The Absolut Company Stories

Over the years, the Absolut bottle has become a true design icon. An icon that has been reborn over and over again through different collections and collaborations with artists, creatives and designers. In other words – a perfect item for picky collectors. Today, there are over 5000 Absolut Collectors in the world, all searching, collecting and trading bottles to obtain complete series or hunt down the most rare items out there. We had a chat with Annika Skohg, Brand Manager at the Absolut Company and responsible for supporting the Collectors community from a brand perspective.

What is Absolut Collectors?

Absolut Collectors is the collective name for the group of people that collect Absolut-bottles and something that has emerged organically entirely from the interest of consumers. From a company perspective we are really happy to see so many brand lovers all over the world and we want to support the initiative as much as we can to make sure that the collectors feel like they are a part of the Absolut-family.

How does Absolut support Absolut Collectors?

The biggest investment we do is the big collectors meetings that we’ve been hosting since 2010. Many of the meetings have been held in Åhus and the most recent one was in 2019, just before covid. At the last meeting there were over 350 attendants – so many that we had to divide the event into two different meetings, and that is still only a very small part of the thousands of collectors that exist. The arrangement is that Absolut hosts the events and the collectors pay for their own flights and hotels.
The meetings are an opportunity for the collectors to meet each other and to visit Åhus – the heart of the brand and the place where it all began. The meetings are also an opportunity for the collectors and the company to get together. At the last meeting, many people from the board joined in to show to the collectors how important they are to the brand.

We also support the collectors through information in different Facebook forums. There are about 20 forums in different markets where collectors communicate and trade bottles with each other – all created by private actors. To serve the collectors we proactively share facts about product launches, availability, and sizes. Most of our communication with the community takes place through these forums and it is also where we invite them to the meetings.

How many collectors do you estimate there are in the world?

There are over 5,000 collectors worldwide in over 50 different countries that we are aware of. In addition we estimate that there are many more outside the Facebook groups that we can’t keep track of.

Where in the world do you find most collectors?

The collectors family is very much global but Central and South America has the highest concentration of collectors – Mexico and Brazil in particular. We also have a lot of collectors in Europe where the majority comes from Germany, Sweden, UK, Spain and Portugal. In Asia, South Korea definitely has the high seat when it comes to collectors. A common factor among the markets with the most collectors is that the collectors usually have a very good relation with the respective local market company.

Why do you think there is such a big interest in collecting Absolut-bottles?

I think one of the reasons is because the bottles have always had such beautiful, fun and creative designs – but also that the bottle became an icon in Absolut’s history very early on. When it was first launched, it had a design that hadn’t been seen before, something that truly stood out from the crowd and that inspired many of our campaigns, including ‘Absolut Perfection’, and today it’s one of the most iconic bottle silhouettes in the world. So being able to buy an icon for 20-30 dollars is very attractive. Moreover, throughout the years Absolut has been surprising, extremely creative and it is clear that consumers want to be associated with things that are creative, progressive, and artistic.

Besides the love for Absolut, is there anything that the collectors have in common?

For one, there are many more men than women amongst the collectors – we’re not really sure why. Besides that it’s hard to see any other common factors. Agewise and geographically it’s very mixed. What you can say is that everyone treats each other like family. There is a lot of trust among the collectors, something that is necessary when they exchange bottles with each other.

What is the strangest request that you’ve received from a collector?

We get all kinds of requests but we recently received an interesting email proposing we should name a street in Åhus ‘Absolut collectors street’. That was a first.

Which bottle is the most desirable among collectors?

It’s very individual, everyone has their collection that they want to complete. But like all collectors, they desire the most unique items. Many of the collectors focus on collecting complete series – for example City Bottles (artists in different cities have made versions of the bottle to pay tribute to their respective hometowns*) or the different sizes of Absolut Original through the ages. Another example is ‘Absolut Unique’ – a series of numbered bottles that are completely unique or Absolut 40 – our anniversary bottle from when Absolut turned 40.

* editors note

What are your future plans for Absolut Collectors?

As for today, we do not have our own forum to reach out to the collectors but in the near future, we plan to set up our own Facebook group through Absolut’s global page to make it easier for us to reach out to collectors on a global level.

