One in four millennials want spirit brands to become more innnovative in their marketing during COVID-19 and provide virtual fun during lockdown.
A study by Berlin Cameron, in partnership with research firm Perksy, found more than 25% of respondents would like brands to bring the bar experience to them in a virtual format.
Some brands are already testing the waters on virtual experiences.
In China, e-commerce platform JD has launched live nightlife entertainment online in order to boost drinks sales.
The live-streaming campaign “Online-Clubbing” (pictured main) has teamed up with Chinese record label Taihe Music Group and multiple international drinks companies, such as Budweiser, Rémy Martin, Carlsberg and Pernod Ricard.
Every week, JD invites musicians and DJs from Taihe to hold a three-hour live music show on JD Live, the live-streaming e-commerce section of the platform, and encourage viewers to purchase drinks at the same time as if they were in a nightclub.
During one of the live shows, the sales of imported liquor from a single partner brand increased by 70%, and sales of its whiskey products increased eight times compared with the same period on the day before.
In another session, beer sales increased by 40% compared with the same period of the day before.
Meanwhile, William Grant & Sons has opened 1887 Virtual Bar in Singapore, to support the bartending scene and provide virtual fun for locals.
Named after the year WG&S was founded, the platform will feature weekly guest shifts on Zoom, hosted by local bars and bartenders, accompanied by the regional brand ambassadors of Hendrick’s Gin and Glenfiddich.
Patrons of the bar can pledge to purchasing a digital cocktail from its featured menu – each bar will list four drinks – that can be redeemed from the bar once it resumes operations. William Grant & Sons will also match ‘donations’ dollar-for-dollar (up to $1000 a bar).
In Japan, brewer Japandemic Co organised a party via Zoom, with the company delivering its DD4D craft beer to the participants before the event.
According to Japan Times, the party was awkward at first, “but as people talked about their favorite types of beer, conversation, laughter and drinks began to flow”.
“Everyone drinks the same beer and enjoys the same taste and flavour,” said Michibayashi, an office worker who has joined similar virtual parties with her friends and coworkers. “(Zoom) is an interesting tool for people who really love drinking to come together,” she said.
And in the UK, BrewDog has created a virtual pub called the Open Arms.
Dan Murphy’s launches Thursday Night Trivia
Even bottle shops are getting in on the act. Dan Murphy’s launched virtual Thursday Night Trivia last week.
More than 20,000 Aussies joined and 1500 actively participated in the inaugural virtual trivia night.
“Although all of us have to keep a social distance to our mates, this doesn’t apply online which is why we decided to try to keep the weekly ritual of pub trivia alive and get people together – virtually,” Dan Murphy’s Head of Marketing Utadi Murphy said.
Hosted by Melbourne-based comedian Ryan Coffey, the one-hour-long trivia night took place on Dan Murphy’s Facebook page. The competing 600 teams connected with each other through the communication platform of their choice – Google Hangouts, Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp etc – and assigned a team captain to submit the answers on behalf of the team.
“The fact that so many people participated in our first trivia night and for the whole hour shows how Aussies really value trivia nights, and that a bit of competition can help lift the spirit,” Murphy said.
The winning team in the inaugural pub quiz won six $50 vouchers to spend at Dan Murphy’s.
Murphy added that the retailer is planning on hosting the Thursday Trivia Nights until pubs are able to reopen.
“As soon as the doors to pubs reopen, we encourage our customers to go and have a drink and spend trivia night at their local pubs to support them and help them get back on their feet,” he said.
The second Thursday Night Trivia takes place this Thursday at 8pm AEST.
Brands need to communicate more than usual
According to Berlin Cameron’s data, which was the result of an online survey of more than 1250 people ages 21 to 35, nearly half of millennials think brands should continue their efforts during this time, and 36% believe brands should communicate more than usual.
Context is king, with half of those surveyed believing that brands should have a message about the current pandemic, instead of alluding to it euphemistically or not at all.
Lion recently launched a COVID-19 campaign to reinforce to consumers how to stay safe during the pandemic.
Joshua Lowcock, chief digital and global brand safety officer, UM, told Campaign Asia: “Advertisers need to be more self-aware of how and what they say in creative as much as where their ad appears. Advertising creative that is not appropriate to the moment (e.g., displays behaviors inconsistent with social distancing or lacks empathy) carries a brand safety risk. This requires bringing your creative agency into your brand safety conversations.
“The temptation to avoid terms such as “Coronavirus” and “COVID-19,” must be reviewed. “Coronavirus” and “COVID-19″ will be a part of our collective shared discourse for the foreseeable future. Every publisher is writing about this topic; because the impact is so deep and broad, the phrases are unavoidable. Brands can and will need to be part of this content and conversation.”
The Berlin Cameron survey also found that 50% of millennials think it makes sense for a spirits brand to champion small businesses, such as bars and restaurants, during the current crisis.
Australian suppliers have also been seeking ways to support the on-trade during the crisis.
For example, Spirits Platform has stepped up to lend a hand to some of the 689,800 out of work in the hospitality industry due to COVID-19. Local bartenders who have recently lost their jobs have been asked to create simple cocktail video tutorials called ‘Home Five O’Clock-tails’.
Bartenders are paid $250 for their approved video submission, which will be shared and promoted on the company’s Simply Cocktails Facebook page and on the bartender’s personal social channels.
This initiative allows consumers, most of whom are home-bound to try their hand at making some of their favourite cocktails they would normally enjoy in a bar. “Home Five O’Clock-tails” will see 100 cocktail ‘how to’ videos posted every weekday at 5pm over 100 days.
