What you lookin’ at? The Power of Image in Marketing
“Create your own visual style… let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others” Orson Welles
Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But most brands have worked hard at their image, provoking emotion and intrigue in their customers. When it comes to the glorious booze brands, image is of utmost importance.
Who do you want your market to be?
A lot of guides will ask you to think of your brand as a person but I prefer to look at it like a party. What kind of venue would be your background vibe? A cocktail bar, house party, a basement club? Who would be there? How old are they? What music are they listening to? These are the questions you should ask yourself. Instead of focusing on one person who represents your brand, get a few who complement each other.
We take a look at some of the brands which are champions of their image and images which work whilst walking the line of promoting responsible drinking.
Jose Cuervo
A pretty popular food and drink promotion on social right now. There are loads of POV recipe videos kicking about online and work well by immersing the customer in the post. These are simple to make with an easy video editor or you can make a SnapChat/Instagram story out of it then download. Lighting is key here, make sure you have plenty of it to hide the “hand-and-phone” shadow.
Eden Mill
Get involved! With a gin for Golf, a gin for Rugby, a gin for Hibernian FC and both a gin and a whisky for Celtic FC, this is a brand who know their market and diversify to them. Whilst this could be seen as a risky move to potentially alienate some die-hard fans of other teams we won’t mention, Eden Mill capitalise on fans of the sports and teams they have chosen (we should know, we built their ecommerce site ?). For the little guys out there, start small with local teams, charities or bars. Psst… If you know any golf, rugby, Hibs or Celtic fans who love gin then their next birthday present is pretty much sorted.
Victoria Gin
A small-batch distillery from Canada, these guys have their social images down. Mostly highly styled cocktails to make you salivate, the image quality here is website worthy. They also throw in the odd “Ginformation” post to educate you on gin facts. And the Smoked Salmon and Cheese garnish? We’re still debating over a yay or a nay.
Ilegal Mezcal
It used to be rule number one for brands to adopt a Swiss stance and avoid politics. But yesteryear is dead and buried. Just ask Ilegal Mezcal! It may only be 14 years old but already has an interesting history of smuggling, bribery and bootlegging. Whilst ultra-keen on knocking back a couple of drinks, they are heavily involved in supporting local charities. Through fundraising and sale of their notorious “Donald Eres Un Pendejo” merch, they have helped various organisations. Read more on their campaign here.
Having such a bold image and stance has given Ilegal Mezcal a cult underground following heavily influenced with music and art. Visually they have stuck to monotone for their website and most of their social images.
If you’re looking to brand up and find your own visual style, give our creatives a shout!
