Grand Marnier launches supermarket sampling campaign

Written by Claire Weekes

Monday, 17 November 2008

Grand Marnier has launched a sampling programme as it bids to enhance the liqueur's usage during the autumn and winter months.

Shoppers in Tesco and Sainsbury's stores in the south east will be treated to Grand Marnier winter warmers when in-store sampling for its Grand Café serve starts on November 20.

The Grand Café is a new serve liqueur in which 25ml of Grand Marnier is added to coffee and topped with a cream float.

Focused on 12 stores in the Home Counties, the sampling programme runs until
November 29.

The off-trade sampling campaign will run in conjunction with an on-trade drive to create sampling and listings partnerships with national licensed mainstream gastro bars and restaurants. The on-trade programme is supported with point-of-sale, bar tools for serving the Grand Café and a trade account incentive.

The Grand Café coffee-partnering serve is the latest phase in Grand Marnier's strategy to push its autumn and winter sales. Research shows that nearly 40% of Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge is drunk in November and December.

Nicki Daw, Grand Marnier marketing manager, says: "Grand Marnier and coffee is a marriage made in liqueur heaven. What are becoming known as liqueur coffees are a massive market in the UK which Grand Marnier has yet to tap into."