On Tap

FROM THE EDITORON TAP ON TAP

The global whiskey industry has evolved tremendously in recent years. Aside from the evident rise in consumer interest, a younger generation of whiskey drinkers has emerged, and women in particular have become a powerful, demanding force in the market. Consumers are more knowledgeable than ever, with a keen interest for exploration into the vast array of styles, production techniques, and history associated with whiskey.

At the forefront of these emerging trends lies an opportunity to raise the bar significantly and create a new standard as it relates to whiskey knowledge and education. There is no better time than the present for aspiring and established whiskey professionals to elevate their knowledge and level of expertise. Operators in the hospitality industry— including restaurants and bars with knowledgeable, confident and effective communicators on their team—will have a key advantage in the market. Holding a respected and globally recognized The Growing Need for Whiskey Education & Credible Certification Programs certification, together with the invaluable knowledge it brings, will not only become an expectation, but will soon be the new industry standard.

The Council of Whiskey Masters, a U.S. education and certification body for whisk(e) y expertise, was established to define and uphold an elevated set of standards among sommeliers and spirits professionals and to offer certifications in the field of whiskey that are equivalent to the well-established credentials in the world of wine.

The Council recently launched a fourlevel study and certification program, which includes: • Level 1: Certified Bourbon Specialist or Certified Scotch Specialist (focused tracks) • Level 2: Certified Whiskey Specialist (knowledge of all global whiskies) • Level 3: Master of Scotch • Level 4: Master of Whiskey

“Since our 2019 program launch, we have seen a tremendous amount of interest, with hundreds of students from more than 20 countries who have since enrolled and successfully passed the Level 1 Scotch and Bourbon designations,” says Jörn Kleinhans, Executive Director at The Council of Whiskey Masters. “It is evident that whiskey enthusiasts and professionals are seeking a viable and more organized path towards a credible whiskey qualification. Rigorous study and educational programs that meet this need are becoming increasingly relevant as individuals seek out new opportunities, which could ultimately lead to a progressive career path.”

Through a demanding course of selfstudy and examination, which can be taken from anywhere in the world, The Council of Whiskey Masters provides individuals with invaluable flexibility and convenience and an Advisory Board consisting of 25-plus of the most respected authorities in whiskey, the program’s credibility and success has so far proven to be unsurpassed. By Illandra Page, Program Director for the Council of Whiskey Masters WhiskeyMasters.org

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This bar’s campaign had an end goal of building an SMS list. The bar now sends offers to customers via SMS.

Why do most businesses fail when it comes to digital marketing? Is there some magic technique that big brands like Coca-Cola, Ketel One Vodka, and Chick-Fil-A have harnessed? Or is their marketing success just luck? Digital marketing is without a doubt the best way to reach customers, but why does it seem as if the financial cost of such a method will largely outweigh the gains?

If you have asked yourself these same questions, allow me to let you in on the secret to success. But first, we need to take a step back to examine what successful marketing looks like. All high-converting marketing campaigns have these three essential characteristics: creativity, visibility, and a call to action.

The first quality is creativity. The creative team envisions and designs the story that will be conveyed to customers. Customers subconsciously connect with certain content without really understanding why. Maybe the image is aesthetically pleasing, the tagline is memorable, or the topic is nostalgic and relatable. The purpose of the creative is to assess what the specific connection to the customer will be, thereby determining what emotions you wish the customer to feel. This is a key step that most businesses neglect.

To do this, you must promote the atmosphere. As a bar or restaurant, the images you post on your social media accounts should be used as a visual representation of how customers feel when they enter into the space and how they

enjoy eating and drinking at your establishment. The videos you post—yes, you should be posting videos—should help potential customers imagine your business in more detail. The images and videos create a visual and auditory connection to your brand. For example, an underground whisky bar might post a video of their unique, dimly lit, sexy silent atmosphere, which can attract customers looking for a more relaxed evening.

The content that you present matters. It helps people connect to your brand emotionally and physically. Great marketing helps create emotions that you want your customer to experience. Once that is articulated, the content needs to be distributed strategically.

