By: Michelle Street Beaudette

In an industry where everyone from well-known celebrities to your next-door neighbor is creating an alcohol brand, knowing how to set yourself apart is extremely important. With over 10 years of experience in the beverage alcohol industry, I’ve been a trusted advisor to countless brands well before their product landed on the shelf in the US. I’ve witnessed brands with all types of backgrounds succeed… but what makes them stand out next to other bottles on the shelf?

MHW Ltd recently hosted a brand pitch competition at Bar Convent Berlin to give brands a chance to showcase their uniqueness as well as their strategy for entering the United States market. This got me thinking about what truly makes a brand stand out. Each of the three finalists succeeded in convincing our judges they deserved a shot at the grand prize, and after watching the competition, there were a few things to note that made these brands stand out more than others.

Today, consumers care more about the brand’s story and mission than they did in the past. With so many different brands to choose from, why not pick one that has a great story behind it? An article by Forbes explains how Gen Z shoppers are not only less likely to be brand loyalists, but they also are more inclined to make purchases based on their values. Younger generations care more about real-life and environmental impacts, including the brand’s manufacturing processes and sustainability efforts.

Being able to share your brand’s story eloquently is equally as important as having one. To be successful in pitching your brand to various audiences ranging from pitch competition judges to potential consumers, you need to be able to make your audience care about your brand as much as you do.

In addition to brand story, consumers care deeply about the quality of what’s both inside and outside of your bottle: the liquid and the packaging! When there are so many different products on the shelf, it is important to make yours physically stand out from the others. The packaging is oftentimes the first thing that draws the attention of consumers. It should link to the brand story to make it easy for consumers to learn about your product without having to do too much additional research.

High quality and good taste are also very important. Once a consumer tries your product, you want to make sure they purchase it, or continue to if they already have. The quality of the liquid will make consumers more likely to be loyal to your brand, although that alone won’t matter to all consumers since we’ve learned that younger generations don’t tend to be as loyal.

A brand’s story and mission should be highlighted through an effective marketing strategy, i.e. content marketing, public relations. Social media can be used to quickly share aspects of your story, while blogs are a great long-form content piece to tell the full story. Public relations can help you get your story in media publications to reach new audiences. MHW recently hosted PR professional, Laura Baddish, on The MHW Mark Podcast to explain the importance of PR, as well as how to get started.

I recently connected with Founder & CEO of Gay Water, Spencer Hoddeson, who I witnessed bring his innovative RTD product to life from concept to successful brand launch. When discussing his marketing vision for the brand, he shared “Our strategy at Gay Water is not to market products, but to create a mission-driven lifestyle brand that resonates with the consumer. Successful brands, agnostic of industry, humanize their brand and understand their audience. This is not different in the beverage space – the Liquid Deaths, Voodoo Rangers, and Poppis continue to grow because they’ve effectively used all the tools in their toolbelt – marketing, product design, packaging, collabs, merchandise and more to deeply engage the consumer. Gay Water’s launch was less about the product itself and more about creating something that stands for something and someone in the world.”

The winner of our BCB brand pitch competition, Campesino Rum, attributes the brand’s success not only to his story and mission, but also to hosting frequent in-store tastings in markets where the product is sold. Especially for new brands, this is the most effective strategy in showcasing their products directly with new customers. Liquid to lips is key!

Making your brand stand out is not easy. Every brand has a different strategy to do so. There’s not one correct path towards success, but brand story, product quality, and marketing strategy are just three important aspects to think about when creating your brand and figuring out how to best pitch it to others. Best of luck to you and your brand and stay tuned to find out when to enter MHW’s ‘Make Your Mark on the USA’ Brand Pitch Competition next year*! We can’t wait to see how you make your brand stand out.

*Although we’d love for every brand to enter, only brands who are not current clients of MHW are eligible to enter MHW’s ‘Make Your Mark on the USA’ Brand Pitch Competition. We appreciate your understanding.*