"Out of every Rs 150 spent on alternative spirits in India, Rs 50 is spent on the DCM Remy brands" said Dinesh Jain, the new CEO of DCM Remy Limited. Jain has taken over from Alan Moss who headed the company since its inception.

DCM Remy brands include the world-famous `Cointreau' liqueur, `Blue Blazer' and `Red Blazer' whiskies, `Black Bottle' scotch, and `Passoa', a fruit liqueur. The closely-held company has a unique distinction - it does not advertise at all in the mass media, said Jain. "We believe that any law should be followed in the letter as well as the spirit. If the Government discourages liquor advertisements on state run TV channels and print media, then we will not advertise on cable TV networks also" said Jain. To catch the public eye, DCM Remy has followed marketingtechniques with a difference. Its white spirits, Cointreau, Tequila Blanco and Passoa, piggy-back on the whiskies and scotch brands of DCM Remy.

To encourage people to sample the drinks, small bottles were offered along with the whisky and scotch brands of DCM Remy. "We have specially designed these samples for the Indian customer" said Jain. With tie-ups at pubs and restaurants, the company organised tasting sessions for its target market segment.