We asked three devoted collectors about the crown jewel/-s in their respective collections:

Iñaki Zabala, 46, Bilbao, Spain, an Absolut Collector for 15 years.

A few years ago when Michel Roux passed, he appeared on The New York Times frontpage with a set of 3 bottles of the statehood collection (Absolut Texas, Absolut Washington, Absolut New York). I now have those 3 bottles at home and to me they are as important as Michel Roux was to Absolut.

Iñaki Zabala

Michelle, 48, Matawan, New Jersey, US, has a collection with over 800 bottles.

To pick a favorite bottle would be like picking a favorite child! But the bottles that mean the most to me are the ones from the collectors meetings that are signed by all my Absolut friends from around the world.

Michelle

Marco Moliterni, 38, Milan, Italy, has a collection with over 300 bottles.

I started collecting Absolut seven years ago. It all started with a Unique given to me by a friend for my birthday. As for today, my collection includes some very rare pieces such as Absolut Glow (thailand, 2012), Absolut Philipp Plein (Austria, 2010), Absolut Freestyle (France, 2004), Absolut Bodyart (Italy, 2005) and Absolut Gareth Pugh (2011, fashion week).

Marco Moliterni

Achieving high set goals require a great ability to translate vision into practice. And when The Absolut Company’s ambitious sustainability goals are to become a reality, two of the keys are to both improve and refine the machines and processes – without this affecting production. The solution is to build a digital copy of the factory in order to be able to test and analyze changes virtually. We had a short chat with automation engineer Emil Svärdh about what he actually does at work every day and why it is so important.

Your title is Senior Automation Engineer. What does that mean?

That is a good question. The simple answer is that I work with our journey to become autonomous – that is, with the digitalisation of our production. I don’t really work with our machines, but more with information flow to and from the machines. Primarily by building a digital replica of our physical flows. In this way, it is easier to see and analyze what is happening in production in order to then be able to make changes and improvements in the real machines. In other words, I sit in front of a computer and set up an architecture of which systems and data points to include, which system should own which data point and how they can be orchestrated internally to business systems or manufacturing systems. It sounds a bit abstract, but when I can show what a change means, it usually clears up. The data we extract shall be used to support our decision making and continuous improvements.

What are the benefits of automation?

Our production philosophy includes that we are One source – that we come from and are manufactured in one place. This allows us to look at the entire flow of production and thus be very agile in finding new ways to refine and improve our processes. Both when it comes to manufacturing and waste management. Making a Litre Absolut Vodka is a simple thing, but if you change something only a little bit in the manufacturing process, it will generate a new digital path that needs to be controlled before the product can be manufactured. And that’s my job.

How far has TAC come in the development of digitalisation?

We are extremely far ahead in an automation perspective. It also means that we have an easier journey than many others. We have got off to a good start thanks to the fact that we have new machines and financial means – but also because we have a management that is interested in us making this journey and an organization that can and wants to be a part of it.

How do you work with AI and Machine Learning when it comes to automation?

AI and Machine Learning is really an upcoming project for us. Today, it is most introduced through predictive maintenance of components in the machines. When it comes to bottling, we are in the starting blocks, but in order for it to be fully implemented, we must first know exactly what we produce and how we produce it from a digital point of view. We are building up that knowledge base right now and when we have all the facts, we can apply AI and machine learning fully. An example of this is how we work with our glass. It is a living material, so that makes it a perfect starting point for applying machine learning in order to be able to avoid sorting out glass that is not incorrect, although the reflection may look like that to the vision system we have. Here, the operator is a key player for us building a reference model of what is a good versus scrap. It takes time to gather all the knowledge, but once it is done, it will definitely impact the production.

What other industries are leading this development?

I would say that the car industry is the one that has come the furthest. Another player is Swedish ball bearing manufacturer SKF. There is a big difference compared to our business though – these industries have an aftermarket that must be taken into account, which is not the case for us. On the other hand, we want to adopt the same basic idea, that is, that we do not just make a product, hence the product itself is a variety of components and operations to be performed. If we think like that, it will be easier to break down our processes and find a digital path to the end product that is flexible. Once we get there, we can also more easily make the changes and improvements needed to reach our goals.

