Source: TradeNewsOnline.com

Friday, March 26, 2010

Brown-Forman, which has been actively increasing its international profile of late, is assuming direct responsibility for sales and distribution of its brands in Canada, beginning May 1st. Montreal's Charton Hobbs previously represented the Brown-Forman portfolio in the market.

Fielding a dedicated sales team in Canada will allow Brown-Forman to more quickly expand and develop its portfolio there, the company says. Toronto-based Hive Strategic Marketing Inc. will assist in the management of the administrative functions of the new sales force.

While Canada is not yet among the top five markets for Brown-Forman's flagship Jack Daniel's, that brand-as well as Finlandia vodka and Bonterra and Fetzer wines-has seen organic growth there in recent years. Rolling out Chambord liqueur and El Jimador and Herradura Tequilas has also boosted Brown-Forman's profile in the country of late. This spring, the company will introduce Jack Daniel's RTDs in Canada.

Speaking at the 34th Annual Impact Marketing Seminar in New York yesterday, Brown-Forman Chairman and CEO Paul Varga noted the group's increased international focus over the past few years.

"Ten years ago we had 6,000 employees at Brown-Forman," said Varga. "That number was beefed up a little bit because of the consumer durables business we had at that time. Of those 6,000, about 250 of them were located outside the United States. Today we're about 3,700 people (after the sale of the consumer durables business), and just a little less than half those people are outside the U.S. It's an important part of our progress as a company to expand internationally."