An uninspired audience

Bourbon is all the rage in the spirit category. But that doesn’t mean you can create a bourbon and people will come running to snatch it off the shelf. Bourbon drinkers are one of the most particular consumers around and they can sniff out a fraud a million miles away. David James was new, it was real, but no one knew who they were, and they didn’t have 200 years of history behind them to prove its worth. They were going to have to earn it.

Unexpected insights leading to original ideas

The good news is that through data driven research and good old fashion boots on the ground exploration, we knew bourbon audiences were expanding into categories. It was no longer a snooty sophisticated spirit. It had become diverse and thus, consumers were open to new flavor expressions. So while other brands touted sophistication, we promoted the “Uncommon Spirit” characteristics of the flavor profile to entice a new and expanding generation of bourbon aficionados. We knew we weren’t getting shelf space quickly so we embarked on a massive grass roots journey. A combination of social media, innovative word-of-mouth techniques, and captivating design pushed the brand forward.

The audience is inspired and is buying

Case sales went from hundreds to a few thousand a month stimulated by winning gold, double gold, and silver for their expressions at the San Franciso World Spirit’s competition – the most difficult show in the world to win.