The Australian Drinks Awards has introduced a Category Management Award to inspire excellence in the sector.
The winner of the Category Management Award will be chosen via the annual Advantage Engagement Survey. The Drinks Association has been commissioning Advantage Australia for the past decade to conduct the annual survey, which provides members with favourability ratings and qualitative retailer feedback from the off trade, on premise and wholesale channels.
"Both suppliers and retailers recognise the importance of the Category Management discipline as a driver of growth," explained Steve Andrews, Advantage General Manager.
"The overall feedback for liquor suppliers through the Drinks Association Advantage program shows that it is the discipline with the greatest opportunity for improvement. We have therefore introduced the Category Management award to recognise a supplier who represents best practice in the industry."
The Category Management Award will celebrate the critical competency of category management, including planning to meet category objectives, providing valuable insights, optimising category assortment and shelving.
"Liquor is a category brimming with exciting brands and effective marketing," Andrews said.
"Suppliers who are able to look beyond the power and growth of their individual brands, focussing first on how they can grow the category through their brands, usually win greater support from retailers who are tasked with category expansion.
"By taking a genuine category approach, suppliers demonstrate their willingness and capability to see the opportunities through the eyes of their retail partners in order to achieve mutual growth."
The attributes Advantage will be looking for when choosing the winner of this award will be:
- Works with partners to develop plans that help meet their category objectives
- Takes an objective category perspective
- Provides valuable insights
- Optimises category assortment and layout
Register to watch the 2020 Australian Drinks Awards
The Drinks Association’s annual celebration of industry excellence will be celebrated virtually for the first time in its eight-year history.
The ceremony, hosted by TV personality Shelly Horton (above), will take place on Thursday, July 30, at 4.30pm.
Four awards will be presented: Supplier of the Year, Most Improved Supplier of the Year, Supply Chain Management and the Category Management Award.
Please join us to watch the 2020 Australian Drinks Awards from 4.30pm-5pm on Thursday, July 30.
Click here to register for the event.
Pictured main: Booze Brothers at The Unley, Adelaide.