How does your work help TAC to achieve its high sustainability goals?

It is about choosing which initiatives to support. To choose the right one, one must first know what the actual reality looks like and then find the best way to be able to control it. That’s very important. My job is also very much about building on our transparency canvas, that is, how we work and what it generates. The result can then be shown to our customers and also be used for improving our work.

What is your vision for production in Åhus in the long term?

To be a “One button shop”. That we should have a ready-made path for all our products – regardless of whether we want to manufacture one or 100,000 units. We must be even more agile to make changes that take the products we produce to market as fast as possible. It is a journey we are in the middle of and I am completely convinced that when we are at the finish line, it will benefit both us as a company and our consumers.

Safeguarding a 50 billion SEK investment might be considered a heavy workload. But for Lars Ljungholm, VP General Counsel, and his team at The Absolut Company, it’s just another day at the office. It’s his job to make sure things are played by the book on all markets where The Absolut Company is present and to ensure that all the brands and products in the portfolio are kept out of harm’s way. Everyday. 

Often, great values can be found in developing and protecting intellectual property rights – such as trademarks. How important is the legal work in this value creation? 

– When it comes to protecting our trademarks and other well-known elements – such as the shape of the Absolut bottle – I’d say that our legal work is incredibly important. I remember when I had just gotten this job and met one of the top managers at Pernod-Ricard for the first time, he said ‘Lars, you know that in my opinion you have the second most important job in this company.’ By that he meant that it’s my job to help protect and safeguard their entire 50 billion SEK investment. Another aspect, which is perhaps a little more hands-on, is that we must make sure to protect our brands and our products against trademark infringement and copycats. That is where all our credibility and trust from our consumers lies, so we act on everything we consider to be an infringement of our intellectual property rights. Most of my budget is actually spent on protecting our brands in various ways.

How often do you come across cases where you have to take action against trademark infringement of Absolut? 

– Against the portfolio, i.e., all our different brands, we constantly have about 400 infringement and opposition cases globally that we act on. We monitor all the markets we are present in and we keep a close watch on look-a-likes and other intellectual property infringements. Thankfully, those we encounter are to most extent unintentional and there’s often simple and unfortunate mistakes behind the infringement. Usually, they are small players and we try not to ruin their lives. So, a lot of time is spent resolving cases through conversations.

What is your most memorable case? 

– When it comes to misleading products, we always act resolutely. This needs to be done several times a year, so I’ve a couple of cases that I can pick and choose from. One odd example involved a producer in New York who had a hard time understanding how in the world we could consider it to be a problem that they launched a product called Kafhua – with the same look and flavor as our product Kahlúa. Despite many attempts on our side to explain the situation and its implications, they really didn’t give up their claim. So, unfortunately, we had to take them all the way to court – which ended up costing them substantially more than if they’d only listened immediately. But they really didn’t want to comprehend the fact that that they couldn’t sell a product that was basically a direct copy.

Marketing today is increasingly being done through collaborations with influencers. How does this affect your legal work? 

– It affects us more than you might think. Some 10 years ago, I did not think that my team would sit and scroll through a lot of Instagram accounts during working hours. But now they do! We have to be very careful with how and who we collaborate with and therefore we always go through the history of all proposed influencers to make sure that there is nothing problematic for us in their previous posts. This is super important because we have a number of industry codes that we have committed to follow: i.e., no marketing towards minors, we should always promote responsible drinking and we should show good ethical considerations. And this can be especially problematic when it comes to collaborations with influencers, where a too big part of their followers may be too young. Then we have to decline. We always extract data from Instagram to see what their followers look like. In addition, of course, we also sign agreements where influencers undertake not to publish content that is in violation of the codes we abide to.

Influencer marketing is more cross-border than traditional advertising. How do you legally take into account different rules and regulations in different markets for the same type of content? 

– Firstly, we never direct any type of marketing initiatives or advertising towards markets where alcohol advertising is prohibited. Nor if a type of alcohol advertising violates any local rules. I would also say that we have a very good knowledge of the rules that apply in our 30 top markets. 

