Published in the Fall 2025 issue of Artisan Spirits Magazine.
Launching a new brand, or repositioning an existing brand, is a daunting undertaking, no matter your strategy, business plan, or budget. Establishing these “Core 4” expressions of your brand will provide the marketing cornerstones for your brand’s success.
The Core 4 of your brand:
1. Brand Story
Developing or refining your brand story is the first crucial step. Your story will establish your brand’s voice and the essence of your brand. When done correctly, your story aligns your brand with your customer’s lifestyle and beliefs; providing an emotional reward feedback loop that builds customer confidence and brand loyalty. Consumers interact with a brand that reflects their identity which in turn validates their identity and drives them to continue to seek out the brand. They will seek out their preferred brand above all others and act as an ambassador, encouraging people to experience the brand.
“Customers define themselves through the brands they use. The branded clothes they wear, the cars they drive, the drinks they consume, the university they attended, favorite spots to hang out, and so on.” Nyimpini Mabunda, Smirnoff Vodka Marketing Manager. (Medium)
2. Packaging
Packaging is one of the most integral parts of your brand. In many ways, your packaging will be one of the primary ways you attract customers, by identifying with them through an aesthetic that visually tells your brand’s story and reassures them of the quality of your product. Exceptional packaging has three key benefits:
- Encourages Trial of Your Brand Over Others in the Marketplace
According to Nielsen, the reason that 65% of customers are tempted to try new products is because of the packaging.
- Reinforces Quality of Your Product While They are Enjoying It
We are all aware of this phenomenon in food. Restaurants carefully plate their dishes to be visually appealing to create a feast for your eyes before you even pick up a fork. The same is true for packaging and alcohol brands. Consumer testing has proven that consumers will prefer the taste, and judge a product as a more premium offering, when it is poured from a package they identify with and love and dislike the exact same product when it comes from a package they don’t like.
- Assists Recall of Your Brand When They are Ready to Buy Again
Many of the visual cues that help your brand stand out on shelf also help it stand out in the mind of the customer, helping them recall your brand when they are ready to buy again and when they want to recommend your brand to others.
Your packaging is the main expression of your brand, is tangibly tied to your product, and is the component of your brand that is interacting with your customer at the point of purchase.
3. Website
While your package needs to stand out on a store shelf, your digital presence should be just as strong. It needs to be a continuation of your packaging and brand story as it will likely be one of the first ways a customer will discover your brand. According to a Provoke Insights consumer trends study, 66% of people engage with brands online, with the majority of the interactions happening with the brand’s website. The size and functionality of the site will depend on the needs of your brand and your budget. If you can’t swing a full website build, develop a single page landing page with a brand statement, your contact information, and a way to collect information from interested consumers to allow you to build an email marketing list.
Ideally, you will want to include a way to purchase your product directly through your website. How this is implemented will vary depending on the state from which you are selling your products. According to Statista, more than 75% of retail site traffic and about 66% of purchases came from mobile devices. Regardless of the size of your site, streamlining your path to purchase and mobile optimization should be top priorities for your website design.
4. Social Media
According to HubSpot, social media has become the primary way in which consumers discover new brands or brands that are new to them, with 63% of consumers intrinsically inclined to believe that what is posted on social media is authentic to the brand. It is imperative that you use this channel to continue to foster trust in your customers. Identify the key pillars of your brand story and abstain from posting anything that doesn’t fit within at least one of these pillars and this will help ensure that your message remains consistent. Social media is also an opportunity to get more personal with your audience – 63% of people value authentic posts vs. overly polished posts. This is the outlet to generate excitement about your brand before you have launched and provide a behind-the-scenes look into your brand.
Social media is a powerful sales tool. According to Sprout Social, 80% of consumers are influenced by social media to make impulsive purchases multiples times per year. This influence can come directly from the brand’s account or from other users creating reviews or posting comments.
Brands of all sizes can substantially increase their success rates at launch or when repositioning by focusing on the Core 4 expressions of the brand. Now more than ever, articulating a compelling brand story that connects with your consumer and then delivers on the brand promise through exceptional packaging, website, and social media is not merely an aesthetic exercise, but a commercial necessity.
- The Core 4 – Setting the Foundation for Your Brand - September 19, 2025
- The Rise of Low & No Alcohol Spirits: A $4 Billion Bandwagon - July 21, 2025
- The Private Label Opportunity and Bulk Spirits - March 25, 2025
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