MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & Guides

MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & Guides

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MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & Guides
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Nailing your Drink Strategy
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Nailing your Drink Strategy

3 Reasons Why 99% of Brands Get It Wrong and How to Focus on a Simple Target Cocktail That Bartenders Wanna Use.

Chris Maffeo's avatar
Chris Maffeo
Apr 21, 2024
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MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & Guides
MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast & Guides
Nailing your Drink Strategy
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IDear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,

In this Guide, I want to discuss building a bottom-up target cocktail. Having a bunch of cocktails to play with in the early stage of brand development is crucial. There's a valuable lesson from the age-old adage: "Why reinvent the wheel when you can evolve it?"

Unfortunately, brand owners and managers get overexcited. They want to do something different from competitors. Instead of creating something that fixes an issue for consumers or bartenders, they create something they think is cool and stands out.

Why? Because they make it top-down in the office.

If they don’t create it themselves, they ask advertising agencies rather than relying on bartenders' expertise (or common sense).

Often, they copy what works on another brand. The issue is that most of the time, the brand trying to copy has no relevance to play in that area.

How often have you seen a random category playing with “spritz” or “and tonic” copying Aperol or the mighty Gin category?

They forget to focus on what makes their brand stand out from a Taste Profile perspective and what is more appropriate to their brand and category.

When creating a drink, most brands forget a simple rule about evolution rather than revolution.

Before we dive in, have a look at these Related Articles:

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In their goodwill to create something different, some brands overcomplicate. Instead of making life easier for those on the front lines, some brands inadvertently create confusion, but why doesn’t that work?

1. Bartenders want to create. Not being told to follow a recipe (unless it’s from Jerry Thomas).

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