Meanwhile , technology has leapt ahead , spurred by a surge in ecommerce and frictionless

by KYLE SWARTZ business during Covid lockdowns . More people now expect a fast , digital retail experience . Warehouse efficiencies have risen thanks to tech , while social media remains as important as ever in connecting with consumers . Altogether , this new era requires unique leadership to shepherd companies through unprecedented , challenging times .

During the year , the NABCA Board of Directors meets with the advisory committee — a group of beverage alcohol supplier executives — to address new and ongoing issues facing the control state system . StateWays annually invites these committee members to share their accomplishments , challenges and initiatives from the past year .

The theme for Charman Tim Holden this past year was : Power of the Past , Forces of the Future . We urged committee members to write about how they have worked to achieve that goal .

RAJ KANDYIL

Division Vice President , Control States Pernod Ricard USA

POWERS OF THE PAST , FORCE OF THE FUTURE We are particularly proud of our heritage at Pernod Ricard , and when we think of Powers of the Past , we immediately look back to our founder , Paul Ricard , who believed in the positive impact of a strong , inclusive community . As he began selling his spirits , he was determined to make a new friend every day , thereby establishing a company that leads with conviviality , with a goal of creating beautiful , shared moments of celebration for people around the world . Now , decades later , even in the turbulent , unpredictability of the modern world , we always stay true to our purpose — to be creators of conviviality , unlocking the magic of human connection and empowering joy through the power of our brands .

This spirit of conviviality is what allows us to dream bigger and innovate beyond what any one of us could ’ ve ever imagined possible . We ’ re proud of everything we ’ ve achieved and the community we ’ ve built along the way . And as we continue to grow and evolve , we ’ re taking a purposeful , people-first approach . Because connection , after all , will always be at the heart of who we are and what we do — for our people , our planet and the future of our industry . This purpose drives us forward to be a Force of the Future . Our Return on Responsibility philosophy is not about winning market shares , it is about winning the future and shaping how you want the future to look . We owe that to our customers , to our business partners and to our environment .

We are focused on building a sustainable future for American spirits . In the last year we have announced significant investments to support two of our biggest growth categories — American whiskey and RTDs . Firstly , we announced an approximately $ 250 million investment over five years to build a state-ofthe-art , carbon neutral distillery , with related aging warehouses in Marion County , Kentucky , for our fast-growing Jefferson ’ s Bourbon brand , and to further leverage the strong growth — and growth potential — of our premium American whiskey portfolio , The American Whiskey Collective .

Secondly , we have invested $ 22 million in our first-ever RTD canning line , at our company ’ s Fort Smith plant in Arkansas , focused on increasing our production capabilities and bringing our premium spirit based RTDs swiftly to market .

This investment and purpose allow Pernod Ricard USA to further our ambition of delivering consumer and shopper experiences that accelerate our conversion and growth . Finding that perfect intersection of creative and media effectiveness will undoubtedly have a positive impact on unlocking insight-led , highly engaging content that builds our brands and builds our business . In that theme , we are particularly proud of our most recent success with the Jameson St Patrick ’ s Day Time Off campaign , which saw us partner with actress and comedian Regina Hall to encourage consumers to take PTO from work to celebrate St Patrick ’ s Day and to use our new “ Desk Decoys ” as an office stand-in while people visit the bar . The campaign was a tremendous success , generating more than $ 33m in earned media value and selling 2.5x our target sales of Jameson decoys .

Blending together this purpose derived from an authentic past , with future investment , innovation and creativity , makes me proud be a part of Pernod Ricard and very excited to work with NABCA and its members to see what progress we can drive together and create for the future of our wonderful industry .

StateWays | www . stateways . com | Summer 2023 7