Accolade Wines is supporting the roll-out of its new Echo Falls Vodka Summer Berries release with a strong promotional programme which includes successful pop-up shops onboard P&O Ferries.

In addition, the company is offering many tasting opportunities onboard DFDS ferries and at Eurotunnel’s Calais store from June through to September.

Accolade says that the P&O pop-up shops on the Dover Calais routes (28 May-3 June and 25 June-1 July) highlighted the ‘versatility’ of the brand’s new flavoured vodka, through ‘innovative serving suggestions’, cocktail menus and sampling.

It also included special multi-buy price promotions across the new Echo Falls Summer Fruits Vodka, Fruit Fusions and Wine portfolio. Echo Falls stirrers, ice trays and fruit flute gifts with purchase ‘further enhanced the passenger spend’, insists Accolade.

Going forward, the company has high hopes in travel retail for its Echo Falls Vodka Summer Berries, which to date has far exceeded expectations with its UK domestic launch.

VODKA: NEXT LOGICAL STEP

“We saw flavoured vodka as the next logical step for the Echo Falls brand, given the success of our Echo Falls Fruit Fusion collection,” explains Accolade Wines Commercial Director Global Travel Retail Rupert Firbank.

“In the market, categories are blurring, with fruit cider leading the way. We saw a gap for a more affordable flavoured vodka offering, which we think will attract new consumers to the category. Early results are hugely promising.

“Within travel retail, we are now listed with P&O Ferries, DFDS and Eurotunnel, and are committed to build on this initial presence in 2018 and beyond.”

Accolade tells TRBusiness that Echo Falls is the No 2 wine brand in the UK, bought by one in every six households and it is currently enjoying further valuable exposure as the wine sponsor of hit UK reality TV show Love Island.

“Echo Falls Fruit Fusion enjoys an 83% share of the fruit wine market, and is still generating double-digit growth three years after launch,” adds Accolade Wines.

PREDICTED TO BE ANOTHER PROFITABLE PILLAR

“Summer Berries is the best-selling variant of the Echo Falls Fruit Fusion range, accounting for 52% of the brand sales – and 44% of all fruit wine sales in the UK – thereby making it the most logical choice for the first Echo Falls vodka flavour.”

“There are many similarities between the profiles of flavoured vodka shoppers and the Echo Falls Fruit Fusion shopper,” notes Firbank.

“Our research revealed that the latter is twice as likely to buy flavoured vodka compared with other wine shoppers, but feels priced out of the category.

“We’re confident that our new vodka introduction will prove hugely popular with this customer demographic, and allow us to add yet another profitable pillar to the successful Echo Falls portfolio.”