Brand Positioning Archives - Drink With Your Eyes®

A Brand to Aspire to

March 30, 2026 by David Schuemann Leave a Comment

Published in the Winter 2026 issue of Artisan Spirits Magazine.

Great brands connect deeply with their consumer’s core beliefs and lifestyle. Aspirational brands take this one step further.

What is an Aspirational Brand?

Aspirational brands don’t just connect with their consumer’s lifestyle; they are the consumer’s lifestyle. They have a strong ethos and identity that customers adopt as a part of their own identity – so much so that many of these brands are often referred to as “cult … Continue reading

Packaging & the Lifecycle of Your Brand

August 31, 2023 by David Schuemann Leave a Comment

Published in the Fall 2023 issue of Artisan Spirits Magazine.

Packaging is one of the most integral parts of your brand.

It is your 24/7 salesperson that advocates for your product, so nailing your packaging design is crucial. It’s also not a set-it-and-forget-it feature only to be addressed when your packaging stops hitting the mark. Instead, your packaging should continually evolve over time to suit the changing and hopefully growing needs of your brand.

Here are some key milestones along … Continue reading

Your Brand & RTDs

July 19, 2023 by David Schuemann Leave a Comment

Published in the Summer 2023 issue of Artisan Spirits Magazine.

Does it make sense? Should you extend into RTDs? Here are some key considerations.

So, you’re looking to get into the ready-to-drink category, and you’re probably wondering where to begin. Maybe you have spirits aging in barrels and need to gain revenue while they mature. Maybe you’re ready to appeal to a different segment of the market. What should your design look like? Well, before you dive into branding, you … Continue reading

The Millennial Break Down

July 9, 2020 by David Schuemann Leave a Comment

Published in the Spring 2020 of Artisan Spirits Magazine.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Millennials are anyone born between 1981 and 1996. This massive segment of the population is now 83.1 million people or more than a quarter of the U.S. population and now larger than the baby boomer generation (75.4 million).

The youngest Millennials are in their early 20s, and the oldest are coming up on 40. Far from the assumed monolith of sameness, Millennials are instead comprised … Continue reading

Branded House vs House of Brands for Alcohol Beverage Branding

June 19, 2017 by David Schuemann Leave a Comment

For many start-up alcohol companies the question of whether to build a Branded House vs. House of Brands is a critical one to answer for their company and brand’s future success.

Whether you plan on launching just one product or dozens, considering your company’s strategy for brand architecture and how it will evolve over time is a critical first step to ensure your brand’s success and ultimately, its strength in the market.

The Branded House vs. House of Brands comparison … Continue reading

How to Write Market Positioning Statements for Alcohol Beverage Branding

May 27, 2015 by David Schuemann Leave a Comment

Published in the Fall 2018 issue of Artisan Spirits Magazine.

A good market positioning statement is crucial to successfully developing a new alcohol beverage brand or repositioning an existing one.

Before beginning a design project, I walk my clients through a comprehensive creative brief. A good portion of this brief is devoted to analyzing and visualizing the market positioning goals of the brand so that we can develop a design solution that is not only aesthetically beautiful, but … Continue reading