Diageo boosted by marketing push

Drinks giant Diageo highlighted strong growth for its Scotch brands today after revealing it was on track to report an 8% rise in profitability.

The company behind the brands Guinness, Smirnoff and Baileys added that increased marketing had paid off in Europe, with sales for the region showing an improved trend over the past six months.

Chief executive Paul Walsh added that the group’s strong trading performance meant Diageo would meet guidance for 8% organic operating profit growth for the financial year, which runs to the end of this month.