Bacardi boosts in-store team
Bacardi’s European team of retail ambassadors
As air travel returns in Europe, Bacardi is expanding its team of retail ambassadors ahead of the summer season, with the addition of several more members.
Bacardi started nurturing a team of dedicated retail ambassadors in 2015. Several ambassadors have represented Bacardi’s whisky portfolio right from the start, becoming experts through regular training and time spent in the distilleries and with Dewar’s Master Blender Stephanie MacLeod.
In March 2022, the European team of retail ambassadors met in Dublin for a visit to the Teeling distillery to understand the potential of the award-winning Irish whiskey range in European travel retail.
The partnership between Bacardi and Teeling extends from Europe to China with the recent launch of the Teeling Vintage Reserve Collection with China Duty Free Group in Hainan, and there are plans for range extensions in key European locations.
Sam Pickard, Director, Europe & Global Advocacy, Bacardi Global Travel Retail, explains the company’s commitment to in-store advocacy: “A great retail experience is underpinned by the human connection and we look for ambassadors with the ability to listen, to identify a need and match that to a suitable product. At Bacardi, we place great value on these advocacy-led skills that puts trust at the heart of the interaction with shoppers. Our team of retail ambassadors have helped transform Bacardi’s business over the past few years because their customer service is different and stays long in the shopper’s memory. I’m always delighted to see regular positive feedback from shoppers too.”
Bacardi’s retail ambassadors in Europe are generally employed by specialist promotional agencies including Blackjack Promotions in the UK.
Leanne Nutter, Brand and Retail Director at Blackjack Promotions, said: “Bacardi was one of the first companies in premium spirits to understand the value of retail advocacy and the power of having people with the right skills in-store. Their commitment to professional recruitment, and their investment in the training, learning and development of the team with an attractive reward structure inspires great loyalty and performance. It’s fantastic to see the ambassadors go from strength to strength on a personal basis – all thanks to an unrivaled advocacy model in spirits retailing in travel retail.”
Recently Bacardi celebrated the success of its frontline team in the UK with an awards ceremony, recognizing individual performance and long-term commitment to the company.
