A Return to Relevancy

Challenge

Helping a leading alcohol brand regain cultural relevancy, distinctiveness and edge.

A leading, mainstream alcohol brand needed help to remain relevant in a world filled with new and niche players. To that end, we sought to understand the different associations that drinkers have with the brand (motivations, benefits, occasions, etc) to figure out which long standing equities could be reimagined for today, and which needed to be carefully navigated moving forward.

Approach

We conducted the largest research project this brand has ever done, digging into the challenge of understanding cultural relevancy from several angles. It was a significant strategic undertaking, taking a multi-step process to align on cultural trends and knowledge gaps on a global scale, including a powerful Implicit Associations Test with participants to understand their perceptions of the category, competitors, and brands. We then facilitated a series of in-depth focus groups within seven global markets that culminated in a highly strategic 2-day summit among brand leaders to shape the brand’s purpose and values.

Impact

This work enabled the brand to carve a path for how they could reclaim their cultural relevance and drive greater competitive advantage worldwide, aligning on a strategic vision and comms strategy to reinvigorate their cultural relevance while maintaining their iconic status as a leading brand in the alcohol space.