Innovation is what Diageo is looking toward to spark growth in its products, Even the 69 year old Captain is getting some updating to become more competitive with some of the new spiced rums as well as the flavored vodkas and whiskeys. "Consumers are constantly looking for new
expressions-whether it's a flavor or a pack idea or a different way to enjoy
the brand-that for us as innovators gives us a chance to keep these great old
brands fresh and vital," says Michael Ward, senior vice president of
innovation marketing at Diageo, "A lot of our ideas come from our existing
brands." 
In that vein, Diageo has put out several special edition Captain Morgan expressions in the past years, Captain Morgan Black, Captain Morgan White and A
limited-edition Captain Morgan Sherry Oak launched last year helped offset the
impact of increased competition from flavored whiskey and other spiced rums. This year the 1671 Commemorative Spiced Blend is set to be launched.Diageo over all showed a 2% decline in sales.
All of these new innovations are keeping the brand alive and up to date with the new trendy expressions that show up on the market every day. Captain Morgan showed a 2% grown in the past year while
This is the job of the Innovation Center in Norwalk, Connecticut, to develop the new ideas and play with fine nuances of flavor to create an expression that will keep the "Captain" moving into the next year and staying on top. The center works on the spirit, but also works very closely with mixologists to ensure that the new spirit will work well at the bar when mixed into a cocktail. There are many of the newer spirits that have a strong flavor that clash with many of the common mixers and ruin the cocktail. This is just as important as having a good flavor to the spirit itself.My hat is off to Diageo for putting forth this kind of effort to keep their products at the cutting edge of the market. It takes a team effort between the "chemists" and the marketing departments to make this come off in a successful manner, it seems that the Diageo team has the "right stuff" to get the job done. ;)