You are also responsible for global brands such as Malibu and Kahlúa. How do you conduct that work from Stockholm?  

– I don’t think our work looks any different compared to what we do for Absolut Vodka. Each brand has its own profile and for Absolut Vodka, the Swedish origin is important. But for the legal team, there is no difference. We don’t work exclusively with Swedish law. In fact, the Swedish market only accounts for around one percent of our total sales, so Sweden is not even our main focus. As a company we are Swedish, so certain corporate law, manufacturing regulations and agreements with other Swedish entities are subject to Swedish law, but our global role means that we must have a good understanding of what the legislation looks like around the world. Alcohol is also a very regulated business in many countries, which means that we must be careful about how and where we speak about our products. We have all that competence within my great team here in Stockholm or via our sister companies around the world.

What values do you think Absolut creates? 

– I think Absolut stands for very good values when it comes to inclusion. We are pro LGBTQ and we’re against discrimination. We have healthy and good values within the company that are easy to appreciate as a Swede. We are not political, but human values are treasured. I also think that we are at the forefront when it comes to sustainability and I genuinely think that we have a very healthy and good corporate culture.

Pernod Ricard has a very ambitious sustainability agenda. How well can brands and companies communicate with consumers what they’re actually doing? What governs which claims that can be made? 

– In market law, there is a strong focus on different types of green claims and sustainability claims. Much of the legislation is about not misleading the consumers. For example, if you take a certain type of data and take it out of context, you can’t really use it. And it is therefore important to always have a 360 degree perspective on any environmental claims in advertising. The important thing is that consumers aren’t being misled into believing that we do more or stand out more than we actually do. So, you sometimes have to ask yourself questions about how much our consumers actually understands from the data points we’ve extract and use to back our claims with? Can they make relevant comparisons? This is complicated and we must be transparent about how things really look like and, above all, avoid exaggerated statements that cannot be fully substantiated.

As head of the legal department, you sometimes have to act as the last gatekeeper for whether an idea can, may or should be realized. What’s your view on this – do you occasionally feel like a party crasher? 

– I hate that feeling. Fortunately, it doesn’t happen that often, but when it does, it’s usually because we’ve become involved too late in the process. The work has, so to speak, already derailed. If we instead are invited to take part early in the process, we can act as partner for both the creative and business side. Then it is easier to be solution-oriented and come up with opportunities instead of rising obstacles. But one must also remember that legal is a compliance function. So, don’t kill the messenger. We don’t invent the regulations, but we are aware of them and what restrictions they impose. That’s why you sometimes have to dare to simply say no. If there is a “moose on the table”, it is often our job to call it out.

Abiding to the law feels, perhaps somewhat prejudiced, like a mindset where tradition weighs stronger than the need for change. If so, what is your interpretation of Passion for Progression? 

– To me, Passion for Progressions is primarily about supporting the company in developing. I spend a lot of my team’s resources on campaigns and product development. We are constantly trying to stay one step ahead and try to capture regulatory changes and flag for the business when new opportunities arise.

Abiding to the law feels, perhaps somewhat prejudiced, like a Which values are important to you in your leadership? 

– Personally, it is very important that I always can be myself in any situation. I don’t wear a leadership suit that I put on for work. I want to be perceived as direct and honest but also accessible and responsive. I am there for my team and for the company 24/7 if needed. For me, leadership is about the word counsel = advisor – in the title legal counsel. The legal function has an incredible overview of almost everything that happens within the company. Therefore, it is sometimes a good idea to take off the legal hat and just be a general advisor and sounding board, also on topics outside our functional expertise.

How has the ongoing pandemic affected your work? 

– In a couple of ways. As of now, almost a year into the pandemic, I’ve more or less learned to master all types of digital meetings. At first, I actually didn’t think it’d work as well as it does. But I also think that my efficiency has been affected a lot. There’s, for obvious reasons, fewer 5-minute ad-hoc discussions in the office and more booked 30-minute meetings back-to-back, which means that I usually sit in front of my screen for a good portion of the day. It has also prolonged my working days, meaning I’m putting in more hours now than I did before.

What are you passionate about at work? 

