Old Monk: The Story Of An Iconic Indian Rum - #Issue: 12 🗞️
The origin, the rise and the humiliating fall of an iconic Indian brand. And what we can learn from this.
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It is that time of the week when you want to sit down, grab a cup of chai or coffee and read about the origin, the rise and the fall of Old Monk.
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I live in Noida, part of Delhi NCR. For all those of you who live in Northern India, one can see the arrival of winter. There is cold in the wind and dew in the mornings and evenings. As we go deep into the November month, the temperature will further drop. By mid-December, we will have what everyone likes to experience once in their lives, the harsh Delhi winters.
The winter in Delhi is the precursor to what one would experience high in the Himalayas and beautiful hill stations like Mussoorie, Shimla and Manali, a few hundred kilometres drive from Delhi.
The Delhi winter calls for warm clothes, a cosy bed, good food and a drink of your choice.
The drink of good friends and good memories:
As we are talking about a good drink to gulp down in the Delhi winters, we can not finish the conversation without naming 'Old Monk.' Old Monk is more than just a regular Indian rum. Old Monk is no fancy rum that comes with some designer bottles carrying an art of work of label. Old Monk is just a simple rum, yet it occupies a great place in a lot of Indian's hearts.
Old Monk is all about good memories we have shared with our good old friends. On a cold winter night, friends sit together, share a few drinks and they let the conversation flow to the dark of night.
The story of Old Monk:
The origin of Old Monk goes back almost six and half decades to the early 1950s. Colonel Ved Rattan Mohan, the eldest of the Mohan siblings freshly retired from the Indian Army. As an Army man, he always appreciated a good drink.
His love for a good drink took him to their family brewery Mohan Meakin in Solan, Himachal Pradesh. He spent the next few years experimenting with various formulations and combinations to create the perfect Indian rum.
In the year 1954, Colonel Rattan released the Old Monk rum. The name for this rum was taken from the Benedictine monks of Europe, who live high in the mountains of Europe.
Old Monk rum is aged for 7 years in oak cases to give it the iconic taste and the flavour that made this rum the most sold rum in India.
Colonel Ved Rattan Mohan died in 1973 leaving the legacy and a brand behind. His younger brother Kapil Mohan took the charge of the brewery and oversaw the golden phase in the history of Old Monk.
The golden era:
The Indian Armed Forces' canteens were one of the biggest sellers of the Old Monk rum. For some reason, the Bravehearts of the Indian armed forces were in love with this brand. When these soldiers came home on leave, they used to bring a few bottles of Old Monk rum with them. They used to share a few drinks of Old Monk with their friends and families. Everyone loved the taste and the drink.
From cities to villages, Old Monk was the undisputed king of rums. No brand could match the heat of Old Monk during its golden phase. From the army canteens to college hostel rooms, Old Monk was the perfect companion of good times much before Vijay Mallya decided to use this tagline.
Old Monk never used ads. Mohan Meakin, the brewery that makes the Old Monk rum always relied on word of mouth promotion. And it did not take long. The good words about Old Monk soon became the talk of the town.
In the next few decades after Col. Mohan's death, Old Monk became the most popular rum in India.
The downfall:
In 2003, Old Monk became the highest-selling liquor brand in India. At the peak of its popularity, around 80 lakh bottles of Old Monk are sold every year.
2003 was the last happy year in the six-decade-long story of Old Monk. By 2004, the numbers began to decline. In 2005, McDowell's Celebration Rum became the highest-selling rum brand in India. Three years later, Contessa replaced Old Monk as the highest-selling rum in the Indian Armed Forces canteen in 2008.
The downfall was not sudden. It was in the works for almost a decade. With the economic liberalisation of 1991, the Indian market was opened for foreign brands. The global alcohol giants started to flock towards India and tied up with the existing Indian brands. Competitors like Shaw Wallace and Radico Khaitan launched a massive ad campaign to promote their brands.
Mohan Meakin and Old Monk refused to see the change in the market dynamics. Mohan Meakin decided to stick to their old principle of not running any ad. This rigidness in decision making cost the company a significant market share over the years.
Old Monk was a victim of political vendetta as well. When Ponty Chaddha won the distribution rights of alcohol in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, he decided to settle some old scores. Chaddha flexed his political muscle to close the Mohan Meakin distilleries in Lucknow. With no fresh supply in the market, Old Monk vanished from the liquor stores of UP and Uttarakhand.
A faulty supply chain made the brand vanish from Tamilnadu, one of the biggest rum drinking states in India.
The fault in their actions:
The management of Mohan Meakin refused to see the change in the consumption habits of India. With a rising disposable income, Indians started trying out new brands of alcohol. The competitors of Old Monk understood the change and placed their brands in front of the eyes of the customer with ads. Old Monk decided to stick to the no-ad policy.
While Indian brands were tieing up with global giants to have a better fighting chance, Old Monk refused partnership as well. Old Monk refused global giants like Sabmiller and Baccardi.
The old principles of Old Monk made it an iconic brand and gave it a cult status. But, the company failed to understand the biggest lesson of business and life, "Change is the only constant."
Did you know?
Old Monk also has a beer brand called Old Monk 10000.
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Till we meet again with another story.
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Team Index Daily
Coming up on the next issue:
It was probably the best display of corporate responsibility in India.
Recap:
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Very beautifully written. Enjoyed this read. Wish you very diwali to your team.
lovely written, love this page always ❣️