spirits

Change Afoot At Beam Global

Bourbon quiz

Change is underway at Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc., which this week announced a new SVP and global CMO, Kevin B. George. 

George, who will assume the new role as of Sept. 28, joins Beam after 13 years with Unilever and prior to that, seven years with Seagram Americas. He is credited with having established deodorants as Unilever's fastest-growing U.S. business, in part through the innovative launch of Axe Bodyspray, which has became the leading male deodorant in the market.

Beam Global President/CEO Matt Shattock cited George's experience in "developing innovative strategies to connect with consumers" as being among the strengths he brings to the position.

George succeeds Rory Finlay. Shattock credited Finlay with developing Beam's "brand-building vision," sharpening its focus on consumer insights, implementing new ways of marketing and helping to develop and launch successful products such Red Stag by Jim Beam, Sauza Margarita in a Box and DeKuyper Burst Bar Shots during his nearly three years with Beam.

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Beam Global also announced this week that the Jim Beam brand will not extend its five-year NASCAR Spring Cup Series sponsorship of Robby Gordon Motorsports beyond 2009.

The company said that, after an extensive review, it decided to focus its resources on "new alternatives to fuel growth" in 2010. No specifics were provided other than that the new platforms are ones that "directly impact the end consumer."

One of the latest cross-brand marketing efforts from Beam Global, which saw sales dip by 3% in this year's first half, is its "Bourbon Personality Quiz," created to mark September's designation as "National Bourbon Month."

The quiz, located on Facebook and accessed for age-screening purposes through beamglobal.com/cs/quiz, invites legal-age consumers to discover which of several Bourbon cocktails made with Beam brands -- which include Knob Creek, as well as Jim Beam -- best fits their personalities/styles. The quiz is being promoted through Facebook and other social media sites.

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