– I sometimes compare my job to that of a fire marshal. The main part of our work is about carrying out inspections in order to identify and prevent the risk of fires – probably about 90% of our time is spent on efforts to reduce such risk – but the fire fighter and I probably have the thing in common that we both enjoy our professions the most, when the fire alarm starts, despite all of our precautions, and we need to gather our team and lead the work to put out the fire. That’s when the work is most intense, challenging and competitive. It is not the actual conflict in itself that attracts me, but rather the full focus I experience when I feel that what I’m working on is very important to me, to my team and to the company. I am good at crisis management and I find it stimulating. Of course, I can be happy about corporate profits or getting positive feedback, but winning a legal case is what I really find rewarding.

And outside of work? 

– For me, it is to have social interactions. With family and with friends. It can be very unpretentious or super formal. You name it. I just love to hang out with people. At sea, on the golf course or in the ski slopes, or perhaps preferably at the associated spontaneous wine lunches.

Blockchain is more than a goldrush for bitcoin-miners; it’s an efficient tool for tracing your tracks in a secure and reliable way. That’s why it can be so useful for brands that need to keep a close watch on their ingredients’ trail. At The Absolut Company we’ve enrolled Jessi Baker, founder and CEO of Provenance, to learn more. We had a chat with her on the benefits of using blockchain as a means of improving and proving your transparency and traceability.

Firstly, for all the newbies out there: What is blockchain in its most basic parts?

– Most people associate blockchain with bitcoin. And that is one way of utilizing it, but it can be so much more. Blockchain is in many ways how the internet was envisioned at the beginning – a decentralized network – before a few powerful companies such as Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon made it a lot more centralized. So, I believe, what a blockchain has the potential to do is put the power of the web into hands of the many, rather than at the will of a few. It’s a way of collaborating across the web without centralized control points. Bitcoin is a good example as it is such a contrast to traditional banking. It’s a currency run with a decentralized system that’s user controlled. 

Tell me a bit more about Provenance and your vision for the company?

– Blockchain is only a fraction of what we do. We’re a social enterprise that’s mission driven. Our goal is to help brands be more transparent when it comes to the impact of their products. That can be to put stickers highlighting your carbon footprint on the back of the bottles or telling the world about what impact your product has on you, people or planet. You might think that’s kind of a hard sell, but it actually isn’t anymore. We’ve got both governmental regulations and consumer demands on our side, so it’s not a crazy idea anymore. Provenance wants to set a standard by using comprehensive data and a clear methodology that enables easy comparisons through verified sources. We translate data into consumer knowledge and demands on different areas of impact; for example carbon footprints, protection of the oceans or assurance of quality or waste reduction. Transparency needs to be communicated in a consistent, comprehensive and credible way. Provenance helps verify claims and when that’s done, we issue a Proof Point – a kind of badge that says a certain claim made by a brand is proven and verified. We also work with verifiers that are trustworthy and all the links in the blockchain are fully visible.

Are there any potential negative aspects or limitations of this technology?

– Of course. For one, lots of things are still under development. There’s a lack of standards, a lack of UX-designers and business developers – due to the technology having a high threshold for understanding. But the biggest challenge to overcome is that we currently live in a world governed by an oligopoly of information owners.

Can you tell me more about how Provenance and The Absolut Company are teaming up around challenges related to supply chains? 

– We’re involved in a pilot project with one of their brands; where we helped them have a look at how they could be more transparent on their impact on the world. There are a lot of pitfalls and we’ve helped them discover the traces they leave behind and how to be as transparent as they possibly can. For them, it’s a way of being more credible and more open. It’s also about showing how they’re making progress. 

What kind of outcomes do you foresee?

– I think there is a strong, brand-building case to be made for showing new Proof Points around your supply chain. New information can, for instance, be updated annually to build trust behind the brand claims. In short, it’s a great case of how you can show and share your impact with consumers – who are ultimately the ones making decisions. 

The Absolut Company has the motto Passion for Progression, which sort of acts as a halo for fostering and retaining an innovative company culture. What’s your take on this?

