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As cool as ice
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CEO/Managing Director Hasso Kampfe until 31-12-2007,
then Paolo Dell’ Antonio and Jack Blecker | Number of
employees: 500 (distribution in the Netherlands and some
other countries via Maxxium) | Company turnover €390m |
Brand values cool, masculine, edgy | Brand promise ‘Only
when it’s ice and ice cold’ (Netherlands) | Target group
Males 20-35 | Primary advertising media 60-70% below-
the-line activities, 30% above-the-line
Wanted: Younger men who like it frigid…
The Shorter Oxford dictionary defines onomatopoeia as “the formation of a
word by an imitation of the sound associated with the thing or action”. Or, in
plain English, words that sound like their meaning. Take ‘buzz’, for example.
Or ‘sizzle’. Besides being one of the most difficult words to spell in the English
language – thank goodness for spell checks! – it is also used as a tool in ono-
matopoeic poems, especially for children. Occasionally, words for things are
created from representations of the sounds these objects make. In English,
for example, there is the universal fastener, which is named for the onomato-
poeic of the sound it makes: the zip.
A term that seems to be missing in the English language [Ed. please cor-
rect me if I’m wrong] is one that includes a group of words that induce the
feeling of the word’s meaning. For example; just mention the word ‘frigid’,
and it sends a chill down the spine of many a man and it’s certainly not the
kindest or most welcome of denominations for a woman. Yet, this is what
Jägermeister is after: men who like it frigid. Except: they want it in a different
sense – as a homonym of the word – as in cold.
Jägermeister is a product by Mast-Jägermeister, the world’s largest seller of
Coolbrands: Inge in discussion with Bert de Winter
herbal liquors. Founded in 1878 by Wilhelm Mast in Wolfenbüttel, Germany,
Jägermeister was introduced in 1935 by Wilhelm’s son Curt. The drink was an
instant success and Curt immediately registered the Jägermeister name, the
label and the Hubertus deer head as a trademark.
The drink is found in the bitters segment and despite great sales in 2006 (76.5
million 70 cl bottles in over 74 countries – an increase of 14.3% and making
it the 9th most-sold spirit in the world), the company had come to something
of a standstill on the Dutch market, with Jägermeister being drunk on special
occasions and in the winter, and left relatively untouched by younger
segments. Interestingly, the brand has a cool image in the USA and is mostly
drunk in the summer. Clearly, such seasonal barriers had to be crossed in
the Netherlands if its growth was to continue. Jägermeister needed an
image makeover: From corny and somewhat old fashioned to cool, masculine
(males 20-35) and edgy. In short, the brand needed to reposition itself on the
market.
Cool and curvaceous
Not wishing to lose or confuse the traditional target group of Jägermeister
drinkers, the label has not been significantly altered. The black background
with orange accents remains prominent. But the repositioning process did
see the bottle undergo a metamorphosis for the first time in 54 years, with
a much more rounded, curvaceous shape. This is the most visible sign yet of
Jägermeister’s intention to move gradually towards a cooler and more mas-
culine image.
Another matter to address was the visibility of the brand in bars and clubs.
In the Netherlands, the bottle has traditionally been kept in the freezer, as
befits the Dutch slogan ‘Only if it’s ice and ice cold’. Now, the Jägermeister Tap
Machine has been introduced in Europe. Invented by Jägermeister importer
Sidney E. Frank and originally developed in the United States, Frank was looking
for a way to serve Jägermeister at the coldest possible temperatures without
having to banish the unique bottle to a freezer out of sight. The bottle is hung
on the tap, and produces a single shot at the perfect temperature of -20º C.
This innovation is backed up by a line of cool Jägermeister products, includ-
ing shot glasses (which replace the former tulip glasses). Visibility is already
increasing thanks to the tap machine: the average business sells ten times as
many Jägermeisters with it in place.
Not so frigid after all
Another step has been taken with a new promotional team of around 30 cool,
tough and sexy girls known as the Jägerettes. They go to bars and clubs to
promote the brand. Promotional activities will also take place in liquor stores
twice a year and at large events in summer, such as dance and water sports
events (like Jägermeister Wakeboarding). Bert de Winter, brandmanager for
Jägermeister in the Netherlands is very proud of a new key feature of these
activities called the Jägermeister Moving Ice-Bar Experience, a huge Kenworth
truck with an ice bar, which will also make an appearance on popular beaches
during the summer months. This, the world’s first moving ice bar, uses more
than 5 tonnes of ice. Yet, it’s not only the drinks that are cold: everything
inside is made of ice – from the stools to the tables, etc. The bar is finished
off with a high-end sound system and plasma TV to get into the Jägermeister
mood! Again, the emphasis here is on Jägermeister as a drink for all seasons.
The expected results of this repositioning progress, supported by changing
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all communication to prospective buyers, are a double digit increase in sales.
Eventually, the plan is that the brand will lose its well-worn and ‘boring’ image
and become a cool, masculine and edgy brand. In five years, Jägermeister will
have increased its visibility and be a desired brand for men between the ages
of 20 and 35. Perhaps frigidity rules after all. Just not in the bedroom.