Manager of Zamora Company for South America, Tomas Lellis Vieira says that the drink was considered ‘old fashioned’ and ‘stagnant’
Driving the growth of the liquor category in Brazil, Zamora Company owns brands such as the famous Licor 43 and the new extension of the chocolate drink, Licor 43 Chocolate. One of the hits is the Carajillo cocktail, made with Licor 43 + espresso + ice.
According to Tomas Lellis Vieira, manager of Zamora Company for South America, the category was stagnant until a few years ago. “I believe that the great catalyst for this change in the liqueur market was precisely Licor 43 and our cocktail, Carajillo”, says Vieira.
For the executive, one of the secrets of success has been associating the drink with coffee, one of the passions of Brazilians, and now he is betting on mixing it with chocolate. In addition, people’s taste for a sweeter drink and the change in consumption habits have led the country to be among the fastest growing within the Spanish company, which operates in more than 80 markets.
“The company’s vision for Brazil is optimistic and long-term”, he suggests.
Mercado
The liquor market is super interesting and fun. The category was forgotten by an important part of the market and consumers. It was seen as old-fashioned and had been supported by a loyal fan base, but effectively there wasn’t much effort from any of the participants to shake up or change it. The category came in an impressive doldrums; since 2016 stable or in slight decline. On the other hand, Licor 43 had been growing double digits since then, which helped the category to take a shock in 2020/2021. So it’s a growing segment. This is super noticeable not only on social networks, but in bars and restaurants in the country. I believe that the great catalyst for this change in the liqueur market was precisely Licor 43 and our cocktail, Carajillo (read if cararrilho), which is Licor 43 + espresso + ice. The result was impressive: in 2020, the year of a pandemic, we were elected the most popular cocktail in Brazil by Difford’s Guide and, no wonder, in 2021 we continue to grow above the category.
Participation
We are a family-owned and closed company, so, unfortunately, I cannot reveal the details of our business, however, what I can say is: we have grown above the category and we believe that we are responsible for creating new consumption opportunities for the liquor market. . We are among the main players in the market, but it is also important to say that this is not the only metric we are aware of. The vision is to build a plural brand, to create value, in the medium and long term. When we started this work, in 2015/2016, we needed to present the category to an entire generation, present a new ritual and a new consumption strategy.
Country
Brazil is one of the fastest growing markets within Zamora, we are a new market and therefore we are important. The company’s vision for the country is optimistic and long-term. We have Brazil as an example of best practices in the area of marketing, we are a very creative people and team and this helps a brand to appear internally.
sweet drink
Brazilians like a drink with a sweeter profile, hence the success of Licor 43 pure and iced. The difference in recent years is that consumers have changed their consumption habits at home. As a result, an easy-to-prepare cocktail like Carajillo gained a lot of space. This is a great advantage of Licor 43, the mixture is phenomenal. I understand that Brazilians see Licor 43 as a different, quality and modern brand. In addition, we are perceived as versatile, as most of our consumers know that they can drink the liqueur either pure or mixed with coffee. Having coffee as an ingredient in our cocktail enhanced the product and helped Brazilians realize that liquor can also go beyond the digestive. Hence the highlight of Licor 43 in the category.
Liquor 43 Chocolate
Licor 43 Chocolate is our third line extension, our third innovation. Expectations are the best possible, we are sure it will be a success. In fact, in the first month of work, after a beautiful launch, we had an impressive reception and we already ran out of stock (this should be fixed soon). As it is a product that combines Licor 43 with a national passion, which is chocolate, we hope that the variant will continue to be present as an option for creamy liqueur, usually taken as a dessert even after meals, well chilled.
Motivation
The idea came to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Zamora, since the mixture between Licor 43 and chocolate was quite popular in Spain in the 1970s and 1980s. chocolate were always very successful. For us, here in Brazil and in South America, it’s great because we are passionate about chocolate.
Communication
We will not have an exclusive campaign for L43 Chocolate, in 2022 we will continue with our campaign Delicious Alone, Perfect with Coffee, made for Licor 43 Original and launched at the end of the second half of 2021.
agencies
The agencies responsible for the Licor 43 campaign in Brazil are Moonstro and Santa Transmedia (producer) – and Moonstro also takes care of digital communication. LPB Comunicação is responsible for PR and press relations.
Investment
I cannot reveal the numbers or the focus regions as we are a closed company. Media investment follows the brand concept: we like to say that we are a plural brand, with plural consumers, so our strategy is too. First of all, we have national coverage when we talk about TV. We also have a plurality of media channels: OOH, Social TV and digital.
Social networks
I’m suspicious, but I think our communication on social networks is one of the best in the country. I love our Instagram, for example, it’s extremely creative, the feed is beautiful and zero bureaucratic or appealing. The day-to-day communication on social networks is carried out by our agency, Moonstro, with close monitoring by our product manager. We have monthly meetings, which I make a point of participating in, and these provide many insights into our business. We use the networks to listen and not just to talk. In the end, everyone follows our networks, the agency team, the brand marketing team, even the company owners. It’s easy when we enjoy the work. Since 2017 we have what we call friends of the brand, in addition to content partnerships that help us to spread not only the product but also the Carajillo drink and moments of consumption.
Enlargement
We want to continue revolutionizing liquor consumption in Brazil. The length of the line is important because it helps us in the subcategory of cream liqueurs. Due to the flavor and texture profile, I believe that in Brazil L43 Chocolate can reach 50% of the volume of our extensions. We have to understand that this is a product that has limited production.
Production
All products in Zamora’s portfolio (wines and spirits) are imported. We have an intense search for quality and sustainability. The chocolate used in this launch, for example, is 100% sustainably sourced. Today there is no intention of producing locally.
