How did you land this job?
Jermaine Bibbons at the elegant Cîroc bar located at Ribbiz at the Acropolis. (PHOTOS: MARLON REID)
Brian ‘Ribbi’ Chung (left), director of Ribbiz at the Acropolis, accepts a bottle of Cîroc Red Berry — one of Diddy’s new flavours— from Jermaine Bibbons, brand manager, Spirits, Red Stripe.
Brand manager Jermaine Bibbons shows off a few of his company’s premium products.
Having worked as a marketing executive in the Eastern Caribbean including Barbados, St Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla, I moved back to Jamaica to join the Guinness team as the assistant brand manager. We delivered on some ambitious goals over the next two years, such as the world-class Arthur Guinness concert at the National Stadium, as well as establishing the concert as the gold standard in concert execution every year. We also revamped the Guinness Sounds of Greatness sound clash into a live TV show driving relevance, engagement and top-of-mind connection in the heartland.
By this time, with deeper experience and passion for the beverage alcohol business, I was ready to advance to the next level.
So when the opportunity arose to lead the portfolio of premium spirits brands, I decided to go after it.
I went through a detailed selection process with some stellar candidates, involving interviews and the presentation of a real-life business case.
At the end, I emerged as the top candidate and was offered the job.
How long have you been in this job?
I started July 1, so that's about six weeks.
What's great about your job?
The first great thing about my job is the brands themselves. I lead a portfolio of truly global brands with strong equity -- the number one vodka in the world and in Jamaica, Smirnoff; the number one scotch whiskey, Johnnie Walker; the world's most premium cream liqueur, Baileys; the world's fastest-growing ultra-premium vodka, Cîroc; Ketel one; Gordon's; Ron Zacapa rum; Gilbey's and the other star brands in my portfolio are enjoyed in every corner of the globe. Leading these brands is both challenging and exciting.
The second great thing about my job is working at Diageo. At Diageo we are proud of our brands and proud of what we do. We challenge ourselves to celebrate life every day, everywhere, responsibly. This is the spirit that guides our way of life and the way we market our brands to our consumers. It is a pleasure to work for a company that not only places a premium on the work, but also the development of the leadership possibilities of each and every employee.
The third, and most important, is the customers and consumers. They are at the heart of everything we do. It is a joy to understand the customers and consumers. This enables us to ground our marketing effort in real insights that speak to their different motivations. For example, our consumers desire inventive and creative experiences which we deliver through "larger-than-life" occasions like Smirnoff Dream Week and Carnival; and uniquely spectacular nightlife through Smirnoff Midnight Circus, Soho at Fiction and ViV in VClub in Portmore on Friday nights, just to name a few.
What attracts consumers to your brands?
Consumers adore these brands because each makes a distinct promise and consistently delivers in ways that surprise and delight.
We are constantly innovating in livery, variants and messaging to keep relevant.
We leverage deep consumer understanding to deliver experiences that inspire, empower and bring friends closer together.
In terms of quality, we stand on the pillars of authenticity, heritage and provenance that consumers trust.
When consumers pick up one of our brands, they are confident about what the brand says about them.
Where can consumers find out more about your brand?
We can be reached on social sites like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Smirnoff, for instance, has the largest Facebook community of any spirit brand in Jamaica. The conversations are always lively and engaging 24/7.
Consumers can follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter at: @smirnoffjamaica
Jermaine Bibbons at the elegant Cîroc bar located at Ribbiz at the Acropolis. (PHOTOS: MARLON REID)
Brian ‘Ribbi’ Chung (left), director of Ribbiz at the Acropolis, accepts a bottle of Cîroc Red Berry — one of Diddy’s new flavours— from Jermaine Bibbons, brand manager, Spirits, Red Stripe.
Brand manager Jermaine Bibbons shows off a few of his company’s premium products.
     Jermaine Bibbons at the elegant Cîroc bar located at Ribbiz at the Acropolis. (PHOTOS: MARLON REID) #slideshowtoggler, #slideshowtoggler a, #slideshowtoggler img {filter:none !important;zoom:normal !important}  1/3  |
Having worked as a marketing executive in the Eastern Caribbean including Barbados, St Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla, I moved back to Jamaica to join the Guinness team as the assistant brand manager. We delivered on some ambitious goals over the next two years, such as the world-class Arthur Guinness concert at the National Stadium, as well as establishing the concert as the gold standard in concert execution every year. We also revamped the Guinness Sounds of Greatness sound clash into a live TV show driving relevance, engagement and top-of-mind connection in the heartland.
By this time, with deeper experience and passion for the beverage alcohol business, I was ready to advance to the next level.
So when the opportunity arose to lead the portfolio of premium spirits brands, I decided to go after it.
I went through a detailed selection process with some stellar candidates, involving interviews and the presentation of a real-life business case.
At the end, I emerged as the top candidate and was offered the job.
How long have you been in this job?
I started July 1, so that's about six weeks.
What's great about your job?
The first great thing about my job is the brands themselves. I lead a portfolio of truly global brands with strong equity -- the number one vodka in the world and in Jamaica, Smirnoff; the number one scotch whiskey, Johnnie Walker; the world's most premium cream liqueur, Baileys; the world's fastest-growing ultra-premium vodka, Cîroc; Ketel one; Gordon's; Ron Zacapa rum; Gilbey's and the other star brands in my portfolio are enjoyed in every corner of the globe. Leading these brands is both challenging and exciting.
The second great thing about my job is working at Diageo. At Diageo we are proud of our brands and proud of what we do. We challenge ourselves to celebrate life every day, everywhere, responsibly. This is the spirit that guides our way of life and the way we market our brands to our consumers. It is a pleasure to work for a company that not only places a premium on the work, but also the development of the leadership possibilities of each and every employee.
The third, and most important, is the customers and consumers. They are at the heart of everything we do. It is a joy to understand the customers and consumers. This enables us to ground our marketing effort in real insights that speak to their different motivations. For example, our consumers desire inventive and creative experiences which we deliver through "larger-than-life" occasions like Smirnoff Dream Week and Carnival; and uniquely spectacular nightlife through Smirnoff Midnight Circus, Soho at Fiction and ViV in VClub in Portmore on Friday nights, just to name a few.
What attracts consumers to your brands?
Consumers adore these brands because each makes a distinct promise and consistently delivers in ways that surprise and delight.
We are constantly innovating in livery, variants and messaging to keep relevant.
We leverage deep consumer understanding to deliver experiences that inspire, empower and bring friends closer together.
In terms of quality, we stand on the pillars of authenticity, heritage and provenance that consumers trust.
When consumers pick up one of our brands, they are confident about what the brand says about them.
Where can consumers find out more about your brand?
We can be reached on social sites like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Smirnoff, for instance, has the largest Facebook community of any spirit brand in Jamaica. The conversations are always lively and engaging 24/7.
Consumers can follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter at: @smirnoffjamaica