Brilliant content is worthless without the second key component: visibility. The fastest and easiest way to ensure visibility is to pay to promote your content. Facebook and Instagram will only show your content to roughly 2% of your audience organically. Let’s say your business has 10,000 followers on Facebook or Instagram, and you post a promotion of a cocktail special. Of those 10,000, only 200 people will see that post. From that 200, only about 1.75% of those people will actually engage with the post. Therefore, that post will generate roughly 3.5 likes or comments. After all the hard work, that post seems like a waste of time, right? Wrong. That post has endless potential, but is not being presented wisely. Visibility needs to be purchased.

Obviously, you may not have the budget that Coca-Cola or Chick-Fil-A has at their disposal. So how do circulate your digital content and make your brand visible, but still not break the bank? Consistency and perseverance are the answers. We have all heard the fable “The Tortoise and The Hare,” in which Aesop implies that “slow and steady wins the race.” The same holds true in achieving greater visibility: Evenly distributed content spread out over a long period of time will allow more people to see and interact with your brand.

POLA Marketing’s best visibility advice is to not spend a large amount at one time, but rather to consistently spend what you can afford in order to strategically promote various content and specials over a longer period of time.

We have all experienced such overkill of advertisements by some companies that they make us roll our eyes. It may be annoying for the customer, but it is great visibility for the company. Ideally, you want people to know your brand so well that it provokes conversation because the best advertising you can do is the advertising that you don’t pay for. When people don’t have to see your brand or logo to spark a thought about you, you know you are heading in the right direction.

Here are three ways for bars and restaurants to achieve greater visibility.

Firstly, aside from social media, POLA Marketing suggests that you start using SMS marketing (text message marketing). SMS has extremely high open rates and allows customers to easily forward great offers to friends, family, or co-workers. We live in a world where people are addicted to their smartphones. Therefore, your company should take advantage of this technology to reach your target audience.

Secondly, email marketing is a tool for increasing visibility. Promotional emails have a reputation of being ignored, but people are not unsubscribing from them like they used to. Many think it’s easier to just delete those emails than go through the unsubscribing process. However, even as they are deleting, they are reading, which provides an opportunity.

POLA Marketing suggests that you start sending at least two emails a week to your customers. Your first email should be

It’s important to track data, but even more important to know how to use it.

teaching or showing your customer something of value. Maybe it’s how to make your signature cocktail or a recipe for an appetizer you used to have on the menu. A fun email that benefits the customer makes them more likely to open and read the second email—a promotion or special offer. The first draws them in, the second draws out their wallet.

The third way to obtain visibility is to do a giveaway on social media. For example, POLA Marketing recently did a “free cocktails for a year” giveaway for a bar/ restaurant that increased reservations and business by 30%. When what’s at stake is big and exciting, people of all ages are willing to enter into the contest. There is a high probability that your contest will go viral as people share the link to the giveaway with family and friends.

The last aspect of successful marketing is a call to action, which is what you want your potential customer to do. Do you want them to buy something? What is it? Or to go somewhere? Where exactly? The call to action must be clear and concise with no room for misinterpretation.

Without an easy-to-understand call to action, the customer ultimately will not engage with your business. If your goal is to get customers in your door, then tell them what time you’re open and where you are located. If you’re promoting a happy hour, be explicit about the timeframe, the specific happy hour deal, and your address. Add in a light-hearted push such as, “Very popular with locals, so get here early if you want a seat because we fill up fast!”

To utilize digital marketing effectively, implement these three strategies: creative content, visibility, and a clear call to action. This approach is sure to grow your company and expedite your profits and has worked wonders for all of our clients.

POLA Marketing guarantees cutting-edge services that provide creative, strategic, and holistic solutions to challenges specific to restaurants/bars. If you need help to rapidly transform your business, visit polamarketing. com or email your F&B account specialist austin@polamarketing.com. Your business is people-centered, it is time your marketing strategy is as well. View our ad on page 26.