Vodka Johan Freitag has been awarded the „Best New Product 2018” prize in the group of spirits and wines (including non-alcoholic sparkling / still wines) in Latvia. International Market and Consumer Research Company Nielsen organises the annual “Best New Product” award and each year gives prizes to products in a particular category, assessing brand sales volumes and evaluating brand recognition by conducting surveys among consumers.

Eva Sietinsone, Chairman of the Board, Cēsu alus: “The award received is a great success, given that there is fierce competition in the strong alcohol market and it is difficult for new brands to win their place in it. This was our first step in the spirits segment and it has been a great success! And following the trend that gin is booming worldwide and in Latvia, we expanded the Johan Freitag brand by introducing gin to the market. I am pleased that the Johan Freitag brand can compete with internationally recognised spirit brands, and we see its potential not only in Latvian but also in export markets.”

“To be up to date in the market, knowing the needs of consumers and being able to surprise them with new everyday products is not an easy task. For eleven years now, we’ve been seeing producers grow and develop, how creatively they fight for consumers using their innovations and imagination. Their success is very clearly calculated and measured not only with objective sales figures, but also with consumer evaluation, ”says Ilona Leppa, CEO of Nielsen in the Baltic States.

Johan Freitag vodka appeared in the market at the beginning of 2018, and in 2018 a total of 200,000 bottles of it were sold. Johan Freitag is a premium quality vodka owned by the Olvi group in Finland. Johan Freitag  vodka is inspired by Scandinavia. The quality of it is based on the crystal clear water and the high quality distillation method and it is characterised by excellent and delicate taste. At the end of 2018, the Johan Freitag brand line was expanded to include Johan Freitag gin in the market – its excellent aroma is made up of natural juniper and other herbal extracts. Gin is filled in an exclusive design blue bottle that stands out among others on the shop shelves.

Every year, the International Market and Consumer Research company Nielsen analyses and evaluates food and household goods in 19 groups. During the first stage, three newest products are selected for each category. In the second stage, the buyers determine the products that are most relevant to the trend – whether the product has been noticed, purchased, valued and re-purchased. The winning product is determined by an index based on objective turnover data as well as individual customer evaluation.