Key facts
- Campari is actively defending its Aperol brand against imitation products in the rapidly growing spritz market.
- The global spritz market has seen substantial growth, reaching nearly 4 billion servings in 2024.
- Aperol is Campari's largest revenue driver, contributing about 26% of total sales.
- Campari is implementing strategies including promotional campaigns, retailer loyalty programs, and pre-prepared kegs to protect its market share.
- Rival products, including Hugo Spritz, are gaining traction, and imitation orange-colored drinks are appearing in bars and supermarkets.
Campari is intensifying its defense of Aperol, its high-growth orange aperitif, against a rising tide of copycat products and rival drinks vying for a share of the booming global spritz market. The company is implementing a multi-pronged strategy, including promotional campaigns and a loyalty program for trusted retailers in Italy, where competition is most intense.
A broader rollout of pre-prepared Aperol Spritz kegs is also underway to secure its position in a market that has seen consumption surge to nearly 4 billion servings in 2024 from less than 2.5 billion in 2019, according to data provider IWSR.
Aperol is Campari's most significant revenue earner, accounting for approximately 26% of its total sales and providing resilience amid weakening consumer demand in the broader sector. The recipe for the century-old Aperol bitter, the key ingredient in the popular spritz cocktail, remains a closely guarded secret.
However, imitation products and rival aperitifs are increasingly appearing in European supermarkets, bars, and restaurants. Andrea Neri, managing director of House of Aperitivi at Campari, noted that since 2023, some establishments have begun serving orange-colored drinks, often on tap, that are not made with Aperol, leading consumers to believe they are drinking the original.
Italy, Campari's second-largest market after the United States, is experiencing the fiercest competition. Alternative cocktails and spritz-style drinks, such as the Hugo Spritz made with elderflower liqueur, are also gaining popularity on menus, particularly in the U.S. and Britain.
Campari has responded by highlighting that not all orange drinks are genuine Aperol Spritzes and has introduced a loyalty program for bars and restaurants that certifies the sale of original Aperol Spritz cocktails, now covering 2,000 venues in Italy. While Aperol's global sales grew 1.4% last year to €785 million ($897 million), Neri suggested that growth could have been faster in Italy without the impact of lookalike products, though precise data is unavailable.
In supermarkets, similar orange drinks are often priced 30-40% lower than Aperol. Campari has sought to protect its brand through trademark registrations and legal action against smaller competitors. Neri downplayed the impact of supermarket lookalikes, stating it's a common European phenomenon, while marketing professor Sandro Castaldo noted that color is a primary target for imitators, indicating Aperol's strong brand recognition.
The success of Aperol has also spurred interest in other summer drinks like the Hugo Spritz, with Bacardi reporting double-digit sales growth for its St-Germain elderflower liqueur, a key ingredient in Hugos. Campari itself has introduced Sarti Rosa, a pink aperitif, targeting female consumers with a viral marketing campaign. Neri observed a consumer shift towards lower-alcohol aperitifs and increased daytime consumption, prompting Campari to expand its spritz portfolio across multiple brands, including Campari, Sarti, Cynar, Crodino, and Mondoro.
Analysts like Theodore Duval-Segard of AlphaValue believe lookalike products do not currently pose a significant threat, stating that Campari has effectively reinvented the spritz, making the brand and the drink almost inseparable.