<#040> 3 simple reasons why it's better to choose your target cocktail bottom-up (instead of reinventing the wheel).
Today, I want to discuss building a bottom-up target cocktail. Having a bunch of cocktails to play with in the early stage of brand development is crucial. There's a valuable lesson from the age-old adage: "Why reinvent the wheel when you can evolve it?"
Unfortunately, brand owners and managers get overexcited. They want to do something different from competitors. They create something that doesn't fix any issues for consumers or bartenders. Why? Because they make it top-down from the office. They ask the advertising agencies rather than relying on the expertise of bartenders. One of the most common pitfalls in the drinks industry is overcomplication. Instead of making life easier for those on the front lines, some brands inadvertently create confusion, but why?
1. Bartenders want to create. Not being told to follow a recipe.
Those are okay if they have proven to work, either old or modern classics. Not something told by someone they don't trust.
2. Consumers are often confused in cocktail bars.
How many times did you get lost reading a cocktail menu? People are likelier to choose something they already know, with a slight twist.
3. Creating your brand-new drink will cost money to establish.
How much money and years it took to launch cocktails like Margaritas or Negronis? Why not capitalize on someone else's investments? On top of this, if you create something innovative, you don't know if it will work. Build slow.
So, what's the alternative? It's simple: evolve rather than revolutionize. Don't burden your brand ambassadors and sales teams with putting in place complex cocktails.
