The Marketing Mashbill

There's 101 magazines, newsletters, and websites that tell you how to run a distillery, but none of them tell you how to successfully market your distillery. With over 2300 distilleries, what will set yours apart? Further, how do you keep customers coming back? By following this newsletter, I'll show you how to effectively market your brand by turning distillery merchandise into a marketing engine.

Selling Spirits -vs- SELLING Spirits

You may have a decadent distillery, brilliant bottling, & scrumptious spirits, but have you put together your?MASHBILL?in terms of marketing? There's an enormous difference between merely trying to sell a product and selling your brand. Beyond the art of selling bottles, the true essence lies in marketing an unparalleled experience—one that feels unattainable elsewhere. You need to answer the question, "Why spend my money here, instead of the usual big-name brand I buy?" Take the concept of a theme park. There are really only two we think of when I say that, however, there's probably a Themepark in your state that's cheaper, closer and offers similar/better rides. Why do you think of the big-name park first? Because they have effortlessly sold you the idea that no other theme park can match the same experience it provides. It's time for your brand to similarly captivate discerning consumers, ensuring they choose an experience that transcends the ordinary.

Gift Shops: People Pay YOU to Market

I don't know about you, but I would love to be paid and have someone else do my job. Gift shops are your money-making allies, don't minimize your decor effort. Take a cue from Murlarkey Distillery in Virginia – their gift shop doesn't scream mundane; it resonates with the essence of their distillery. For example, after visiting Murlarkey Distillery in Virginia, their counters were adorned with barrels, bottles, flasks, glasses, you name it!

Now, let's talk about shirts. Sure, everyone buys them, but do shirts make someone think, "I need to visit that distillery!"? Probably not. Instead, you want to have a hook product. A hook product is something that is going to constantly associate drinking with your liquor. Murlarkey nailed it with engraved barrels –?their customers play the alchemist, creating their own aged elixir. They gave their customers the chance to create their own aged spirit. Result? A hooked customer who becomes your walking, talking advertisement, all while reveling in the delight of their personalized distillery journey. Boom, the customer is hooked, advertising for you, and selling your unique experience.

This is a lot of information to start with, I know. Hopefully, it sparks a new mindset on how to get your distillery to capitalize on these easy ideas to save your spirits. At the end of the day, I want to help you pave the way in marketing for distilleries and give you the tools you need to skyrocket the competition.

Next week, we will talk about some other cost-effective strategies,

such as unique outsourcing, to help your distillery flourish.

About the Author
Faith Housley is the Director of Multimedia Marketing at Thousand Oaks Barrel Co. In addition to her journey at Thousand Oaks, she is a Social Media Marketing business entrepreneur and influencer amassing over 3,000,000 followers across all platforms. Housley found her love for social media marketing through her advertising campaigns with brands such as Slim Jims, O'Reilly Autoparts, Pringles, and other household names. At Thousand Oaks, Housley aims to help distilleries market their spirits in this new age of marketing, and aid business owners to grasp all the tools they need to succeed.