‘Lillet has moved from being a gem in our portfolio to being a big bet’ – Pernod Ricard’s head of marketing for aperitifs, Léa Belot, speaks to Global Drinks Intel

GDI: The aperitif consumption occasion is well-recognised by Pernod Ricard’s rivals.

LB: It’s a booming category – IWSR Drinks Market Analysis figures for 2022 were at +26% in value for aperitifs. The growth is coming not only from the future markets for aperitifs but also in the mature markets where the category is renewing itself, thanks to new players and an extension of the consumption occasion.

In Pernod Ricard, we prefer to look at aperitifs not as a category but as a moment of consumption. Consumers are looking for qualitative, get-together moments, and this is global, for example in China, India and the US. Aperitifs have a role to play in these occasions, because they offer a drink that is often lighter than the harder spirits that they know. As well as a lower ABV, they also offer an alternative to beer and wine with lower calories for the moments that they want to have with their friends.

GDI: How familiar is the consumer with Lillet’s proposition in that occasion?

LB: There is space for everyone in this type of occasion, which is rising in frequency too. The spritz serve is in the ten most popular cocktails in the US, and it’s becoming global. Meanwhile, consumers are looking for new brands and new colours, so there is space for Lillet. Its pink colour is Instagram-able, while it also offers consumers a kind of French style and elegance.

If Aperol is the Italian orange spritz, then we’re proud to be the French pink spritz.

GDI: What are the largest markets for Lillet today, in terms of volume and in terms of growth?

LB: The largest market is Germany by far. For sure, we want to keep building on Lillet’s successes across southern Europe and we’ve got a strong ambition to keep on accelerating in markets like the UK and the US.

We also want to build on our markets of tomorrow, like China and India.

GDI: Does Lillet have an RTD extension?

LB: Yes. We launched in Germany, Austria and Switzerland last year. We saw in Germany, for example, that the picnic is a key get-together moment of consumption. We want to make Lillet available everywhere. The results we’ve seen in Germany since the launch have been amazing.

GDI: Is Lillet considered to be a premiumisation opportunity or is the priority to grow the brand geographically?

LB: The aperitif occasion – and the category’s momentum – is high, so the opportunity is there to expand Lillet across the world. Also, we offer Lillet as a premium alternative to Aperol. So, I would say both.

GDI: Does the tie-up with Emily in Paris, announced earlier this month, risk limiting Lillet’s consumer pool?

LB: Maybe you are worrying too much on this one! I understand the concern, but Lillet is female-centric and we’re proud of that. It’s something the brand has in its bones. Lillet has been celebrating women for 150 years and it’s not something that was built to meet some marketing objective – it’s in our heritage.

From its beginnings, Lillet’s had the nickname ‘l’aperitif des dames’. This dates back to a time when women didn’t have the vote and the spirits industry was more than ever driven by men. That’s why everything we do is made to talk to women.

There are values of female self-confidence and playfulness that Lillet shares with Emily in Paris. I’m confident that the show will make Lillet known as a brand that talks to women and has the legitimacy to do so.