TOP RETAILERS

BY KYLE SWARTZ

The relaunch of OHLQ . com happened in the second half of last year . “ The goal for the new website was to be a full-scale source of support for sales and education for our stores ,” says Anne Dimmick , OHLQ director of retail and brand experience .

Among the biggest upgrades was a comprehensive search feature that allows consumers to track down bottles they want — or learn easily about new ones . Users of OHLQ . com can search for any spirit by category . On the product description page — in addition to pricing and other details — customers can easily figure out if any Ohio stores currently carry that item . An interactive map automatically loads and shows where exactly that item is in stock .

This convenient process happens with the ease of determining one ’ s destination on Waze or Google Maps . OHLQ upgraded its website with modern consumers in mind .

The product locator also allows OHLQ a level of creativity with special events . The agency recently selected 15 single barrels of Russell ’ s Reserve bourbon . To help hype the launch of this huge number of highly sought-after whiskey picks , OHLQ released one barrel in each of its five major markets in the week leading up to Father ’ s Day . That weekend , the other 10 barrels dropped in 50 different stores . Customers could follow along online , pinpointing each unique bottle through OHLQ . com .

Naturally , some products people search for will be out of stock . ( Not uncommon in our era of pandemic-hampered shipping and production .) Or , consumers may be interested in exploring similar-but-different items . That is why the product pages automatically populate a “ You May Also Like ” section , like on Amazon , with helpful , alternative suggestions .

Each page also offers cocktails that consumers could make with the searched-for product . Simply click on the drink photo for the full recipe and instructions — including links to other ingredients that someone may need to complete the cocktail .

“ We hired a nationally recognized bartender based in Ohio to create 150 cocktails and mocktails ,” Dimmick says . “ Twenty-five

percent of the cocktails on our site are mocktails , because responsibility is our core value .”

The website also offers alcohol-related news and helpful articles . An events calendar on OHLQ . com keeps consumers up to date with what the agency is doing . Altogether , the results of the project have been impressive . Since the relaunch , OHLQ . com has seen 1.9 million new users — a 90 % increase from the previous year .

In 2021 , OHLQ also focused on its Instagram profile , @ ohioliquor . “ We didn ’ t want it to be a duplicate of our Facebook , because the audience is a little different on Instagram ," says Kristen Castle , OHLQ director of brand and marketing strategy .

For a while , the agency was reposting from Facebook onto Instagram . Now , OHLQ snaps its own photos for Instagram , with different objectives for the content .

“ Facebook is for posting products , exclusives , launches . Instagram is more about users learning about spirits and spirits consumption ,” Castle says . “ Instagram lends itself primarily to beautiful photography . You can also talk a little differently on Instagram than on Facebook . Instagram is our happy place , if you will .”

For content , OHLQ posts about cocktails and recipes , and explores the production and distilleries behind the brands . “ We educate consumers about the processes , anything that encourages product and brand exploration ,” Castle explains . “ Mocktails are also a huge focus for us on Instagram .”

“ We also share resources about responsible consumption ,” she adds . “ We work closely with mental-health subject-matter experts to ensure that our content is appropriate . We ’ re very proud of that .”

www . beveragedynamics . com June 2022 • Beverage Dynamics 17