Smirnoff set for digital boost

Diageo is significantly upping its investment in digital activity for Smirnoff vodka in the UK for 2011, with a 115% increase in spend on the previous year.

According to Diageo, the aim is to “drive brand excitement and engage in an innovative way with the modern consumer in the digital space”.

The build-up of activity for the UK’s top-selling vodka brand comes off the success of the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project.

The global initiative aimed to discover and celebrate the best of nightlife from around the world on one night, 27 November 2010, inviting consumer-generated ideas which transform into “event experiences”.

The project achieved 18,000 attendees worldwide and generated over 33,000 unique nightlife ideas across the 14 countries.

Smirnoff has taken advantage of other technological advancements such as RFID (radio frequency indicator) and the brand recently partnered with O2 to trial SMS targeting.

Sarah Gilbert, senior brand manager for Smirnoff at Diageo, said: “Marketing needs to be where the consumers are and given our target audience, the digital sphere is an area that needs to be not only seriously considered, but effectively planned and delivered in real time.

“From a Smirnoff perspective the best way to capitalise on this opportunity is to inspire consumers to shape the brand experiences we create and allow us to share those with them, creating active and proactive communities online.”

Laura Pullman, 12.01.2011