Pernod Ricard:

The Challenge:

In a world where people’s attitudes towards drinking were evolving rapidly due to new aspirations and societal shifts, Pernod Ricard faced a significant challenge. They recognised that alcohol consumption was trending toward moderation, and they needed a compelling growth strategy to secure investment from the Executive Board. The aim was to unlock the opportunities presented by this shift in consumer behaviour.  Although they had been introducing alcohol-free options to keep pace with competitors, they were determined to grasp a deeper understanding of the driving forces behind this shift and get ahead of the curve.

Pernod Ricard asked Butterfly to determine which moderated consumption opportunities to prioritise and to craft a plan to maximise their share of these moments using their existing portfolio.

The Approach:

At Butterfly, we believe that a holistic understanding of consumer behaviour, feelings, and market dynamics, coupled with adaptability, forms the cornerstone of effective strategy. This is critical to delivering consumer-centric solutions that can evolve with changing market trends.

Our approach prioritised gathering insights from various sources, including consumer feedback, linguistic analysis, semiotics, expert perspectives, and cross-functional collaboration.

We built a “moderated moments” strategic framework detailing clearly defined, sized opportunities.  We then mapped this onto the brand portfolio, to identify where to play and quick wins. We led an ideation process for each priority brand leveraging our semiotic guidance to develop guardrails of execution.

The Impact:

Our comprehensive work provided Pernod Ricard with the data and direction required to succeed in a shifting landscape. We built a strategic framework that dissected moderation in key moments, identifying the needs and strategies that we connected back to the brands in their portfolio. As a result, the business case shifted towards increased investment in zero and lower alcohol propositions, while also broadening the playing field of opportunities.

The first concept we developed, “Absolut Sensations,” has already launched, signalling the successful execution of our growth strategies for Pernod Ricard.