Pernod Ricard UK is calling for less reliance on discounting and more innovative alcohol gifting propositions this Christmas in a bid to drive value.

The French company will be offering 1.5 million gift packs across several of its brands this Christmas, including a Champagne flute and bottle offer for its Perrier-Jouët brand, a Jameson gift tin, suede and leather gift boxes for The Glenlivet and a free miniature bottle of VSOP with bottles of Martell VS.

It is also rolling out new packaging for several of its core brands in order to make the most of the key sales period.

Christmas was the one time of year when consumers were most likely to trade up, explained Simon Thomas, Pernod Ricard UK's commercial director.

"There is a real chance to get buyers to trade up across all categories at Christmas and offers such as the free VSOP miniature on Martell give consumers added value as well as encouraging trial," he said. "Clearly pricing isn't our area as our customers sell brands at the prices they choose.

"However, we concentrate year-round on a strategy of premiumisation and Christmas is even more of an opportunity."

He called on other big brands to be more innovative. "Gifting is also a huge opportunity at this time of year but it is an area where perhaps we could all do with being a bit more creative," he said.

As part of its packaging revamp, Tia Maria Liqueur, Jameson and Beefeater brands will all get new looks this Christmas.

The Tia Maria overhaul would boost its appeal with its female target audience, said Thomas, and was the first in a series of moves to increase the brand's relevance as a sociable, modern and mixable spirit.

Irish whiskey Jameson has also been tweaked to give it a bolder look and improve shelf stand-out, while new Beefeater Gin packaging, launched earlier this year, will also hit UK shelves for Christmas .

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