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| Number 1 Tanduay Rum |
Overall growth
for the world’s third biggest spirit category may have been marginal last year,
but there’s excitement to be found among rum’s largest producers. Spirits
Business looks at how the big players are performing. According to figures from market
research provider Euromonitor, total rum sales experienced an increase of 0.7%
to 144 million cases in 2017.
Meanwhile, data published in our Brand
Champions 2018 report showed a mixed performance for brands across the rum
category in 2017. There was some
jostling for the top spot, while several international brands, such as Captain
Morgan and Havana Club, witnessed soaring sales. The impact of demonetization and a highway
ban on alcohol in India continued to affect the performance of local brands in
2017.
Following our recently published Brand Champions 2018 report, our pick of
those brands selling more than one-million cases annually – we run through the
world’s best-selling rum brands on the market today. Data is listed to one decimal place for
ease of reading, but the percentage changes are based on the full data supplied
to The Brand Champions 2018. As there is
no globally recognized definition of rum, brands featured on this list are all
marketed as rums.
10. Appleton Estate
2017:
1.2m
2016: 1.2m
% change: 0.0%
2016: 1.2m
% change: 0.0%
Place
last year: 10
Gruppo Campari’s Jamaican rum brand witnessed
stagnant sales in 2017, remaining at 1.2m cases. The company’s total rum
portfolio increased by 6.4% in Gruppo Campari’s 2017 Full year results. boosted by Jamaica, the
UK, the US and Mexico. In November 2017, Gruppo Campari unveiled a new campaign for Appleton Estate Rum inspired
by the brand’s Jamaican heritage at New York’s JFK Airport.
9. Old Port Rum
2017:
1.3m
2016: 1.7m
% change: -22.3%
2016: 1.7m
% change: -22.3%
Place
last year: 8
Indian brand Old Port Rum is owned by Bangalore-based Amrut
Distilleries. The brand witnessed the biggest drop in sales across the
best-selling rum brands, falling by -22.3%.
The brand most likely continued to see its sales slip due to the
impact of demonetization and a blanket ban on alcohol sales within 500 meters
of any highway in India in 2017.
8. Ron Medellin
2017:
1.6m
2016: 1.4m
% change: 15.7%
2016: 1.4m
% change: 15.7%
Place
last year: 9
Ron Medellin, owned by Fabrica de Alcoholes y Licores de
Antioquia, experienced an impressive 15.7% growth in 2017 – the fastest
growth rate among any million-case-selling rum brand.
Made in Colombia, Ron Medellin is predominantly consumed in
Latin America. Its core range consists of a 12- and eight-year-old expression.
7. Contessa
2017:
1.8m
2016: 2.0m
% change: -10.1%
2016: 2.0m
% change: -10.1%
Place
last year: 7
Radico Khaitan-owned Contessa was hit hard by different market
factors in India and continued to experience declines in 2017. The brand was
unable to reach the 2m case mark it witnessed in 2015.
Radico says that Contessa is the most popular rum brand in India’s
defense segment, with a 25% market share. It also has a presence in Africa,
South East Asia and the Middle East, and is now rolling out to the US and
Canada.
6. Barceló
2017:
2.2m
2016: 2.1m
% change: 6.3%
2016: 2.1m
% change: 6.3%
Place
last year: 6
The brand continued its solid performance last year, when it
increased by 6.3% to hit 2.2m cases. Barceló has continued to witness
consistent sales and hasn’t declined in five years, according to Brand
Champions data.
Produced in the Dominican Republic by Ron Barceló since
1950, Barceló is sold in more than 50 countries.
5. Havana Club
2017:
4.4m
2016: 4.2m
% change: 4.8%
2016: 4.2m
% change: 4.8%
Place
last year: 5
Pernod Ricard’s Havana Club brand has witnessed consistent
growth, increasing by 4.8% in 2017. In the company’s H1 results, Havana Club
increased by 7% with “good and improving growth”, driven by Cuba, Russia and
Germany.
The brand’s legal row with Bacardi over the Havana Club Trademark intensified last
year after the latter company launched a Forever Cuban campaign that contained
“misleading statements”.
4. Captain Morgan
2017:
11.7m
2016: 10.7m
% change: 9.3%
2016: 10.7m
% change: 9.3%
Place
last year: 4
This year’s Rum Brand Champion, Diageo-owned Captain
Morgan, boasted the highest rate of growth for any international rum brand.
Global brand director Nik Keane attributes Captain Morgan’s
success to innovation and its growing presence in markets including the UK,
Germany, Australia, South Africa, Mexico and France.
Diageo recently launched a number of shot-inspired
flavor extensions, including watermelon and coconut, and tweaked the bottle design to create a "more modern brand visual identity".
3. McDowell’s No.1 Rum
2017:
12.5m
2016: 14.9m
% change: -16.1%
2016: 14.9m
% change: -16.1%
Place
last year: 3
Last year, Indian rum brand McDowell’s No.1 Celebration – owned
by Diageo’s United Spirits unit – experienced a double-digit decline of -16.1%
to 12.7m cases.
Unfortunately, the world’s best-selling rum brand in 2015
continued its rapid decline last year, while successfully holding onto third
position among the best-selling rum brands.
2. Bacardi
2017:
16.8m
2016: 17.2m
2016: 17.2m
%
change: -2.7%
Place
last year: 1
It’s a new position for Bacardi as it slips from the top spot to become the second
best-selling rum in the world.
Bacardi recently shifted its focus to more premium
positioning, releasing two new products with higher price points in
April this year. But will its premiumization efforts pay off this year?
1. Tanduay
2017:
19.5m
2016: 16.6m
% change: 17.5%
2016: 16.6m
% change: 17.5%
Place
last year: 2
Philippine brand Tanduay has overtaken Bacardi to
become the world’s best-selling rum brand after reporting 17.5% growth last
year. The brand was almost neck and neck with its rival Bacardi in 2017, but
managed to experience an astounding increase to claim the top spot for the
first time. The brand is getting ever closer to the 20m case mark it once held
in 2012. Tanduay is the best-selling rum in Asia and is now available in the
US.
