Heavily taxed rare wines and expensive scotch imports have always been an elusive affair for the average middle class Indian society. But then, who cares – when there is an entire clan of bang-for-your-buck whiskies, bold enough to make you pie eyed for just a few bucks. And, if you’ve got to pick one which personifies class without letting you go on a splurge– then it has to be the Seagram’s Royal Stag.
This flagship whiskey brand of Pernod Ricard India is an excellent blend of affordability and exquisiteness. Through years, it has upheld a distinct brand image that has effortlessly managed to encapsulate the entire Indian middle class.
Rise to Glory
Seagram’s introduced Royal Stag in India in 1995 as a blend of imported scotch malts and selected Indian Grain Spirits. Later in 2000, the global business of Seagram was jointly acquired by Diageo and Pernod Ricard, who eventually split the business with the latter retaining Royal Stag.
The brand disrupted the Indian spirits space by sticking to the distinctive ‘No Artificial Flavors’ value proposition. In fact, it pioneered a distinct process that entailed the blending of native grain spirits with scotch malts. With time, the brand gained significant traction across diverse cultural communities and socio-economic groups. Today, Seagram’s Royal Stag whisky dwelling on its unique attributes and value propositions –reigns as a top brand of India, strategically forging a profound and meaningful connection with its customers.
The Trust Factor
The renowned adage – “you get what you pay for” doesn’t quite go with Royal Stag. It is one among the very few whiskey brands which doesn’t really let you compromise with quality just because it’s humbly priced. With price tags ranging from 500 to 1000 rupees for 750ML / 375ML files, this whiskey with a precise blend of flavor, taste, aroma and color, always proves to be a safe bet.
For more than a decade, Royal Stag has epitomized its brand image with hardworking self-made personalities who have successfully magnified each layers of their lives into larger canvases. The brand ambassadors have personified the brand’s image through years. They have molded it to an extent where today Royal Stag is not just a brand name anymore but a symbol of trust that resonates well with the both the upper middle class and middle class people of India.
The Urge for Innovation
With an eye on innovation, the brand launched its premium offering – Royal Stag Barrel Select in 2011. A blatant upgrade of the Royal Stag, this new whisky has gradually extended its footprint across India.
Additionally, the brand developed a new digital platform, namely Large Short Films (LSF), in an attempt to fuel brand awareness through sustained co-creation initiatives that involved leading directors of Bollywood. The platform not only provided an opportunity to the aspiring filmmakers to showcase their skills but also enabled the brand to rapidly expand its footprint in the digital landscape. With several success stories like Nayantara’s Necklace and Ahalya under its belt, the platform has driven serious brand advocacy with growing engagement around its ‘Make it Perfect’ mantra.
Towards the Future
Today, Royal Stag is well positioned as a prominent ‘mass premium’ brand which has managed to influence the young and confident Indian mass who exemplify progress. Going forward, the brand is poised to capitalize on the growing demand for whiskey in India. And, quite evidently the future for the brand looks bright, indeed.