J. Wray & Nephew White Overproof joins Appleton in Campari’s top six global brands

Two J. Wray & Nephew rum brands, Appleton and Wray & Nephew White Overproof, are now numbered among six Campari Group priority brands worldwide.

"Appleton is one of our six global priority brands and has been joined by Wray & Nephew White Overproof, a unique product that is creating quite a stir among mixologists in different markets globally," disclosed Jean-Philippe Beyer, managing director, J. Wray & Nephew Limited.

"This is quite an accomplishment for Jamaica to have two out of six products listed in the global priority brands," added Beyer, as he noted Campari Group's status as a major player in the global beverage sector, trading in more than 190 countries with leading positions in Europe and the Americas.

The Campari Group, founded in 1860, is the sixth-largest player worldwide in the premium spirits industry with more than 50 brands, spanning spirits, the core business, wines and soft drinks.

The international performance of the two local brands has influenced the decision by the Campari Group to produce premium Jamaica rum blends as a primary goal among its innovations to grow its business portfolio locally and internationally in the coming year.

Just recently, the company unleashed a 30-year-old rum, following in the footsteps of the 25-year-old Joy Anniversary blend, a 2017 creation by world renowned Master Blender Joy Spence, which sold off in record time.

"In the area of rum Jamaica is not sitting complacently, we are instead innovating and producing premium products. Last year we launched the Joy Anniversary blend, a 25-year-old rum that was the 2017 Rum of the Year, and this year we have released an exclusive 30-year-old and have a number of innovations in our pipeline," said Beyer.

He explained that the strategy to focus on premium rum blends aligns with the company's 2019 goal of "growing our top and bottom lines in both the domestic and export market", by focusing first on the most profitable brands.

"We also want to continue growing our talented and ambitious people and to give them international exposure and opportunities within the group. And, through the deployment of our strong company culture, we want JWN to become the best place to work in Jamaica and within the Campari Group," said Beyer.

He listed the Campari expansion into exports and Jamaica rums as key accomplishments in 2018, highlighting Jamaican staff as critical to those developments.

"We have restructured our portfolio to focus our energy first on our own most profitable brands. We are investing to increase our presence in the Caribbean with Jamaica as the hub, and in so doing have brought about a number of process improvements in our value chain that have resulted in margin accretion.

"But perhaps the biggest reason for our growth are our employees that are truly passionate, have remained 'humble and hungry' and driven because they understand that we have a beautiful portfolio of local, regional and international brands," added Beyer.

He further cited significant investments in exports, where "talented Jamaicans are developing our entire portfolio of brands in the wider Caribbean Region". In this context, Beyer said retention of the CARICOM Treaty is crucial.

"As a significant manufacturer and exporter of Jamaican brands, it is critical for us that the CARICOM treaty remains in place and if possible actually widened to include markets like the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and eventually Cuba," said Beyer.