in mastery- they represent provenance, artistry, technique and tradition. With a tailored approach, these luxurious expressions will provide the consumer a passport to excellence.”
In June 2021, the division will kick-off with the relaunch of the iconic cognac, Bisquit & Dubouché, and later in the year, the group’s first French champagne acquisition, Lallier fine champagne.
“Consumers are drinking less, but they’re drinking more prestigious spirits,” Villa adds. “Cognac for example, is one of those spirits that has paved the way for premiumization across many categories like whisky and rum and is poised for substantial, purposeful growth. An iconic brand like Bisquit & Dubouché, steeped in tradition, is now poised to project an innovative concept of luxury after a complete re-engineering.”
“The RARE division gives us the opportunity to be focused and agile, to fine-tune new dedicated approaches to brand building, and to scale elsewhere in the US and the world- developing new internal and external benchmarks and reference practices,” explains Jean-Jacques Dubau, Campari Group CMO.
The program will launch in the US beginning with a select number of states where the premium plus and super-premium business is concentrated. In the first year, the RARE division will concentrate on California, Texas, and Florida, in order to develop a specific company approach on brand equity building and route-to-market for other markets to adopt and implement in the future.
Campari Group was founded in 1860 and today is the sixth-largest player worldwide in the premium spirits industry. Campari Group’s portfolio, with over 50 brands, spans spirits (the core business), wines, and soft drinks. Its internationally-renowned brands include Aperol®, Appleton Estate®, Campari®, SKYY®, Wild Turkey®, and Grand Marnier®.
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