帝亞吉歐：伏特加在中美還有戲

????雖然最近帝亞吉歐的伏特加系列產品在美國的銷售情況并不理想，但公司仍然相信，消費者對該品牌的熱情未減，而且他們會繼續說：“再來一杯”。

????帝亞吉歐發布的全年銷售業績顯示，伏特加在美國市場的銷售低迷，中國市場的需求也普遍下滑，兩大因素導致其利潤受挫，但該公司并未因此打退堂鼓，而是認為好戲還在后頭。

????總體而言，作為尊尼獲加威士忌、坎特1號伏特加和唐胡里奧龍舌蘭的生產商，帝亞吉歐在報告中提到，其截至6月30日的年凈銷售額下滑9％至103億英鎊（約合173億美元）。

????在北美市場，報告中凈銷售額約7％的下滑源于伏特加品牌銷售的不景氣：該報告顯示，皇冠伏特加和詩珞珂伏特加銷售額下滑，而坎特1號伏特加的需求與去年持平。

????到目前為止，伏特加是美國市場最暢銷的酒精飲料，美國蒸餾酒委員會（Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S.）的數據顯示，去年伏特加為釀酒廠帶來了56億美元的營業收入，銷量占行業總量的32％。然而在過去幾年中，伏特加的銷量增長放緩，因為更多消費者轉向了龍舌蘭、波旁和田納西州威士忌。帝亞吉歐的業績凸顯了北美地區的這種銷售差異。唐胡里奧的銷售額上漲22％，而子彈波旁威士忌的銷售飆升了63％。

????帝亞吉歐公司財務總監 Deirdre Mahlan向《財富》雜志透露：“沒有跡象表明，消費者已對伏特加失去了興趣。今年伏特加品類在美國的銷量增長了4%。我們的品牌表現得并不是很好。”

????Mahlan表示，雖然“現在確實流行喝威士忌”，但激烈的競爭以及該品類的某些促銷定價也為帝亞吉歐帶來了壓力。在過去的兩年中，超過200種新伏特加酒在美國上架，而一些低價品牌正利用促銷活動來走量。因此，帝亞吉歐指出，其中較為突出的是皇冠伏特加，該品牌失去了部分市場份額，因為公司想保持其定價能力，并以此打擊其對手。

????帝亞吉歐表示，比較高價酒與低價酒的銷售情況有助于更好地解讀美國業績。子彈波旁威士忌、唐胡里奧和價格較高的尊尼獲加威士忌都很暢銷，而皇冠伏特加和摩根船長朗姆酒的銷售則面臨壓力，因為部分消費者轉而購買價位更低的酒。

????最近幾周，Mahlan和其他消費品公司大聲疾呼，美國中低收入階層感到生活充滿壓力，原因在于工資稅的變化和經濟復蘇讓那些處于經濟階梯下層的人感覺自己處于被遺忘的邊緣。

????Mahlan表示：“我很樂觀，雖然消費者暫時傾向于購買價格較低的酒類品牌，但當他們有能力購買更有品位的品牌時，他們就會回歸價位較高的品牌?！?/p>

????大中華地區是另一個令人擔憂的地區，上個財年該區域的銷售業績下滑了33％。這并沒有對帝亞吉歐的整體業績構成巨大拖累，因為中國在全球銷售中的占比僅為1％左右。

????Despite recent sales weakness from Diageo’s U.S. vodka portfolio, the company is convinced consumers will keep saying: “I’ll have another.”

????The alcoholic-beverage giant has reported full-year sales and profit were stung by weak vodka sales in the U.S. and a broader drop in demand in China, though the alcoholic-beverages giant isn’t dissuaded and sees progress ahead.

????Overall, the maker of Johnnie Walker Scotch, Ketel One vodka and Don Julio tequila reported net sales slid 9% to 10.3 billion British pounds ($17.3 billion) for the year ended June 30.

????In North America, reported net sales dropped 7% due to weakness from the company’s vodka brands: Smirnoff and Ciroc reported sales declines while Ketel One demand was unchanged from the prior year.

????Vodka is by far the most popular spirit sold in the U.S., generating $5.6 billion in revenue for distillers last year and accounting for 32% of the industry’s total volume, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. But volume growth has slowed the past few years, as more consumers turn to tequila, bourbon and Tennessee whiskey. Diageo’s results highlighted that divide North America. Don Julio’s sales leapt 22% while Bulleit bourbon posted a 63% jump in sales.

????“We don’t see a trend where vodka is going to no longer resonate with the consumer,” Diageo Chief Financial Officer Deirdre Mahlan told Fortune. “The vodka category grew 4% this year in the U.S. Our brands didn’t perform as well.”

????Mahlan said while it is “absolutely true that whiskeys are in vogue,” Diageo was pressured by heightened competition and some promotional pricing in the category. More than 200 new vodkas have hit U.S. shelves the past two years, and some of the lower priced brands are using promotions to drive scale. As a result, Diageo says Smirnoff in particular lost some market share as the company wanted to maintain pricing power against its rivals.

????Diageo says a better way to read its U.S. performance is to look at how well the higher priced beverages sold compared to more affordable options. Bulleit, Don Julio and the higher priced Johnnie Walker Scotches sold well, while Smirnoff and Captain Morgan rum were pressured as some consumers traded down to lower priced spirits.

????Mahlan and other consumer-product companies have in recent weeks called out pressure middle- and low-income Americans have felt as a result of payroll tax changes and an economic recovery that has left those on the lower economic rungs feeling left out.

????“I’m optimistic,” Mahlan said. “While you might trade down to a less expensive brand temporarily, when you can go back to a more aspirational brand, you tend to go back up.”

????The Greater China region was another area of concern, where sales slumped 33% in the latest fiscal year. Those problems didn’t drastically weigh down Diageo’s overall results, as China generates about 1% of the company’s global sales.