Kylie Jenner’s Sprinter Vodka Sodas Make National Push With Southern Glazer’s
This spring, celebrity entrepreneur Kylie Jenner entered the spirits-based RTD business with Sprinter, a line of fruit-flavored vodka sodas. The brand got off to a fast start, shipping 140,000 cases in the first month before aligning nationally with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits in August. The company, helmed by Constellation veteran Mike Novy, is bullish about the brand’s future with SGWS. In addition, Sprinter and 818 Tequila, the brand founded by Kylie’s sister Kendall, have reorganized under the umbrella of the Calabasas Beverage Company—led by Novy as CEO—newly formed to streamline sales and marketing operations for the two brands.
Sprinter comes in an 8-can variety pack with Black Cherry, Peach, Grapefruit, and Lime flavors, retailing at $20. The 4.5% abv brand has initially proved popular in its home market of Southern California, as well as key states like Texas, Florida, and Illinois, says Novy. With the national alignment with Southern, Sprinter will look to build upon its current stable of roughly 16,000 accounts. A few months after launch the brand is already among the top 25 best-selling spirits-based RTDs in Circana channels. “That puts us in some very good company,” Novy says. “And it’s with one SKU, against brands that can have 30 or more.
“When you start to peel it back to pockets of growth, we see Massachusetts and Maryland,” he adds. “Phoenix and Tempe, Arizona, for example, and Columbus, Ohio, too. Basically places that are young intellectual hubs.” Novy adds that given the brand’s focus on consumers aged 21-35, he expects some shifting pockets of growth depending on whether college students are on large campuses or at home.
While Sprinter’s launch was significantly boosted by its famous founder, Novy says the next step is establishing Sprinter as a repeat purchase for its core demographic. “As we go forward, Kylie will always be a part of the communication of the brand and, quite frankly, management of it,” says Novy. “You’ll also see us do more experiential events. We want consumers to engage with and be a part of the brand.”
Joining forces with 818 Tequila (also aligned with SGWS), says Novy, was driven by demand from across the three-tier system. Utilizing one team for both brands made activation planning easier and simplified the brands’ positions within the distributor portfolio. “Sprinter gets the immediate benefit of the team that’s been able to live through the launch and the development of 818,” he says. 818’s U.S. volume is expected to rise to around 160,000 cases this year, after the brand adjusted pricing to meet its core 21-35-year-old consumer.
Early next year, Sprinter will release its second SKU, another variety 8-pack featuring four new flavors, as it looks to keep up its early momentum. “Our forecast is to continue developing into a significant player and get into that multimillion-case tier,” says Novy.—Shane English
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Tagged : 818 Tequila, Sprinter