– I think that our Passion for Progression-value rings very true. I was amazed when I realize how important this actually is for everyone working here. Progression is about what we do – developing new products, refining new tastes and conceptualizing new formats. But it is also very much about how we do that. To me, innovation is as much about how you do things as what you do. Take our sustainability work as an example: Our Åhus plant is one of the best in the world when it comes to sustainability. And this is all due to us – as a company – being super innovative and working with the entire value chain to ensure consistency in all aspects of our production and distribution. There is so much effort going into designing processes that minimize the amount of waste produced. And I think that we’ve been able to reach this position because this has been a priority of ours for so many years. To me, this is just another proof of the kind of innovative spirit that’s found within the company. Before I started here, I thought some of the claims were just on the surface, but now I know we have all the hard facts to back our claims.

What’s your background before joining The Absolut Company?

– I started my career in a totally different business, working with marketing for Hachette Publications in France, where I was part of the book division. My dream was always to work with marketing for a company in the cultural sector. Books and movies were, and still are, two of my greatest passions. From there I moved on to Michelin Travel Publications. When I applied for the job there, I thought it was to do marketing for their printed maps, food & travel guides, but it turned out the position was for the digital side of their business.

This was back in 1999 and you have to remember that the online business models were quite different then compared to now. We worked really hard to come up with new ways to adapt the content to the digital world, which was a challenge. Google maps didn’t exist, smartphones weren’t actually that smart and people were still relying on printed maps when travelling by car. And I just loved the challenge and the reward it brought when we found new solutions on how to get people to convert. So, I stayed there for five years before moving to China with my family. And that’s when I first joined Pernod Ricard and that I have been a part of ever since.

You’ve had quite a long international career, having – as you mentioned – been posted in China and in Paris previously. And now you’re based here in Stockholm since a few years: what has been the most fun and challenging in your career so far?

You’ve had quite a long international career, having – as you mentioned – been posted in China and in Paris previously. And now you’re based here in Stockholm since a few years: what has been the most fun and challenging in your career so far?

– When I moved to China with my husband, who got a job there, I immediately started to look for a job. I had the chance to get an initial short-term marketing mission at Pernod Ricard in China. This was my first time in the spirits business and just from the start, I was super fascinated by how much of the marketing of alcohol has to do with sociology and culture. Usage and attitudes towards alcohol are very different in China and in France, of course. Food and drinks are such an important part of our respective cultures – not only what you eat and drink, but also the way to do it, and the meaning behind theses traditions. In China, what you buy offers you a possibility to express something about yourself to a much greater extent than in France – at least when it comes to Western spirits. And to get into this mindset and understand this culture was a bit of a challenge for me at the beginning.

What’s most important to you in your job?

– To find a true meaning every day. And by that, I don’t mean a new one every day. But I think that you have to go to work every day knowing what you do and why you do it. We’re here to develop the company and the brands in our portfolio, but the responsibility we put behind this work is almost idealistic. And that’s important to me. Being part of The Absolut Company, as an example, to me also means that I’m part of something that is bigger than just me. And this makes me proud of what I do. Without that, I wouldn’t feel as motivated. 

At The Absolut Company, a lot of effort is put into elevating and supporting the Swedish food sector as a whole. What’s your outside perspective on the current status of the Swedish cuisine?

– I honestly have to say that I very much like the Swedish culinary scene. All-together, living in Sweden has so far been nothing but a great experience. And, believe it or not, I actually still haven’t had any really bad food experiences. I’m a bit surprised about the high level of Swedish chefs and food and I’ve had many great food experiences. I’m not an outspoken vegetarian, but I don’t have a big taste for meat. Sweden is a country with fantastic restaurants with amazing vegetarian options. There is being made some true effort to serve decent food that’s meat free. 

What has been the most challenging dish you’ve been served here in Sweden? Is it something from our own unique flavor palate, such as fermented herring (surströmming), licorice, caviar or kebabpizza?

– Neither of the above actually. I honestly have to say that I like Swedish “kaviar”, it’s great. I even have some at home. The same goes for licorice. It’s also found in France, mainly in sweets, but I recognize the taste and I like it. I have also started to discover excellent Swedish cheeses. I can’t comment on surströmming. It isn’t something I’ve dared to try yet, but it’s on my list. Perhaps not at the top, though.