Scotch whisky: Provenance, authenticity, and ownership

Bower, Julie and Higgins, David (2024) Scotch whisky: Provenance, authenticity, and ownership. In: Place-Branding Experiences - perspectives from intellectual property owners, users, and lawyers. Edward Elgar. ISBN 9781035311064

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Abstract

Scotch whisky is one of the most international consumer goods categories with an impressive array of long-established and highly recognisable brands. It cemented its leadership of the global spirits trade at the start of the twentieth century when branding and advertising initiatives evolved, supported by proprietary distribution networks. What is remarkable, however, and a source of curiosity for management scholars, is how Scotch whisky has retained a reputation for heritage and authenticity given its ownership structure, the broad geographical indication of the category, and the scale and scope of the production process. The contrast can be made with the competing premium alcoholic beverage categories, Cognac and Champagne, where although brand ownership is now not dissimilar to Scotch whisky, local raw ingredient supply chains and more limited industrial scale remains. To illustrate further, consider the world-leading deluxe Scotch whisky brand, Johnnie Walker Black Label. It is owned by UK multinational corporation Diageo, is headquartered in London and is a blend of up to 40 whiskies from distilleries owned or controlled by Diageo which are spread across all areas of Scotland. The distilleries produce whiskies from grain cereals imported from various countries, and the whiskies are matured in pre-used casks bought from other wine and spirit-producing countries, primarily the US. Yet, the brand marketing message relies on heritage, authenticity, and, importantly, Scotland.

Item Type:	Book Section
Dates:	Date Event 14 August 2024 Accepted 10 December 2024 Published
Subjects:	CAH17 - business and management > CAH17-01 - business and management > CAH17-01-01 - business and management (non-specific)
Divisions:	Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences > Graduate School of Management
Depositing User:	Gemma Tonks
Date Deposited:	14 Aug 2024 12:33
Last Modified:	08 Nov 2024 13:09
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/15724

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