BUSINESS & BRANDS TRANSFORMATION & GROWTH
THE CHALLENGE:
A beer company wanted to do the impossible: conquer the world of high-end clubs – where sales of expensive liquor bottles is dominant.
We were called in to provide a strategy that would guide audience focus, branding, and design of bottle and on-site displays.
Research
We clubbed it. We teamed up to spend two weeks of evenings at high-end clubs in several locations in the US, observing dynamics, taking pictures and videos, talking with women and men – on the dancefloor, in VIP areas, at tables…
Insight
Ordering large bottles of liquor was essential to “owning” real estate in the club – and functioned as a beacon for men to attract women in the space. Beer was a poor substitute: it did not signify wealth or virility. But women knew something that men did not: beer bottles were much safer, as they could not be “spiked” as easily as other drinks could.
Strategy
We moved the target focus from men to women – from owning the bottle to owning the thumb on the bottle’s opening. Women knew what that meant: and that gave them permission to order a beer – especially one targeted at them with elegant bottle design, and lower levels of alcohol and fizziness.
Results
Our strategy led to the development and design of a premium, woman-centered and club-focused beer.