Diageo UK is planning a big marketing investment for Tanqueray gin, after a poll positioned the brand as the best UK premium gin.

The research, which was commissioned by Diageo and conducted independently by research agency TKD, found that top end bartenders across the country put Tanqueray ahead of other well-known premium gin brands.

The company said it would use these findings to create an advertising campaign positioning the brand as 'the bartenders' choice'.

Hugh Pile, brand manager, said: "Premium gin is currently a growth area in the off-trade. The marketing campaign, highlighting the fact that Tanqueray gin is the bartenders' choice, focuses on the style and substance of the brand and ensures it remains a key player in the sector."

The campaign, which will run throughout the autumn, will include print adverts in Guardian Weekend, Observer and Evening Standard magazines, as well as in-store sampling. Marketing activity will include drinks sponsorship at high-profile events and sampling will take place at key exhibitions, such as the Ideal Home Show.

Off-trade activity will include a neck-collar on all bottles of Tanqueray offering a complimentary cocktail book containing drink recommendations from the UK's best bartenders.

The research also highlighted Bombay Sapphire as the winner of the 'lightest' and 'most unusual' gin category, followed by Blackwood's Gin. Tanqueray was voted 'the bartenders' choice', followed by Blackwood's and Bombay Sapphire, and it also led in the 'best tasting' and 'best quality' categories.

"Part of the reason for this research success is that the distillation process of Tanqueray, which uses the finest ingredients and is quadruple-distilled, ensures a prominent yet smooth taste with crisp cut-through in all drink styles," said Pile.

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