You may have heard something about the new Smirnoff Guarana Brand. Maybe you have seen it in the club or even had a couple of cans. I caught up with Evans Mbugua who is the Brand Manager – Smirnoff Family of brands in Kenya.
I asked him a couple of questions.
You are the brand manager of the newest drink in town, tell me more about that?
Yes I am fortunate to be part of a masterpiece, the coolest kid on the block – new Smirnoff Ice Double Black with Guarana. Smirnoff Guarana combines the refreshing and invigorating taste of the world’s number one vodka, Smirnoff Vodka blended with Guarana & Soda. It is the perfect drink for all your party nights.
You mentioned the double side of Smirnoff Guarana, what does that mean?
Through research we found that young male consumers in Kenya today are looking for brands that represent their lifestyle, swag and personality, because their BOLD choices make the ordinary double as something extra-ordinary. Smirnoff Guarana is for guys who double as legends. E.g Student or Manager by day and rapper by night! It is all about having the guts to make the less obvious choice, being different and remaining confident about it.
So do you have a double side?
Well…..I am Brand Manager by day and DJ by night! I am also a ballroom dancer. (I should get more details about that – not many ballroom dancers in Kenya)
Smirnoff Guarana has gotten a lot of hype because of the parties. What’s the 411 on that?
Smirnoff Guarana is going on a countrywide tour to appreciate our Consumers. We just concluded Smirnoff Guarana party on Aug 30th and another one that was at Mojos on September 13th in Nairobi CBD. For more information, please check out #SmirnoffGuarana on Twitter and Smirnoff Kenya on Facebook.
I know a lot of guys who take Smirnoff Black Ice. So what’s the big difference with Smirnoff Black Ice and Smirnoff Guarana?
Smirnoff Black Ice is consumed predominantly by the ladies and this time we are deliberate at developing a brand for the young male consumer – Smirnoff Guarana!
Who is the target market for this brand?
Smirnoff Guarana is targeted at the 18-24 year old male consumers.
What events should we look out for?
High energy, epic release parties in your number one hang out joints, every two weeks. Check out #SmirnoffGuarana on Twitter and Smirnoff Kenya on Facebook for the schedule.
I have seen the Smirnoff Guarana in the bar going for 100 Ksh. is that an introductory price or that is the price the can will be retailing at?
As a business we endeavor to make sure that the great products we develop are accessible to the end target consumer. In Kenya, retailers tend to mark up the price in the outlets which makes our products unaffordable. With Guarana, we are hoping to make sure the brand remains affordable to our target consumer.
There are so many new alcoholic brands in the market. What is special about your new brand?
Smirnoff Guarana is an alternative choice for the young male consumers who currently drink both beer and spirits. It is special because it will blend in very easily with their party lifestyle, allowing them to make the most of every night out.
Any last words?
Try the new Smirnoff Ice Double Black with Guarana and turn up for the next Smirnoff party!
