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Brand Building and Communications, Marketing and Sales

Tuaca Liqueur – A Secret Worth Uncovering

January 31, 2013 2 Comments

What happens when a great tasting product, but one that has been gathering dust on the shelf, tries to make it?

To tell the tale of this wannabe spirit, we need to start with its pronunciation. It’s Two-AH-Ka and it’s named for the two brothers-in-law that created it in 1938. Messrs. Tuoni and Canepa named it after themselves –TUACA, their combined names, get it? The liqueur is said to have come from a recipe dating back to Lorenzo de Medici and the Italian Renaissance. So they say.

I first encountered the brand during my Seagram days and, despite efforts to make it happen, the brand languished as only an orphan brand could at that company. According to Sam Ellias, who worked on the brand at one point, they tried everything to make it a contender – changed the package, reduced the alcohol (to minimize the harshness) and worked hard at developing mixed drinks using Tuaca. (My favorite was the hot apple pie, consisting of Tuaca and hot apple cider.) Nothing helped the brand catch on. Throughout the 80’s, 90’s and into the 21^st century, the brand, as they say, couldn’t get arrested.

Yet, there were pockets of strength including bartenders in different parts of the country. The poor little brand was kept a secret and hidden away. (Sob.)

Enter Brown Forman in 2004. The brand starts to grow a bit, but no real traction or spotlight to build a franchise among consumers. Still a stepchild.

I have a feeling that this is about to change.

Super Bowl Ads: Worth The Cost?

January 15, 2013 No Comments

Ad Age, Adweek and other business publications are pulsating with articles about Super Bowl ads. From the cost, to the worth, to the waste, everyone has an opinion. So, why not me?

Companies with deep pockets will ante up an average of $4 million for a 30 second spot. For some, the super bowl buys will be their entire advertising budget for the year.

In our own beloved booze business, we will see ads for Budweiser and Bud Light and I hope they’ll do better than in the past. (See Feb 8, 2011 posting) In addition, there will be ads for new products such as Budweiser Black Crown and Beck’s Sapphire. There may be as many as 3 30-second ads and 3 60-second ads. You do the math.

Aside from great seats at the game and Cheshire cat smiles from the ad agencies, are theses expenditures worth it?

According to a report from Kantar Media, far more viewers “remain riveted” to the tube, even during ads, than generally. (Really? I must be the exception.) Further, last years’ audience reach was reported to have been a record 111 million viewers.

Clearly, as a mass reach vehicle, there is nothing better than the Super Bowl. But is that all there is to advertising and brand building?

I came across a terrific article on the opinion page of Ad Age by Jonathan Salem Baskin, President of Baskin Associates. I don’t know him but his views on the Super Bowl are very similar to my own. But, he says it better.

Wacky Booze Ad That Just Might Work

October 24, 2012 No Comments

Drambuie Liqueur has been around for quite some time gathering dust in a very limited number of liquor cabinets. At best, consumers think of it as a drink their parents or grandparents enjoyed. At worst, few contemporary drinkers have never heard of it.

The brand is independently owned and sells in the 300,000 case range – close to 400,000 ten years ago. The signature and mainstay drink is still the Rusty Nail (one part Drambuie and one part scotch on the rocks). Although, the company has worked hard at contemporizing the drink choices and has also introduced upmarket line extensions based on the age of the scotch.

There is no question but that Drambuie has a unique taste that is, according to their website, “a unique blend of aged Scotch whisky with a secret combination of spices, heather honey and herbs.”

To address the brand’s image problems, the London ad agency, Sell! Sell! Has come up with a campaign called “A Taste of the Extraordinary.” According to Adweek, the “ad features all sorts of odd characters in a surreal and foreboding landscape.” The message seems to be that “Drambuie is the favored booze of those trapped in an existential hell from which there is no escape.”

Huh? It’s just booze folks.

Nevertheless, it’s a fun ad that’s just in time for Halloween. Unfortunately, it will run in Canada and the UK. Guess they don’t know how important Halloween is for US booze sales.

What’s your opinion of the ad?

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