OCTOBER 2024 NO. 3
MEET CHAD
CHAD DWAYNE MASTERS
Position
Line Technician Manger
How long have you been at Western Son?
I’ve been here since September 2020
Core memory at Western Son
I love the “One team one dream” motto and the way they mold you to adapt to that.
Favorite Cocktail
I’m a simple guy–Prickly Pear and Sprite is my go to.
Fun Fact
I was a mechanic in the oilfield for 14 years before I came to Western Son, and I work on cars on the side outside of work.
Two New Regional Program Announcements this Season!
The On-Premise Regional team received great news with the addition of TWO new programs! Choctaw Casinos and Resorts just announced their new beverage program that will run from September 2024 through April 2025. Western Son Blueberry is mandated on ALL backbars across every outlet in all seven casinos. We also landed a cocktail on the menu at Tuklo Grill at their Hotchatown location featuring Western Son Strawberry! Additionally, Hal Smith Restaurants with headquarters in Oklahoma City, and multiple concepts such as Charleston’s, Toby Keith’s Bar & Grill, and several others just announced phase one of their new beverage program with Western Son Blueberry and Prickly Pear mandated on all backbars at 40 locations across Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Indiana and Nebraska! Phase two will happen later in Q4 where we hope to see a few specialty cocktails on the core menus.
New Account Activation Popping Up in South Carolina!
A new retail account has been activated in Irmo, South Carolina. Will Staley introduced The Bottle Shop to Western Son, and things took off from there. The store’s opening order was an impressive 32 cases with a reorder in the first 30 days. At first, the management team at Bottle Shop was only interested in the flavors presented, but it didn’t take long to see that adding Western Son Original to the shelf set was a win-win for both the consumer and their bottom-line.
During a recent follow-up visit, the owner commented on how several of his loyal Tito’s customers were pleasantly surprised with the quality given the less expensive price. To help keep the momentum going, sampling demos have been scheduled for multiple weekends as a way to build the relationship with both the retailer and the consumer.
IN THE WILD
Western Son Social Series – Austin Edition!
The Western Son Social Series made its 2nd stop in Austin, bringing all the buzz to The Long Goodbye. The event captured the Austin vibe perfectly with over 100 guests in attendance. This event took Western Son’s creativity to the next level with a fun activation that included airbrush tattoos (yes, a Western Son logo was available!), a local DJ, branded Jenga, and delicious street tacos. The cocktails were flowing with 4 uniquely crafted recipes featuring Western Son Blueberry, Cucumber, Peach and Lemon. Each cocktail highlighted the versatility and fresh flavors Western Son is known for. Guests loved the outdoor setting, and the weather could not have been more perfect.
A highlight from the partnership was The Long Goodbye’s addition of the “Peach-sicle” featuring Western Son Peach that is now part of their official cocktail lineup. This frozen delight is now featured on gamedays and quickly becoming a fan favorite!
The 2nd stop in the social series is part of our continued effort to create fun and memorable consumer experiences that keep Western Son top of mind with every sip! See you at our next stop in Houston!
IN THE WILD
Cocktails & Colleges with Mizzen & Main
We recently teamed up with Mizzen & Main for a series of retail pop-up activations to celebrate college family weekends for the fall! Western Son made appearances at the Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, and Dallas locations, helping launch Mizzen & Main’s newest collegiate collection.
Each event featured mascot-themed cocktails that were a hit with both parents and alumni. Some of our favorites were “Pony Up!” for SMU, “The Riff Ram” for TCU, and “Boomer Sooner” for OU. Brand Ambassadors handed out custom recipes cards so guests can keep the fun going at home. These pop-up activations are a great way to bring the Western Son spirit to new audiences while partnering a fantastic local brand!
LATEST & GREATEST
Our First OktoberWest Was a Success in September!
Western Son kicked off the fall season in a big way with our first-ever OktoberWest concert at our Distillery in Pilot Point. The event brought over 500 guests together for a night to remember under the Texas stars. With live performances from Keller Cox, Graycie York, and The Cory Morrow Band, the crowd enjoyed a fantastic lineup on the big stage.
Months of preparation paid off as multiple departments came together to make this celebration happen. We served more than 1,600 cocktails, thanks to our outstanding bar team.
Guests enjoyed four featured cocktails, including Strawberry Fields Lemonade, Water from OktoberWest, Blueberry Cobbler Fizz, and the Just Peachy Basil Mule.
Western Son merch and bottles flew off the shelves, with many guests snagging our limited-edition OktoberWest t-shirt. Two local food trucks kept everyone fed, adding to the festive atmosphere. It’s always a good time at the Western Son Distillery, we hope to see you all next year!
SOCIAL SHOWDOWN
Total Followers
26,809 (+5.9% vs. Q2)
Total Impressions in Q3
328,033 (+2.9% vs. Q2)
Engagement rate in Q3
1.8% (+0.4% vs. Q2)*
*Industry average is 1.2%
Social Collab:
Total Followers
47,863 (+275% vs. Q2)
Total Impressions in Q3
5,981,437 (+78.8% vs. Q2)
Engagement rate in Q3
0.5% (+100% vs. Q2)*
*Industry average is less than 0.27%
We’re feelin’ real peachy this season! This August, we teamed up with The Peach Truck for the ultimate summer giveaway—the winner received a box of delicious peaches, a gift card to purchase their favorite Western Son bottles, and of course, some Western Son merch. In addition to the partnership, we collaborated with @SweetLifeBake to create a beautiful reel to highlight the giveaway. The stats were impressive with over 500 likes, 600 comments, and more than 300 shares! This marks our second collaboration with The Peach Truck, and we’re excited to keep growing this fruitful partnership!
OPERATIONS
Did You Know?
For this issue’s Round-up, we thought it would be fun to share some facts on what goes on behind the scenes at our campuses in Pilot Point. Think about it from a consumer’s perspective - they experience the end result, a perfectly packaged Western Son bottle on the retail shelf. However, we all know that doesn’t happen magically and without a lot of hard work.
So, did you know?
• 10,000,000 caps are ordered for our bottles each year.
• 308,184 cases are hand packed by our employees throughout the year.
• 158,676 bottles of vodka get filled in a typical week.
• 15,561 gallons of vodka are produced each week at our production campus.
• 63 trucks come in and out of our distribution campus each week.
• 6 people are required on a manufacturing line to ensure accuracy and efficiency.
