Effective marketing builds strong brands. Investment behind our core four spirits brands – Ballantine's, Kahlua, Beefeater and Sauza – grew by 3 per cent to £132 million and now represents 48 per cent of spend. These brands increased volume by 8 per cent in aggregate. The real evidence of successful brand focus lies in long-term trends. We can now point to a compound annual growth of 7 per cent for the core four brands over the past three years. Our continued focus of marketing behind core brands and improved advertising effectiveness will drive further growth and increase the opportunity for enhanced earnings and sustainable reinvestment.
	New Ballantine's advertising taps into the emotions of transitional consumers – those who have tried a variety of whisky brands but are swaying towards a favourite. It's what's inside that counts, says the TV and poster campaign which has generated gains for Ballantine's in Italy where it was first aired in May. The advertising builds on what research confirms is one of Ballantine's key values: trust resulting from its image as an authentic Scotch. With even more money being invested in Ballantine's, the campaign is being launched around Europe where total growth at 4 per cent in a stable market was led by Spain, up 10 per cent. A global roll-out will follow.