GORDON'S LOSES EDGE

Published: 23 July, 2008

Diageo has ended production of its gin-based RTD, Gordon's Edge, less than a year after it was launched - despite an estimated 8 million having been spent on marketing the brand. Edge, a spin-off from market-leading Gordon's Gin, was supposed to broaden the appeal of the RTD category by attracting 25 to 34-year-old drinkers. Sales of Edge have been disappointing,' said Ailish Hanley, brand PR manager at Diageo. We launched the product into a crowded marketplace at a time of uncertainty, due to the duty-driven RTD price increases. Since then Gordon's Edge has not been distinctive enough versus other recent RTD introductions to meet the high rate of sale expectations. Therefore, we have decided to cease production.' Hanley stressed that, It is not the parent brand which has caused Gordon's Edge to be less successful. On-trade AC Nielsen figures show Gordon's Gin in growth.' The brand was launched in a blaze of publicity last year, and came either with lemon or with lime. The growth in sales of RTDs has dropped to around +9% (AC Nielsen Dec/Jan 03 MAT) from over 50% growth per year at the height of the RTD boom.

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