How a legendary whiskey build centuries old branding strategy

Jhonnie Walker whiskey is one of the oldest and most sold blended scotch-whisky around the world, with its annual sales going over 130 million bottles per year. The Jhonnie Walker brand came into existence when John Walker, an ordinary Scottish grocer, started his business in Ayrshire in 1820. Since then Jhonnie walker became one of the oldest and most acclaimed blended whiskey franchises throughout the world today.

As the legendary scotch whiskey brand completes 200 years, Julie Bramham, the Global Brand Director of Jhonnie Walker recalls that John’s leap of faith led to Jhonnie Walker to become the world’s favourite whisky.

There is a small team of 12 expert blenders in every country that relentlessly work to create the perfect blend. There are hundreds of experiments taking place exploring a wide range of innovative flavours and influences, distillation conditions, cask finishes, and the different types of oak wood and grain used.

It was in the early July, the team of Jhonnie Walker announced the world’s first ever 100% plastic free paper-based spirits bottle- made entirely from sustainably sourced wood that will debut in early 2021. Innotavion is the backbone of the brand’s identity.

Interestingly, this iconic brand had witnessed some of the painful and deadly episodes of the history and also some greatest transformations.

From its early years the business persevered through the great flood of Kilmarnock in 1852; the early death of two generations of its business leaders; exceptional volatility in its first export markets; the First World War, Spanish Flu, Prohibition, and the Great Depression (all within fifteen years); the Second World War and the long and painful road to economic recovery that followed; the Oil Crisis and the global and national recessions that trailed in its wake; and the Great recession of 2007-2009. Jhonnie Walker seen it all.

All these hurdles made the brand stronger and resilient. According to Julie Bramham, their 200 year strategy can be put in a nutshell- a commitment to quality, innovation and the consistent value of progress.