Beverage Trade Network’s Post

Can "Quality" become a positioning element for the brand? : This was the question asked to me in one of the webinars in which I was one of the panelists. "An honest brand has a strong connection to a real product or service", I replied. So how do we use Quality as a branding tool? I continued with a narrative. The best example is Absolut vodka. People see Absolut as an advertising success but what people fail to notice is the powerful story behind it. Absolut story begins 400 years ago and every drop of it comes from Ahus, a medieval village in the wheat fields of southern Sweden. For your information, Ahus-Sweden is to Absolut vodka what Champagne is to champagne and cognac is to cognac region. Ahus is the vodka county; home to the very best. People contribute Absolut Vodka's success through its media campaign, strong imagery, associations with events, etc. But on the contrary, Absolut vodka marketing has focused on PR and editorial material in the newspapers. To stay updated on retail sector, subscribe to my weekly newsletter here (link in the comment section below)

WHAT'S THE BREAKOUT BRAND OF THE CENTURY? Like, which one is the most unlikely brand in one of the most challenging categories? I say Tito’s vodka. I mean, think about it: 🍊 It was only founded in 1997. Smirnoff was founded in, uh, 1864. 🍊 It’s from Austin — not a place known for its distilling prowess. 🍊 It’s a mature category. I mean, where is there really room to grow in plain vodka? 🍊 The packaging is super-basic, and the logo looks like it was made on an Apple Lisa. 🍊 The product is, by definition, a tasteless, odorless and colorless liquid. Virtually a commodity. 🍊 And yet! And yet! In 2019, it became the #1-selling vodka in the USA. HOW? Well, they didn’t do one thing right; they did a LOT of things right. It’s a killer story of the Four P’s: product, price, place, and promotion. (A story for another time….) (And, imo, they got lucky too. Which, tbh, is the secret ingredient to many a success story.) See, most mature categories are quite static. There’s very little change in market share month to month, and even year to year. So it’s A Big Deal to bust through the leaderboard of a big, established category. Especially one that nearly precludes innovation because — again — vodka is BY DEFINITION tasteless, odorless, and colorless. So if you ever need role models for growth (especially in CPG), make sure Tito's is on the list. And maybe at the top. _________________ 🍊 Subscribe to the Irregular News to ne'er miss a post at appliedbrandscience com/signup 🍊 Now taking select speaking engagements for winter

Lewis Hamilton didn’t win today’s F1 race but he is winning off the race track. Last week, it was announced that Pernod Ricard had acquired a minority stake in Lewis Hamilton’s non-alcoholic agave brand ALMAVE. Tequila has always been Lewis Hamilton’s drink of choice. But he wanted an alternative that allowed him to live a busy life without restraint. He quickly realized there was a gap in the market and joined forces with Casa Lumbre, a best-in-class Mexican spirits innovator, to create an authentic product that follows and respects the traditional process and craftsmanship of tequila in a non-alcoholic form. It led to the launch of ALMAVE in 2023, a non-alcoholic agave. Like tequila, Almave is made from the same raw materials in the same part of Mexico, but it skips the fermentation process, turning the liquid into alcohol. It allows drinkers to enjoy tequila’s fresh and distinct agave taste and character without alcohol. This also fits Hamilton’s lifestyle, as the Seven-Time Formula One™ World Champion can’t be drinking and driving. Last week, Pernod Ricard announced that it had acquired a minority stake in Almave, aiming to take the brand to “several markets” globally. Pernod Ricard is a worldwide leader in the spirits and wine industry. It blends traditional craftsmanship, state-of-the-art brand development, and global distribution technologies. Their portfolio includes Absolut vodka, Royal Salute, Jameson Irish whiskey, Havana Club rum, and many more. Hamilton said: “It’s exciting that Pernod Ricard has, today, become an official stakeholder in Almave, allowing us to unleash the potential of the next stage of our journey and help take Almave to even more people worldwide.” “Agave is a highly sought-after category worldwide,” Pernod Ricard chairman and CEO Alexandre Ricard said. “Having a non-alc proposition in our premium portfolio that pays full tribute to the craft and savoir-faire of its traditional distillation makes it a true gem. I’m very excited to see Pernod Ricard support the development and fulfill the true potential of Almave.” While Hamilton is nearing the end of his Formula One career, he is already embarking on new journeys. Besides launching his brands, he is also an investor in several other startups. Do you think he can win one more Formula One title at Ferrari?

