#BrandManagerMonth: Building a whiskey brand that's #3xBetter
Helping the brand get there is Shaun Stemmett, brand manager for Tullamore D.E.W at the Really Great Brand Company (RGBC), and a new continent-wide campaign that aims to highlight why this Irish whiskey is #3XBetter.
The power of 3
Central to the #3XBetter campaign is the education of the consumer. Stemmett states that as more whiskey drinkers learn of the brand’s whiskey making process, they begin to realise why Tullamore D.E.W is one of the fastest growing Irish whiskeys globally.
“The power of 3 is core to its legendary whiskey making process. Firstly, Tullamore D.E.W is triple distilled to produce a whiskey of exceptional smoothness. Secondly, triple blended of all three types of Irish whiskey – golden grain, full-flavoured malt and rich pot – yields a whiskey of greater character complexity, and thirdly it is triple cask matured in three distinct cask types – traditional refill, ex-bourbon, and ex-sherry – to create unrivalled depth and balance of flavour.”
Multiplatform campaign
The multiplatform campaign, created by advertising agency Tribalfish, includes large format out-of-home media, digital, print as well as on- and off-trade promotions that demonstrate the unique ‘triple’ message.
Shakera Kaloo, creative director of Tribalfish Johannesburg, explains, “This single-minded, yet ballsy, message was then visually represented by the distinctive three finger hand gesture or ‘salute’ that brought the #3xBetter message to life across all media. We wanted to give Tullamore D.E.W. a unique narrative and a strong visual that was ownable, aspirational, educational and got people curious about what makes it #3xBetter than any other Irish whiskey.”
In the spirit of #BrandManagerMonth, Stemmett shares the thought-process behind the campaign and expands on the brand category’s potential in Africa.
In line with the #3XBetter campaign, describe the Tullamore D.E.W brand in three words…
1. Challenger
2. Ambitious
3. Grounded
Educating the customer about Tullamore D.E.W’s whiskey-making process seems key to the campaign. Do you think this concept of education is especially important when marketing a product of this nature?
It all depends on where a brand is in its life stage within a particular market. For us, although we are globally the world’s second largest Irish whiskey, it's critical at this stage in SA to establish the brand’s unique offering and provide premium whiskey drinkers with a rational reason to choose us.
The campaign includes out-of-home media as well as on- and off-trade activations. Why this combination?
We believe that out-of-home is a powerful medium for building brand image in SA. Also, brand trial (both on- and off-trade) at this life stage is critical and we're really lucky that the liquid sells itself, so why not allow people to try the product before they buy it? We've also invested quite heavily in digital and social media as a support medium to the ATL campaign that allows even greater targeting and reach.
Why do you believe Africa to be a key growth market in Irish whiskey?
In general, the local and broader African whiskey market has been on a positive trajectory for some time now, and is therefore attractive to global brands looking for new growth opportunities. Irish whiskey also benefits from having a really smooth taste profile, which seems to resonate with the taste preferences of both new and existing African whiskey drinkers, so we believe we are perfectly poised for market success.
What do you love most about the South African consumer?
Undoubtedly the diversity, which can at times be challenging but also lead to great opportunities for us as marketers.
What do you see currently as the main opportunities for Tullamore D.E.W’s brand sector?
I believe we are entering an exciting space where the whiskey consumer is becoming more confident, and is increasingly looking for alternative options to the expected whiskies consumed by their friends.
What’s on your wish list of brand objectives for 2017?
Further building on Tullamore D.E.W’s brand awareness and having more SA whisky drinkers consider us. Perhaps also, unofficially, letting our competitors know that we are serious about taking a larger share of the market.
What inspires you, personally?
My background is advertising so this may sound a little esoteric, but I'm inspired most when I see creative thought really move the needle, be it people's emotions, thinking or behaviour.
