Monday, July 24, 2017

Rums Dominate the Top 10 Spirits Brands on Social Media

     The use of the social media is a must, it provides a very precise way to target your specific audience.  It is probably the best way to connect with the largest number of people and get back quick response as to how effective your posting was.  I find it as a great encouragement to see that rums have dominated this top ten group. 
     Historically, mastering social media has been far from easy for the drinks industry, but when executed well, social media provides unparalleled opportunities for brands to engage with their target audience.  Thanks to increasingly sophisticated age targeting, several spirit brands have honed their online presence, recognizing its intrinsic value within a wider marketing strategy. Some have even opted to eliminate traditional advertising altogether and are leveraging the likes of YouTube, Pinterest, Snapchat and more to engage with fans, share content and generate brand awareness.
     The Business Spirits Team has evaluated brands’ presence, engagement, creativity and consistency on what are considered to be the most integral online platforms in 2017: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Brands were individually assessed on each platform, with a focus on global accounts rather than regional, where possible, with a final score awarded.   While regulatory challenges will always exist, by maximizing online presence, alcoholic drinks companies can best serve their customers, their brands and perhaps most importantly, their profits.
     Even though rum has four of the top ten, it does show that the group it is reaching for the most part is interested in the productions expressions. There were 4 runs, 2 gins, 1 scotch, 1 Cognac, and 1 apertif in the top ten spirits.
  • 10.   Malibu
  • 8.     Captain Morgan
  • 5.     Havana Club (Cuban)
  • 1.     Sailor Jerry

     These are the rums that are targeting the younger and less sophisticated palates, there are no premium spirits in the list.  I see this as an indication that the media people don’t believe that the older and more sophisticated palates don’t spend much time on social media.  I feel that this will change as more and more of us “old farts” use the social media regularly.