Excelente Light brandy sales up

MANILA, Philippines - Importers of Excelente Light Brandy may raise sales targets for this year and next following consumers’ encouraging reception of the latest entrant to the burgeoning light brandy segment.

Jose Paulino L. Santamarina, president of Montosco’s Premiere Wines and Spirits division, said Excelente’s encouraging sales was product-driven as consumers embrace the option of buying a highly affordable quality imported Spanish brandy.

“The taste tests of Excelente always result in people buying Excelente because they say it offers a true Spanish brandy taste at a very reasonable cost,” said Santamarina.

Montosco launched Excelente last month (November) together with its partner the 136-year old Williams and Humbert Wineries of Spain. Excelente is unique as the first imported light brandy at a local price. Williams and Humbert spent some $10 million to develop Excelente exclusively for Filipinos using the traditional Solera brandy system with premium ingredients like vanilla pods from Sri Lanka, plum raisins from Basque Spain, and Regia Green walnut bark from Spain.

Santamarina said Montosco is now rushing to replenish its stock of Excelente in preparation for even-higher sales anticipated for the holidays. The product is now distributed nationwide in outlets like Puregold, Robinsons Supermarket, 7-11, and Mercury Drug.

He said the company is also beefing up its down-line distribution efforts to groceries, sari-sari stores and public markets.

“Excelente is more than on track to attaining our yearly sales target of a million 12-bottle cases by 2015. By then, this should give us a healthy 10-percent share of the growing light brandy market,” said Santamarina.

Supporting Excelente’s launch is an aggressive marketing campaign in broadcast media. Montosco has tapped popular actress Angelica Panganiban as Excelente’s brand ambassador.

Santamarina said the market is expected grow even faster as more Filipinos become health-conscious and embrace lighter alcohol beverages.

Excelente’s ‘Good Shot’ marketing campaign using shot glasses also resonates well with younger drinkers who want to have a fun drinking experience with friends, said Santamarina.