WHAT'S THE BREAKOUT BRAND OF THE CENTURY? Like, which one is the most unlikely brand in one of the most challenging categories? I say Tito’s vodka. I mean, think about it: 🍊 It was only founded in 1997. Smirnoff was founded in, uh, 1864. 🍊 It’s from Austin — not a place known for its distilling prowess. 🍊 It’s a mature category. I mean, where is there really room to grow in plain vodka? 🍊 The packaging is super-basic, and the logo looks like it was made on an Apple Lisa. 🍊 The product is, by definition, a tasteless, odorless and colorless liquid. Virtually a commodity. 🍊 And yet! And yet! In 2019, it became the #1-selling vodka in the USA. HOW? Well, they didn’t do one thing right; they did a LOT of things right. It’s a killer story of the Four P’s: product, price, place, and promotion. (A story for another time….) (And, imo, they got lucky too. Which, tbh, is the secret ingredient to many a success story.) See, most mature categories are quite static. There’s very little change in market share month to month, and even year to year. So it’s A Big Deal to bust through the leaderboard of a big, established category. Especially one that nearly precludes innovation because — again — vodka is BY DEFINITION tasteless, odorless, and colorless. So if you ever need role models for growth (especially in CPG), make sure Tito's is on the list. And maybe at the top. _________________ 🍊 Subscribe to the Irregular News to ne'er miss a post at appliedbrandscience com/signup 🍊 Now taking select speaking engagements for winter

kindly be acquainted regarding this update

Nice dive into the massive success Campari has had marketing Aperol. Here is an excerpt: "The Campari Group, who started making their namesake crimson apéritif back in 1860, took notice of Aperol’s success, acquiring the brand in 2003. From there, the liqueur giant ran alcohol marketing 101 with one goal: make Aperol Spritz cool. Selling summer Aperol’s renaissance, which contributed €704M ($764M) in revenue to Campari Group last year, was no accident. After bringing the drink to bars in modish Milan — presenting it in a stylish glass that gave the Spritz visibility amongst Italy’s fashionable youth, not least because of the drink’s vivid color — Campari began a global push for the brand. Cropping up at events in New York and Palm Springs in the mid 2010s, Aperol-orange merchandising — including sunglasses and scooters — eventually became a fixture of major tickets like the Governors Ball. Ever since, Aperol has been seen at countless American summer parties, even sponsoring the US Open last year. It helps, of course, that the drink is about as “Instagrammable” as it gets. Every click of a camera taking a selfie and every clink of a bright-orange wine glass is music to Campari Group’s marketing department’s ears, who wanted to sell Aperol as “sunshine in a glass”. #marketing101 #marketingstrategy #campari #aperol

What if ketchup with vodka? Yes, this wired combination has been done by popular brands. Does anyone have the answer? Don't worry, read till the end; you will get to know. Some collaborations may appear unconventional, but here they made it in the right way to connect people with the most connected products of ketchup and vodka. Most of the ketchup are used during party time, and ofcourse, with the vodka. Combining these two products into the same, rising eyebrows prompting curiosity right. However, upon delving deeper into the motivations and strategies behind these partnerships, their logic and reasoning become apparent. At first glance, it may seem like an odd pairing, given the differences in their target audiences and brand identities. Do you know which brands created this collaboration? Still not. Here we go. Heinz X Absolute Vodka—yes, these two brands have made this collaboration. Let's see what the purpose of doing this unusual collaboration. First, to engage their audience in a different way, this is not the first unusual collaboration. Before, most brands had done this. E.g., Barbie and Balmain. To enter a new segment of the market. This will enhance a new market with unique ideas like this. This collaboration got a huge response in Western countries. Follow me to get notified about future brand campaigns and stories like this.      #heinz #absolutevodaka #collaboration #brandcollaboration #ztrategize #heinzxabsoultevodka

I love it when brands collaborate! Coca-Cola Oreos?! Does that work? … maybe not flying off the shelves, but they do make your head turn. I shared some thoughts with 👩🏻💻Mercedes Cardona at Brand Innovators about what makes a brand collaboration successful. Read up on some of the craziest duos, like Dunkin Donuts x Scrub Daddy and Liquid death x ELF. Full article in Comments: #brandcollaboration #ecommerce #marketingstrategy

My thoughts, as they develop, on Pernod Ricard's new recommended corporate strategy and how much the Seagram connection helps. #PernodRicard #BrandStrategy #Seagram #CorporateBrand #Diageo

What do George Clooney, Jay-Z, and Conor McGregor all have in common? Fame and fortune of course. But the real connection is that they all generated their true wealth from alcohol. George Clooney sold his tequila brand Casamigos to Diageo for $1 billion only four years after launching. Jay-Z sold his stake in cognac brand D’ussé to Bacardi for a whopping $750 million. Conor McGregor sold his stake in the whiskey brand Proper No. Twelve to Proximo Spirits for $600 million only three years after founding it. While they all have some level of exceptional talent that propelled them to stardom, it was their marketing skills that made them generational wealth. They successfully bottled their personalities utilizing the same marketing skills that got them famous in the first place to promote their liquor brands. And they won’t be the last celebrities to create generational wealth from liquor. In 2018, there were less than 40 celebrity liquor brands. Today there are over 500 celebrity liquor brands Celebrities want to align themselves with high-end products that symbolize quality, style, and sophistication - and that fit nicely with premium spirits. Celebrity liquor brands have mass appeal as those who are fans of the celebrity behind it will select their brand over the competitors. The Rock’s Teremana Tequila for example is the fastest-growing liquor brand ever and is currently valued at about $3.5 billion. What is your favorite celebrity liquor brand?