Making brand history relevant

Making brand history relevant

Going beyond Nostalgia and Vintage aesthetics to tell your distillery's story to date...

As a drinks journalist, I've frequently observed brand histories being re-written and re-pitched to me as something else. If I’m honest, it’s infuriating to see revisionist history that favours a convenient narrative and the erasure of the real story. More so when it’s pitched back at you when you were there at the time, as if you didn’t know better.

But as a brand builder and drinks consultant – I get it. A brand’s history can become irrelevant to its current audience.

It’s important to move with the times and focus on the parts you want to take forward. Whether purists like me like it or not, the truth is that history can be (and often is) re-written.

The risk of irrelevance is very real in drinks brands. It's also very costly.

That said, it’s key to understand that the evolution of brand lore does not have to mean the eradication of it’s true history. They are not mutually exclusive concepts and with a bit of sensitivity, both can benefit.

Each time I see a well-executed refresh happen it’s a keen reminder that while heritage and legacy can be powerful assets, they are not immune to losing their lustre. It’s important to update how and what is being communicated every few years.

If you don’t, not only the brand becomes stale, but consumers also struggle to connect and the products end up losing their market differentiation. Ultimately, this means fewer sales.


How can you go about revitalising your distillery's history?

Creativity is key. The easiest way telling your brand's history and making it come alive through content marketing. Content can take many forms and it's possible to do something for all budgets if you are just willing to break it down.

Here are some inventive approaches to consider:

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Interactive Timelines

Develop an interactive, multimedia timeline on your website that allows users to explore your brand's history by clicking on key moments like installing the still, featuring images of the build, the first tastings etc.

If you have them, format videos and audio clips that tell the story in order to make it multi-media. It’s a really simple idea but helps convey information in an interactive and engaging way.

Campari's Timeline above shows that curation is as important as interactivity. Hundreds of years are summed up in short bursts and a dozen images - you don't need massive archives to do it well, just a sharp eye for which details matter.

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Behind-the-Scenes Access

Offer exclusive behind-the-scenes content, such as photos, videos, or articles that reveal the inner workings of your distillery and how they have shaped present-day operations. If you are stuck for ideas, think about it from the perspective of an all access visitor experience and your guest was someone like a curious drinks journo that just wants to know everything.

The best examples of this are less focussed on how things work and more about what you’ve done with it.

For example, explaining how your milling machine creates grist is okay, but the anecdote about figuring it all when you started and the time you had to unclog the pipes as you got the wrong ratios (yes, we’ve all been there) is better.

The photo above is of Barney's hands, following a long raspberry picking and sorting day at Capreolus Distillery, ahead of making their Eau De Vie. What i love about it is that it shows that BTS access isn't always about candid and raw images.

It can be beautiful so long as it's authentic and when done well, the images will tell a thousand stories your words couldn't ever do justice to.

Documentary-style videos

Building on the idea of BTS access, why not produce short documentary-style videos that offer an inside look at your brand's history, featuring interviews with founders, employees, and industry experts?

Make each short so they are easily consumed on social media and make them answer questions centred around your brand's history. You could delve into various aspects such as the origin story, production processes, and memorable anecdotes.

Again, make it personal and make sure the aesthetic and tone of voice match who you are currently, not what you were once upon a time.

Storytelling Series

If video format is too much, too expensive or just too scary an idea - why not create a series of blog posts that dive into different aspects of your brand's history, showcasing its milestones, challenges, and successes.

It's a simple but effective way of putting your story out there. Remember to be honest and be personal.

Taking a serialised approach can keep readers engaged and looking forward to the next instalment. It's also an approach that makes for a good format to shorten into e-mail marketing content too.

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Anniversary Celebrations

Leverage milestone anniversaries to create marketing campaigns that honour your brand's history, offering limited edition products, promotional materials, and events to engage your audience and generate buzz.

Themed Events and digital tastings are great for this.

You may not want to talk about other brands (and you don’t need to), but a perfectly plucked ‘outsider’ can find ways to put your story into perspective – so think about involving guest speakers who can offer insights into your brand's journey and extra category context for drinkers.

Johnnie Walker famously unveiled multiple whiskies to celebrate their 200th anniversary and while most don't have those digits, the way they brought to life different aspects of the brand heritage, aesthetic and legacy is something we can all learn from and adapt to other spirits and brands.

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Long histories create long term value.

Good storytelling and keeping heritage alive is good for long term brand value, not just boosting the current rate of sale.

There is plenty of research that supports the idea that storytelling and heritage can positively impact brand value across industries.

Look at the brands, distilleries and kinds of spirits that have been acquired and invested in over the past year and the link is clear. Clear and concise histories that have evolved over time and still resonate today create long term value.

The findings and topics these papers delve into can easily be applied to the drinks industry and are worth looking into further if you have the time:

  1. Storytelling and Brand Value (here)
  2. Brand Heritage and Consumer Perception (here)
  3. Brand Heritage and Market Differentiation (here)

If you lean on heritage and nostalgia in your marketing, I’d love to know more about how you go about it and if it’s worked for you. Just drop a comment below!

Personally, I strongly believe that a brand with a rich history can leverage storytelling, influence consumer perceptions, further differentiate itself and enhance its overall value long term.

I also believe that engaging with the idea and making brand history relevant will also help increase sales right now, ensuring the possibility of a long history is something you will have to play with in future...


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