Grey Goose — Zero to the top in one year

This is an interesting case study in product positioning. Grey Goose rose to the top of the Vodka sales chart, and how did they do it?

Select France to make this Vodka due to the culinary history of the place, boast about the wheat and Springwater used in making the Vodka, the kind of things usually a Whisky maker talks about, this further distinguishes you from the rest of the products. Finally, price your product 5 times higher than the rest and watch it rise to the top of the sales chart. This is not unusual, a lot of other brands have done the same including Chivas Regal. Actually the Chivas Regal effect is the name given to this phenomenon where people judge the quality of a product by its price.

As a result of this, Grey Goose Vodka was named the best tasting Vodka in the world by the Beverage Tasting Institute and became the best selling Premium Vodka in the United States.

I like to think of myself as someone who can tell a good product from bad but reality is in most cases, I will fail miserably. Since we are talking about alcohol, let’s take its example. I like my whiskey and I can tell the difference between some varieties — Scotch, Bourbon, Irish, Indian. However, if I am asked to decide which one is better between Johnnie Walker Red Label and Black Label in a blind test, the probability of me picking Black Label is exactly the same as flipping a coin. This may mean one of two things — either I can’t tell the difference, or maybe they both are equally good. Whatever it is, it further validates the point.