Whyte & Mackay salutes Virtual Expo role in showcasing single malt portfolio

Whyte & Mackay has hailed a highly successful debut at the inaugural Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo, where it was a Platinum Partner. As reported, the live Expo ran from 12-16 October and is still open for a one-month bonus ‘encore’ period.

“The ground-breaking event, created and hosted by The Moodie Davitt Report, brought together members of the travel retail industry and created a sense of unity as the sector prepares to rebuild from the most severe downturn in its history,” the company said.

“Something like this [the Virtual Travel Retail Expo] has never been done before and it is an immense credit to the imagination, hard work and professionalism of the Moodie Davitt team that it was such a success. We are delighted with the results of a busy week of meetings with key customers. ” – Whyte & Mackay Travel Retail Director Richard Trimby

Whyte & Mackay Travel Retail made its mark with a stand-out Platinum Suite at the inaugural Virtual Travel Retail Expo
Whyte & Mackay presents its single malt whisky line-up

As reported, Whyte & Mackay, highlighted its new travel retail-exclusive The Dalmore Ensemble Collection, a finalist in the QDF Factor at the Virtual Travel Retail Expo. The company said feedback from partners and retailers was “excellent”.

Striking the right notes: The Ensemble Collection comprises three single malts which are exclusive to travel retail

The Ensemble Collection celebrates The Dalmore’s cask creation through three expressions: The Trio, The Quartet and The Quintet, which offer a three, four and five-cask finish respectively.

The collection’s launch is backed by a superbly innovative omnichannel campaign, which includes matching each malt with bespoke music composed exclusively for the collection plus tailored illustrations.

This content, which was featured at the Expo, is being diffused through digital channels to create excitement and engagement before shoppers arrive in-store. The musical experience can also be brought to life through in-store activity.

The Dalmore has partnered with Jordan Design in a new digital strategy to connect with travellers both online and offline.

During the Virtual Expo, Whyte & Mackay used videos and interactive assets to deliver key brand messages.

At the heart of its presentation, according to Whyte & Mackay, was a belief that the malt whisky segment is set to drive the recovery across travel retail “through power brands such as The Dalmore, affordable malts like Jura and Tamnavulin and hidden gems such as the fast-growing Fettercairn.

“This view was shared by more than 500 visitors who viewed the Whyte & Mackay stands during the event and those who took part in meetings with the team to discuss their plans for the future,” the company said.

Whyte & Mackay Travel Retail Director Richard Trimby added: “When the idea for the Virtual Travel Retail Expo was first floated, we were at the start of one of the most challenging times our industry has ever faced.

“Something like this has never been done before and it is an immense credit to the imagination, hard work and professionalism of the Moodie Davitt team that it was such a success. A huge thanks goes to them for creating this vital opportunity to bring our whole industry together, at a time when unity has never been more important.

“We are delighted with the results of a busy week of meetings with key customers. The response to our new Dalmore Ensemble collection was excellent and the expected increase in value hunters in the market made our Tamnavulin brand a hot topic of conversation.”

Each Whyte & Mackay malt whisky was spotlighted through individual Expo stands

To drive engagement during the show, Whyte & Mackay ran a series of quizzes, offering visitors the chance to win bottles of Fettercairn 16 Year Old and Jura 12 Year Old The Bay, a travel retail-exclusive. 240 Expo visitors took part in the competition and the winners are:

Fettercairn 16 Year Old: Holly Airey, Aberdeen Airport; Oliver Gottschling, Gebr. Heinemann and Rebecca Tse, Lagardère Travel Retail.

Jura 12 Year Old The Bay: Andrei Lazaridi, Belamarket H&V; Nav Gosal, Dufry; and Heather Carroll, Dufry.

 

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