This archive report was first published on 19 June 2020.
On a Tuesday afternoon, a group of friends and colleagues gathered in the comfort of their living rooms for a unique whisky tasting experience.
They were all logged into a Zoom meeting with Mulunda Kombo, the Glenfiddich national brand ambassador in Nairobi, and Struan Grant Ralph, the global ambassador Glenfiddich in Speyside, Scotland.
As they raised their glasses to toast the launch of the new look Glenfiddich 12-year-old whisky, Mulunda said, 'We are delighted to be the first market in Africa to unveil the new look. The redesign has a distinct reference to Glenfiddich's heritage and draws on inspiration from the special place where it is produced, Speyside.'
The launch was a virtual affair, complete with cocktails and the new bottle delivered to the participants ahead of the meeting.
With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing a shift to online meetings, Glenfiddich has had to re-evaluate how it gets its products to consumers.
As Struan noted, 'People are drinking a lot more at home and they are taking stronger drinks and start drinking earlier in the day. The impact on our sales has not been as much during the pandemic.'
Locally and globally, alcohol brands have had to adapt to the new reality, with Glenfiddich increasing partnerships with e-commerce platforms and supermarkets to reach the consumer.
