Diageo GT creates new airline and cruise division
Emily Lively will head up the newly created cruise and airline team
Diageo has created a new internal team to focus exclusively on airline and cruise partnerships within travel retail and duty free.
Emily Lively will head up the new team, which was created to grow the cruise and airline channels and the potential they present for the alcohol and non-alcoholic category.
"The team is set to focus on building long-term partnerships, like that recently signed with Virgin Voyages as well as the growing digital activity. It has a three-year growth plan to go global as it builds the team and [as] relationships with long-term customers develop and evolve," reads the Diageo press release.
"I have been watching this channel grow over the past year and I am delighted that we now have the team and space to focus more exclusively on the scope for our brands that the channel brings. With refreshed strategies to engage and create transformative experience for consumer onboard, I am excited by the future growth of the category and it's progression," said Lively.
"Our ambition as a growing, new team within the Diageo GT division is to develop quickly. Putting our partnerships with customers first. Something which we hope will drive the trust and collaboration needed to unlock the possibilities. As with the rest of our GT colleagues, our goal will always be to deliver a world class experience, one that brings innovation, exclusives and something different onboard a flight or ship, for our customers, but ultimately for our consumers," Lively added.
Looking back at its successes, Diageo says it has long been proud of its innovative solutions and the unique experiences it adds to airport lounges and other spaces, physical or digital. Diageo launched the first airline gin boutique with the BA Highlife Shop earlier this year, and with the arrival of Tanqueray 0.0% (non-alcoholic Tanqueray), Diageo has built a 0.0% bar in British Airways' T5 Gold lounge. In every piece of work on board or on land, the company says it promotes a message of moderation alongside its partners, helping ensure responsible decision making to ensure "a holiday to remember."
