MEET CHRISTOPHER
CHRISTOPHER PLUMLEY
Position
Market Manager, Austin.
How long have you been at Western Son?
Just over one year and two months.
Core memory at Western Son
My first meeting with everyone in Pilot Point and seeing how much of a sense of family everyone has. It’s a good feeling knowing everyone wants to succeed as a team!
Favorite cocktail
Western Watermelon “Margarita” on the rocks.
Fun Fact
I’m the outdoor type, and hunting and fishing are two of my favorite things to do with my family.
Western Son is BACK with Distro at Twin Liquors
After 2+ years of being removed from the chain, Western Son is back on the shelves effective June 1st with 2 priority SKUs: Original and Blueberry.
This is a true testament to persistence and never taking no for an answer. In sales, there is an acronym that is often used in the field - ABS (always be selling!) and that is EXACTLY what this team did! Twins Liquor is the 2nd largest chain in TX with 102 locations and ranks 3rd in volume. Original and Blueberry 750 mLs will be added to all Diamond and Platinum stores. These 48 locations are considered top tier stores within the chain and creates strong visibility for brands.
To help support this partnership, the brand will execute in-store sampling events to reintroduce the SKUs to customers, focusing on Austin and San Antonio. Our “liquid to lips” activation will be used as a test to gain additional distribution in all Twin’s other locations with the potential of more SKUs. Stay tuned!
ON-PREMISE
Blossoming Summer LTO Menu
Our partners at Native Grill & Wings are heating things up this summer as they launch FIVE brand new Western Son cocktails on their summer LTO menu!
Native Grill & Wings has 19 locations across Arizona and Texas, and this program is the first of its kind, featuring a seasonal menu across the chain.
This menu will also support their 45th Anniversary by offering the Western Son Vodka Cactus Blossom cocktail for only $4.50. With a celebration and price like that, it’s sure to drive some volume!
The LTO menu started in June and will run through August 11th. Program-to-date our volume is already trending in the right direction, depleting 30+ cases in the first 20 days!
IN THE WILD
BBQ + Country Music + Western Son
Western Son kicked off the Summer at the 2024 Troubadour Festival in College Station, TX!
This is our 4th year as the exclusive vodka partner. Over 6,000 attendees spent the day sampling 50 of the best BBQ joints across Texas and listening to the sounds of Pat Green, Travis Tritt, The Red Clay Strays, and many more!
The Western Son team spread the by love sampling our top 5 SKUs and handing out branded swag to attendees. As the exclusive vodka sponsor, there were two signature cocktails available for purchase throughout the grounds, including Western Son Original and Blueberry for those looking for something a little simpler. Almost 3,000 cocktails were sold in 1 day with Strawberry Fields being the fan favorite!
Next up, the Troubadour Festival will make its way to Celina on October 19th with Treaty Oak Revival and Shane Smith & The Saints as the headline acts!
Hope to see you there!
IN THE WILD
A New Partnership with Dallasites 101
We’ve recently kicked off a partnership with the Dallasites101 team to further drive brand awareness in our own backyard. With over 600K active followers on Instagram, the team posts daily content, shares new discoveries and highlights community and city news.
In addition to being the “go-to” for life in Dallas, they host weekly and monthly events at the city’s top restaurants, venues and bars with attendance ranging anywhere from 75-200 thirsty guests. As part of our partnership, we select 3 events per quarter to activate at and share the love of Western Son.
In Q2, we hosted a Taylor Swift themed night at Leela’s Wine Bar, a speed dating mixer at The Sandy Pickle and hosted a cocktail making class at Haywire. Each event featured a custom Western Son cocktail menu to purchase from and every attendee received a complimentary cocktail and Tour Pass for 2 to visit the distillery. This partnership is a great way to drive awareness for the brand and, at the same time, engage and unlock On-Premise accounts.
LATEST & GREATEST
Introducing a New
Series
The marketing team is excited to share the launch of the new Western Son Social Series. Over the past two years, we have engaged influencers through large-scale events, creating rich content allowing us to reach new audiences. These events have been instrumental in building ongoing relationships and maintaining our relevance.
However, shifting consumer behavior requires us to adapt. While influencer marketing remains crucial, we must also create unique, customer-facing experiences to drive connection and brand awareness.
With this in mind, we developed the Western Son Social Series, hosting three unforgettable events in Dallas, Austin, and Houston. These events go beyond tasting, focusing on creating share-worthy moments that become part of our consumers’ stories. Partnering with influencers who embody the Western Son spirit, we aim to amplify our reach.
We kicked off the series at the Upside West Village rooftop bar in Dallas on June 27th, with over 150 attendees enjoying custom cocktails, lite bites, photo ops, and music by DJ Zario Hope to see you at our next stop!
SOCIAL SHOWDOWN
Total Followers
25,334
Total Impressions in Q2
318,637 Engagement rate in Q2 1.9%*
*Industry average is 1.2%
Social Collab:
In April, we partnered with @brittanyroseblog to spotlight our Distillery and host an exclusive giveaway for a VIP Distillery tour experience. This collaboration proved to be a tremendous success, as the reel attracted over 108,000 views, was shared 4,400 times, and saved by 1,700 users on Instagram.
Total Followers
47,990
Total Impressions in Q2 3.3 million Engagement rate in Q2 0.25%*
*Industry average is less than 0.27%
OPERATIONS
A New Peer to Peer Program Is Launched
In Q2, the management team at the distillery launched a new “incentive” program driven by employees and their peers. The program was created as a way for employees to recognize and “reward” their peers for going above and beyond in their everyday jobs.
As employees are recognized, they are given incentive tickets that can be cashed in for various prizes – a bottle of Western Son, branded swag, Sonic gift card, or even an extra 10-minute break during their shift.
Even though this program is new, it has been a wild success with over 500 incentives being given to employees.
This program has boosted morale throughout the distillery and among peers, especially during the hot summer months!
OCTOBER 15 TH