Tanqueray & Tonic

Harnessing a category entry point and distinctive assets for success

Scroll Down

The challenge

Tanqueray, a premium and sophisticated spirit brand, faced the challenge of trying to launch a new bar quality Tanqueray and Tonic premix into a category beset by negative associations as being immature, overly sweet and of inferior quality.

The science

It was critical to attach the new brand extension to an aspirational Category Entry Point (CEP), as aligning to a CEP is alcohol’s greatest strength and the greatest opportunity to drive market share growth.

Using our proprietary ‘Category Entry Point Framework Model’, the ‘evening unwind occasion’ was chosen. Identifying wine as the default choice for this occasion, we positioned Tanqueray and Tonic premix as a sophisticated first drink.

By borrowing behavioural cues and codes from wine we further established T&T as a credible alternative.

The art

Our solution was ‘Let the evening beGIN’. It positioned Tanqueray and Tonic as a bar-quality drink but with the convenience of a pre-mix, perfect for starting the evening unwind.

From our ‘Distinctiveness Audit,’ the Tanqueray green was the distinctive asset with the highest levels of uniqueness and fame, and this was prominently and boldly featured throughout the campaign to create strong brand saliency.

The evidence

The campaign ranked as one of Diageo’s most successful brand launches. The explicit focus on the aspirational evening unwind occasion and the effective use of distinctive assets contributed to exceeding sales expectations and surpassing key performance indicators.