Pour it Forward with the Most Unusual Gin.
Hendrick’s the bartender’s Gin that gives back.
People are going through a difficult period right now; however, we are gaining a sense of normality little by little. To say the least, the year 2020 was uncertain. COVID-19 has had various effects on people, but the pandemic has impacted us all in some way. As a result, marketers and advertisers had approached people with more outstanding care and considered how the message is presented to demonstrate sympathy for everyone is experiencing. The attitudes projected before the unexpected year were forced to be modified. There are numerous trends in advertising and marketing regarding how brands are selling themselves pre-pandemic and their changing aspects of the marketing landscape. Promoting their goodwill, making everything humorous, and assuring safety have been the ones that spoke to me the most.
According to Google Trends, the findings pointed to a drop in overall interest in alcohol but increased demand and a possible link to legislative changes. While the politics changed due to the environmental issues during the pandemic, Hendrick’s Gin approached the situation showing their goodwill and making it humorous. While the trends were pointing everywhere, Hendrick’s approach was to do more goodwill and purpose-driven campaigns.
Pour it Forward
The campaign is part of William Grant & Sons’ Stand Fast Campaign, launched in the United States in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. The Hendrick’s ambassador team will nominate members of the bartending community to produce and publish personal videos of their Hendrick’s Gin cocktails on social media as part of the Pour it Forward project.
The purpose was to share the recipe online and nominate another bartender to continue the cycle by increasing social media content. As an outcome, the Stand Fast Fund compensated each bartender who participated in the program. The Pour It Forward initiative had the goal of assisting nearly 100 bartenders across the United States. “Unusual circumstances call for unusual deeds; in these times, we need more caring and sharing,” Vance Henderson, Hendrick’s Gin’s US ambassador, said.
Grow Your Own Cuke
Pour it Foward campaign was the most commercialized by the brand, but the support that Hendrick’s Gin has given the community has been incredible. While supporting and giving back to bartenders that supported the brand through the years, Hendrick’s supported and initiated other campaigns. Their campaigns were also to give back to essential and frontline workers during the Covid-19 outbreak. The strategy here was to help as well to increase their social media and customer experience.
So, what was the other campaign? The Hendrick’s Grow Your Own Cuke campaign where bartenders were encouraged to participate in another fundraising challenge themed on Hendrick’s Gin’s signature garnish, the cucumber. The beneficiaries of this campaign were the Drinks Trust, a hospitality sector group that assisted thousands of industry workers during the Covid-19 outbreak. The Scottish gin brand invited over 150 beverage industry professionals to participate in its cucumber-growing campaign, promising to donate for each sprout, bloom, and cucumber grown.
Taking A Stand
Taking a stand on where do we stand as marketers sometimes cannot be easy. Saying the wrong thing or supporting a bad campaign could be dangerous. We saw excellent examples of wrong and correct ways to react and show support during the pandemic. I believe that Hendrick’s did their share of goodwill and had a perfect way of approaching it. However, of their many initiatives and fundraisers, the global situation has not ended, even if we want to put it behind us. While the company and parent brand initially showed their support to those who had supported them through their history, bartenders, also helped those who directly supported the frontline.
While I, as a marketer, would show a more direct approach, I would also promote the fundraisers that were taking place. Most of the consumers were not aware of the standings the brand took. These initiatives could create loyalty and convert competitors’ brands to Hendrick’s gin drinkers. For example, brands as Bacardi used this time of uncertainty to help those in need and promoted their brand Bombay Gin through their goodwill.
Bacardi initiated a company-wide “boost your spirits” program to offer $3 million to bar and restaurant workers who lost their jobs due to the pandemic. He also stated that there had been a “significant” increase in the number of persons purchasing drinks for home use by taking advantage of the shift in behavior and lockdowns.
Moonbathing with Hendrick’s
Following the epidemic, consumer remarks on sustainability, social, environmental issues, supply chain security, and International Labor Standards will continue. Along with consumer loyalty has been decreasing due to the same topic of sustainability. Customer experience and digital content are here to stay and keep being one of the main important factors for a brand.
Companies and brand reputations have always been critical, and negative headlines did not necessarily equal the end of their business. Now, more than ever, a post-pandemic reputation is more important. Consumers nowadays want to know that the company they choose contributes to giving something back to the world. People have become more socially conscious in some ways and feel compelled to buy more rapidly from a company assisting others in their time of need. I believe we, as a community and as marketers, can do better.
So, what has Hendrick’s done to keep brand loyalty and engage customers by making their experience more pleasant? According to Forbes, the brand launched a new gin to “help us forget about 2020.” A limited-edition gin inspired by the moon, entitled “Lunar.” It’s also offered the first full moon of the year, a virtual “moon bathing ritual” to help us all forget about the dreadful year that was 2020 to “embrace the New Year and leave behind the old.”
