Becherovka: Standing the Test of Time

Alcoholic drinks, like garments and music, come in and out of fashion; over the years, the general public’s tastes change. Sometimes, these changes are due to external influences such the country’s seasonal differences or the economy. Or sometimes, let’s face it, it’s just about the all-important ‘cool factor’. Some brands just hit the spot when it comes to attracting people, by pinpointing their product’s unique selling point (USP) and passive-aggressively pushing those points to their target market. Clearly, a multi-national brand’s marketing plan would be a little more complex than the above, but you get the gist.

The savvy merchant came across a yellowy alcohol-spice mix and began selling it by the truckload to thirsty locals. The distinctive flat green bottled tipple received many accolades and awards; the affectionately named “Bitter Cup” earned the first prize at the 1900 World Fair after some skillful marketing from the Karlsbader Becherbitter team. Copycats were quick to jump on the “Bitter Cup” bandwagon, with many cheaper, low-quality imitators coming out of the woodwork, as well as many disputes over the exact recipe of the drink. By 1901, both the name and recipe had become the protected brand “Becherovka”. Josef’s son, Jan Becher, took control of his father’s colonial-goods shop and the production of the alcohol in the family house in 1838. This is considered to be the birth of Becherovka.

Although the contents and even the label design remain unchanged, it was important that Becherovka stayed relevant and pertinent to its customers in an ever-changing market. Nowadays, French-based pastis specialists Pernod Ricard own the Czech brand, and managed the marketing breath of fresh air the elderly “Bitter Cup” has recently enjoyed. Marek Grabovsky joined the Ricard ranks 3 years ago as a Brand Manager, and since January this year he’s been focusing on the Becherovka Original product.

How does one start to promote such an established brand to a market that has preconceptions about the product you’re pitching? Marek was under no disillusion about the brand’s situation and positioning. “Becherovka Lemond [Becherovka Original’s sister product] was my previous responsibility. Lemond is more focused on the younger audience. I found it fun and very inspiring to cooperate with young, talented people. But the [Becherovka Original] job was more challenging, as I was looking after a very important brand which is deeply rooted in the Czech history books. There was no room for mistakes!” Tense stuff, but Marek and his team were careful not to alienate the brand’s current loyal customers. “There were three of us working on this brand – great people on what turned out to be a great job. We were all from Czech Republic. Becherovka is quite a difficult brand, and for a foreigner it can sometimes be hard to understand the historical context.”

Marek was quick to point out how important it was to consider Becherovka’s history while reforming the 200 year-old brand. “We needed to be realistic; brand rejuvenation is a long-term process and it takes some time. Brand re-vamping is not a jump, but small steps forward. A step-by-step process,” Grabovsky continued. “Becherovka is a Czech brand, so we needed to reflect everything concerning Czech perception and history.” Marek and his team successfully revived the traditional brand and created a new positioning for the product.

The fairly recent Becherovka Lemond launch was very successful. One of the many marketing projects saw up and coming Czech & Slovak artists adding their own unique style to the classic bottle. It was an exciting and progressive stunt that caught the imagination of both the artists involved and the brand’s target audience. Marek and his team were bound by more restrictions when it came to the Becherovka Original re-vamp project. They opted for a series of refreshing, tasty cocktails. The team has come up with a number of delicious cocktails which, of course, feature the spicy tipple as the main ingredient. Each cocktail designed to tantalize your taste buds. Good thinking from Marek and his team, a simple and effective way of introducing a traditional product to a new market without alienating the brand’s loyal customers.