CCAG
Driving global action on climate change
Challenge
Chivas Brothers put collaboration ahead of competition by making its learnings from a carbon-cutting heat recovery technology pilot ‘open source’ to promote solutions that help the Scotch whisky industry meet its collective net zero targets.
To date, heat recovery technologies such as MVR (mechanical vapour recompression) have reduced total energy consumption by almost half (48%) at Chivas Brothers’ Glentauchers distillery in Scotland, reducing the site’s total carbon emissions by 53%. But up to this point, these technologies have been difficult to implement in distillation.
firstlight was tasked with developing a strategy to maximise this important moment for Chivas Brothers, ensuring the announcement amplified our key communications objective to raise awareness of its leading position on sustainability within the industry, Scotland, the UK and internationally.
Solution
A multi-faceted media launch promoted the news to multiple corporate audiences.
We secured profile opportunities for Jean-Etienne Gourgues, Chairman and CEO of Chivas Brothers with Sky News and The Herald, alongside an exclusive comment opportunity in the drinks trade title The Spirits Business on the day of launch. This was complemented by a picture-led approach to bring to life the significant carbon cutting results Chivas Brothers had achieved at their Glentauchers Distillery, securing print and online coverage in the Daily Telegraph.
Impact
MVR media activity has generated significant coverage, while the initial announcement drove more than 130 sign-ups from industry peers to Chivas Brothers’ Open House events to learn more about implementing the MVR technology in their own operations. Chivas Brothers has also made the design and implementation findings of the technology available on its website to support distillers from around the world to reduce their carbon emissions.
67
pieces of coverage
130
+
sign-ups to Open House events
