BRAND BUZZ W RI TT E N B Y DAVID S C H U EMA N N
THE CORE 4
SETTING THE FOUNDATION FOR YOUR SPIRITS BRAND L
aunching a new spirits brand, or repositioning an existing one, is a daunting undertaking, no matter your strategy, business plan, or budget. Establishing these “Core 4” expressions of your brand will provide the marketing cornerstones for your brand’s success. The Core 4 of your spirits brand are:
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BRAND STORY
Developing or refining your brand story is the first crucial step. Your story will establish your brand’s voice and essence. When done correctly, your story aligns your brand with your customer’s lifestyle and beliefs providing an emotional reward feedback loop that builds customer confidence and brand loyalty. Consumers interact with a brand that reflects their identity, which in turn validates their identity and drives them to continue to seek out the brand. They will seek out their preferred brand above all others and act as an ambassador, encouraging people to experience the brand. “Customers define themselves through the brands they use. The branded clothes they wear, the cars they drive, the drinks they consume, the university they attended, favorite spots to hang out, and so on.” 1
— Nyimpini Mabunda, Smirnoff Vodka Marketing Manager
1 https://medium.com/@alya_indira/the-rise-ofemotional-branding-exploring-the-role-of-emotionsin-consumer-brand-relationships-59e9c5358dda
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PACKAGING
Packaging is one of the most integral parts of your brand. In many ways, your packaging will be one of the primary ways you attract customers, by identifying with them through an aesthetic that visually tells your brand’s story and reassures them of the quality of your product. Exceptional packaging has three key benefits:
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ENCOURAGES TRIAL OF YOUR BRAND OVER OTHERS IN THE MARKETPLACE : According to Nielsen,2 the reason that 65% of customers are tempted to try new products is because of the packaging.
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REINFORCES THE QUALITY OF YOUR PRODUCT WHILE THEY ARE ENJOYING IT : We are all aware of this phenomenon in food. Restaurants carefully plate their dishes to be visually appealing to create a feast for your eyes before you even pick up a fork. The same is true for packaging and alcohol brands. Consumer testing has proven that consumers prefer the taste — and they judge a product as a more premium offering — when it is poured from a package they identify with and love and will dislike the exact same product when it comes from a package they don’t like.
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ASSISTS RECALL OF YOUR BRAND WHEN THEY ARE READY TO BUY AGAIN : Many of the visual cues that help your brand stand out on the shelf also help it stand out in the mind of the customer, helping them recall your brand when they are ready to buy again and when they want to recommend your brand to others.
Your packaging is the main expression of your brand and tangibly tied to your product. It is the component of your brand that interacts with the customer at the point of purchase. 2 https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nielseniq_did-you-know-that-65-of-consumerstry-activity-7310813733017042944-5GwU?
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