Africa calling – the Irish whiskey taking a different route

Having been launched last year, Irish whiskey brand Element has hit the ground running. Its latest coup was signing a five-year deal in Nigeria worth €4.9 million, with the first container holding 15,500 bottles of whiskey shipped in September.

It’s a strategy paying dividends for its co-founder, Fionn Cox, where Nigeria is becoming a rapidly growing market for Irish whiskey.

“With brands that set up, they’re generally chasing the same piece of the pie, which is mainland Europe and the US,” explained Cox. “That’s because the volumes there are the biggest, yet with that comes saturation and competitiveness.”

Element Irish Whiskey brings a significant competitive advantage to Nigeria and the surrounding countries. Cox has extensive experience in the region, having worked with Irish distillers in West Africa, developing strong connections and networks with importers, marketers and bar owners in Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon.

“That competitive advantage of having lived there and understanding the complexity of the market – because it’s complex. There’s all sorts of nuances and intricacies,” he said.

“To have that deal in place, which is the next five years, and the first order having touched down in Lagos already and the money in the bank paid is something that really differentiates us. We now look to build the brand in the key region.”

The area is ripe for potential expansion. By 2050, 33 per cent of the world’s working population will be based in Africa, so for the next 20 to 30 years, Africa can set itself as a global powerhouse.

What Element Irish Whiskey is doing is setting up the foundations now to prepare for the growth it expects to happen and is happening in West Africa.

Before that, the next six months are essential for its ambitions in Nigeria, where it’s looking to hire more people in the area, set up more distribution links and establish a plan of action for the next 18 months.

It also has stock in the US, China, and several European countries, and Cox ensures he is on the ground in these territories to ensure its base is solid.

The plan with Nigeria is that the country is the big brother of West Africa in some way, then you have a good way of spinning off in Ghana, Cameroon, and Ivory Coast

“We’re very open to new opportunities and have had many importers approach us and ask about stock,” he said. “The plan with Nigeria is that the country is the big brother of West Africa in some way, whereby if you can make things work there, you have a good way of spinning off in border regions like Ghana, Cameroon, and Ivory Coast.”

What Element prides itself on is that it is whiskey created for the people by the people. It uses feedback and input from customers and partners to sharpen its offerings further and offer the best-quality products.

For its most recent release, it invited bartenders, consumers and prominent people in the whiskey industry try out samples. It encouraged them to taste and blend their creations based on their personal preferences.

Allowing this scope in creativity and innovation is essential as it expands its offerings and reach in new markets.

“We’re very different in Element,” said Cox. “We’re modern, contemporary and do innovative things with how we develop our whiskey.

Focus on history

“In the Irish whiskey industry, there have been so many entries in the last five or ten years and a lot of focus on history, heritage and tradition. We’re different in prioritising open innovation, and getting more of a global consumer involved will be positive for our end product.”

As for EIIS funding, it’s looking at using the funding raised to further strengthen its base in markets like Nigeria. With well-established connections across Western Africa, it will put the funds towards sales, marketing, and distribution: the areas Cox says it excels in.

“We have established connections in these key markets as well, and it’s cohesive,” he said. “We’re putting this money towards building our brand in our key markets and not tying it up in capital assets, which the investors like to see; the focus is on what we’re best at, namely sales, marketing, and distribution.

“We’re putting our money to good use instead of just developing our assets. We’re quite keen on doing that,” he concluded.

While export is where Element is focused, it is also available in its home market, Ireland. See list of vendors at elementirishwhiskey.com