Iconic drinks such as Guinness beer, Johnnie Walker whisky and Smirnoff vodka are part of the Diageo portfolio , a global company that operates in 180 countries and markets more than 200 brands. Brands with a long history, a well-known personality and international ambition that, however, have managed to carve out a niche for themselves in the markets and cultures in which the group operates.
Mexican by birth, based in Spain, responsible for the firm's marketing denmark number screening or Southern Europe and a citizen of the world, it could be said that the figure of Úrsula Mejia-Melgar is an extension or parallel to that catalogue of references and the company's vision. We have spoken with her about the adaptation of the market to recent changes and trends in the market, its role in society and the value of creativity to ensure that brands achieve their purpose and generate a positive impact.
RW. I'd like to start by taking stock. It's been a difficult two years and the situation remains the same now. How have you experienced it at Diageo?
“It was important to support the hospitality industry, which is our partner in every sense of the word”
Spain is a country where the hospitality industry plays a very important role in social development and people's coexistence. Having faced the coronavirus, it was tremendously affected, as were the brands that play a predominant role in this industry. For us, it was important to support the hospitality industry, which is our partner in every sense of the word, and to do so we carried out many activities reinforcing and investing with them, giving visibility to the situation and creating different forms of support, from financial aid from different brands to staff training projects during the pandemic.
On the other hand, the change and evolution of consumer habits has been very interesting . We have seen that afternoon drinking, for example, is gaining ground and even triumphing over nighttime drinking. We also see that there are occasions for consumption at home that have become more important, such as invitations from friends or family occasions. We have learned a lot from consumers in order to be able to accompany them on this new journey.
RW. This whole context has affected the way we consume drinks and spirits. What changes have you noticed, especially in Spain and Southern Europe, in these two years?
Although two years may not seem like a short time, there are trends that have been created as if five or ten had passed. In other words, the pandemic has accelerated behaviour in a very dynamic way. One trend worth highlighting, and which for us plays an important role, is consumption at home and through e-commerce platforms. It is a space where we have been in an accelerated manner and which has represented an important learning experience for us in the different countries of southern Europe. And in the return to the new normality, it is a behaviour that remains.
The other trend is the afternoon drink that I mentioned. People have turned to the afternoon with a consumption of spirits that perhaps did not exist in such a marked way. We also see changes in the way of consuming. People are learning to drink better, in the sense that it is no longer so much a matter of volume, but of experience. That is, instead of having three drinks, they prefer one well-made one. We are talking about cocktails, more sophisticated drinks with premium brands.
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