Recently I made a trip a out west to Kentucky and Tennessee to visit a couple of whiskey distilleries that provide tours open to the public. It got me thinking how places like those go about determining their audience and how they reach them. I decided to focus on Maker’s Mark in particular.
First off I have to say that the tour was the most professional that we went on. The guide knew everything she was talking about and answered any questions we had. According to her, the reason their consumers keep buying from them is because they care about their product and take time to make sure each barrel of whisky is exactly the same. They are not about mass production and are instead about making the best whisky they can. I knew it had to go deeper then that though because you can’t reach an audience that way if they’ve never tried your product.
One way that Maker’s Mark is different from other whisky distilleries is that they appeal to those who are into the idea of going green. They recently installed a system that reduces there natural gas usage by 15-30 percent which you can read more about here. They also have their ambassador program which requires you to sign up to view the extra content on their website. You also get your name on a bronze plaque that goes on a barrel of whisky that you can purchase the whisky from after it ages.
Maker’s Mark also holds special events every year for their ambassadors where they invite them to come visit the distillery and they have a big social gathering on what is called Ambassador’s Day. On Ambassador’s Day, if your barrel of whisky has finished aging you are invited to come buy a bottle that you get to dip in the famous red wax yourself. This video will show you more of the events they have on Ambassador’s Day.
It’s things like this that keep their consumers coming back for more. Maker’s Mark seems to understand that just because you make one sale does not mean you make a lifetime customer. You have to do more for your consumer so they know you actually care about them.
1 response so far ↓
Leslie Carlson // March 12, 2009 at 5:22 pm |
That trip sounds really interesting, I’m glad you had fun. The Jack Daniel’s story is interesting to me. I wonder how long that county has been dry? I guess it is possible that JD has had its distillery there for years before the county went dry, became known for being located there, and therefore could not move successfully. I think their name is well-known enough that the lack of purchase possibilities on location probably does not hurt them.