Beverage Wholesaler Summer 2023 | Page 17

SPIRITS COMEBACK BRANDS

Source : The Beverage Information Group ' s 2023 Industry Overview Handbook ( p ) Preliminary

remind others to get checked .”

Rising Star Uncle Nearest is named for and directly benefits the ancestors of the first African American master distiller on record in the U . S . It ’ s also a Black-owned and woman-run company .

“ When [ consumers ] see we are also the fastest-growing and most successful Blackowned spirit brand , they are more than intrigued ,” says Katharine Jerkens , Chief Business Officer at Uncle Nearest . “ Top that off with the history of the namesake of our brand , and the story of how this brand was built , and you have consumers calling for it by name wherever they go .”

Elsewhere , as part of Broken Shed Vodka ' s annual Veteran ' s Day promotion , the brand partners with Help Our Military Heroes ( HOMH ), a nonprofit organization benefiting active-duty military and veterans .

“ Broken Shed Vodka donated $ 1 for every 750-ml . equivalent bottle purchased during the months of October and November by any on- or off-premise U . S . account to HOMH ,” Heins says . “ As a result , November 2022 was the second highest sales month in Broken Shed Vodka ' s history , largely due to the integrated HOMH initiative across Broken Shed ' s social channels , website , point of sale , enewsletter and more .”

DIGITAL DOMAIN A world that was already shifting online only hastened its digital transformation during the sheltering periods of the pandemic . More than ever , the internet informs our thoughts . Brands have plugged in .

Established Growth Brand Crown Royal Peach ’ s social content has “ exceptional performance on Instagram and Pinterest , surpassing program benchmarks by over 20 % and receiving strong organic engagement rates from consumers , further demonstrating the brand ’ s strong resonance with the at-home host ,” says Sophie Kelly , SVP Whiskeys , Diageo . This was a common refrain among Growth Brand Winners : digital equals growth . In the past year , Rising Star Mozart Chocolate Liqueur employed “ a strong focus on digital and print media in both trade and consumer worlds ,” says Jenny Manger , Marketing Director , Marussia Beverages USA . This included “ working with social influencers in the chocolate world and mixology world , gaining visibility and consumer awareness .” Many brands funneled advertising dollars into the digital arena . “ Pursuant to a successful 2022 test , we are investing heavily in digital marketing , in-

Established Growth

cluding paid and organic social media ,” says José Chao , President and CEO of Rising Star Coppa Cocktails .

At Southern Champion , producer of perennial Growth Brand winner Buzz- Ballz , “ Our team is always scouring social platforms like TikTok and podcasts for organic conversations about our product that we can use to foster relationships with creators ,” says Brady Bouldin , Brand Marketing Associate .

Don Julio worked with a large , diverse roster of influencers for the launch of their Rosado , through a campaign that encouraged consumers to take PTO : Party Time Off .

“ We created custom content with Lukas Gage , Lisa Rinna , Remi Bader , Rickey Thompson , Kim Lee , Tefi , Corporate Natalie and Nigel Sylvester ,” recounts Choi . “ The entire campaign was amplified with

Pursuant to a successful 2022 test , we are investing heavily in digital marketing , including paid and organic social media .

– José Chao , President and CEO of Rising Star Coppa Cocktails .

Summer 2023 • Beverage Wholesaler 17