Diageo- A Group Of Premium Brands

Diageo is a company that has a prominent hold worldwide, premium and popular brands are associated with this group. Although it was established in the year 1997, the foundation of Diageo was built years ago by the giants of this alcohol industry – Arthur Guinness, John Walker, Elizabeth Cumming etc. All the top brands of the market are handled by Diageo with a remarkable entrepreneurial spirit and determination. If you’re wondering exactly how many brands are affiliated with this group? Diageo has an amazing collection of 200 brands that are enjoyed by consumers in more than 180 countries. The HQ of this group is based in London, England.

‘We are proud of the brands we make and the enjoyment they give to millions. We are passionate about the role alcohol plays in bringing people together, to celebrate life every day, everywhere.’ – Diageo.

The growth from the 17^th century to success :

The story of Diageo was curated by lots of brands and their establishment. In 1627, the first record of the Haig Family was brought up. Haig is considered to be one of the oldest families of Scotch whisky distillers and their brand Haig whiskey is now a part of Diageo. Established in 1749, J & B which is now a part of this global group is bestowed with the title of – The fourth most popular blended scotch whisky in the world. In 1759, Arthur Guinness signed a 9000-year lease on a disused property at St. James’s Gates, Dublin. He started to brew ale there and this was the start of Guinness Brewery (An association that played an important role in the formation of Diageo). 1820 marked the commencement of Johnnie Walker – a brand that has marked a new definition for whisky by taking ‘blended Scotch whisky from the four corners of Scotland to the four corners of the world.’ Moving to the 1830s, Tanqueray’s was formed by Charles Tanqueray – The world’s most celebrated gin which is also given the title of the greatest British brand in luxury along with Johnnie Walker. The opening of a vodka distillery in 1864 by Pyotr Smirnoff and the introduction of the revolutionary charcoal filtering process. In 1939, King George VI & Queen Elizabeth visited Canada, to mark this legendary and historic visit – Crown Royal (Seagram’s) was produced. A premium spirit brand with the finest Caribbean rums was established in 1943 – Captain Morgan. In 1974, Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur was launched and it is considered to be the world’s best-selling cream liqueur today.

Guinness Brewery by Arthur Guinness and Grand Metropolitan merged together in 1997 to form – Diageo. After Diageo was officially formed, the group over the years sold a lot of previous assets like – Burger King, Pillsbury, The world-famous Gleneagles Hotel, U.S based Chateau & Estate wine brands etc. This decision was executed to direct the company’s attention towards premium core alcoholic beverages. In 2008, Diageo formed a 50/50 company with the Nolet family which holds the exclusive rights to sell, market & distribute Ketel One Vodka, No.2 Super Premium Vodka in the U.S. In 2011, Diageo took a huge step by purchasing the Turkish spirits giant Mey İçki. 2012 – The group also announced an investment of £1 billion investment in Scotch whisky.

Diageo took huge efforts, dedicated their focus and time towards conquering the alcohol industry and they succeeded in it.

‘Our Performance Ambition is to be one of the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world.’ – Diageo

Society 2030 : Spirit of Progress

Diageo’s 10-year action plan to create a more inclusive and sustainable world is a plan inspired by the legacy of its founders. Their aim is to create a positive impact in their company, community and society. Diageo – the name was coined by the branding consultancy Wolff Olins in 1997. The term consists of two Latin words, dies meaning day and ‘geo’ meaning world. This is the reference to the company’s slogan – ‘Celebrating Life, Every Day, Everywhere. The Society 2030 is an action plan which is meant to fulfil all the requirements to achieve this slogan.

Some targets for 2030 :

Promote positive drinking
Champion inclusion & diversity
Preserve water for life
Accelerate to low carbon world
Become sustainable by design.

Diageo – To lead our business through the next decade, we have set ourselves 25 goals that are aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We are passionate about the role our brands play in celebrating life the world over. And as a global company, we know we have a responsibility to build partnerships and lead. We will achieve our ambition by ensuring our people, partners and communities can thrive through Society 2030: Spirit of Progress.