The best ideas – and rum – are stolen
By Cath Winks,
Kiwi startup Stolen Rum's product has been judged world class, and it’s got the requisite feel good back-story, but a cheeky guerrilla marketing campaign led by Pead PR hopes to put the brand name on everyone’s lips – including the spirit-making behemoth it’s competing with, Bacardi.
The
‘Stolen Rum Challenge,’ a parody of the “Pepsi Challenge”, utilised
social media, print, the old-school postal system and research agency, Perceptive,
which conducted a series of blind taste tests with Stolen White Rum
compared to the world leading white rum – Bacardi. The results were
that 61 percent of people preferred the taste of Stolen White Rum over the market leader.
This got the good folk at Stolen to thinking that maybe if Bacardi tasted like Stolen White Rum, more people might be tempted to drink white rum and Bacardi might sell more. And having more people drinking rum would be good for the industry and for rum in general. So the cheeky new kids on the rum block wrote a letter to Bacardi inviting them to steal their recipe. No strings attached, just rum love. Not to mention fantastic PR.
People can vote on whether or not they think Bacardi should take them up on their idea in Stolen’s Facebook poll. With a small marketing budget, Facebook is an important marketing channel for Stolen – it currently has 6,025 Facebook ‘likes’, which isn’t bad for little ol’ New Zealand.
This letter was sent to alcohol companies, retailers and distributors around the world, as well as the president, chief executive, and global marketing manager of Bacardi worldwide. A full page ad was also taken out in the Sunday Star Times. And direct marketing packs were sent out to media, influencers and bartenders, containing a mini Stolen Rum Challenge kit.
Pead PR is becoming increasingly well known for its brand-building campaigns, particularly in the booze realm. They were the PR behind Moa’s infamous French letter, a lovely postcard of the Rainbow Warrior with the Te Reo equivalent of “fuck off” written on the back, and were a big part of the success of 42 below when it first launched. That was so successful Bacardi eventually bought the company. Oh the ironing, as Bart Simpson would say.
This story originally appeared on StopPress.
Comments
Kaleb
Yes I suspect they are trying to play the 42 Below game.
But white rum isn't as scalable as Vodka however so I doubt they will be as successful.
Bacardi are prob grateful for the advertising Stolen are doing, if anything its reminding people to drink white rum which in turn will benefit Bacardi given the price is more accessible.
Also I felt the copy was lacking some finesse and the attitude of a real challenger brand.
Mike
@Kaleb - woah talk about cutting down a brand taking a chance, unfortunately a typical trait in NZ.
You may want to correct a few of your facts:
“But white rum isn't as scalable as Vodka however so I doubt they will be as successful. ” … umm actually white rum is absolutely as scalable as vodka - it's just distilled from sugar cane by-products not grain. Bacardi didn't become the most powerful alcohol brand globally selling vodka.
“…which in turn will benefit Bacardi given the price is more accessible” - err consumers don't buy products on price point alone (unless you shop at the Warehouse), but are willing to pay more for a product they like from brand they identify with. As a “Brand Strategist” you should probably know this. Geoff Ross successfully selling bottles of 42Below at a significant premium to 90% of vodka brands in the market proved this case and point.
I think it's a gutsy move, which will will put them on the radar of the bigger brands at least. Time will tell.
PL
@ Mike
In the interest of fact 'correctedness'….
“Bacardi didn't become the most powerful alcohol brand globally selling vodka”.
Bacardi is NOT the most powerful alcohol brand in the world, SMIRNOFF is. By Volume, Value and Brand Equity.
Vodka is the most Popular Spirit in the world, it is more favourable than Rum and therefore easier for a Vodka brand to get traction over a Rum brand - just as 42Below has. However, this doesn't mean Stolen won't create its own success story too.
I think you are right to defend the efforts of brands coming out of NZ and i suspect it was Kalebs intention to spark this debate.
Kaleb
Sorry Mike, didn’t realise you’d replied to this thread. Not a case of cutting down a NZ brand, more a case of being creatively critical. I want NZ brands to kick ass, otherwise I wouldn’t work in the industry. I thought this idea wasn’t that different to what I’d seen in the past. And being a challenger brand, this campaign wasn’t THAT challenging. It was cheeky.
Looking at the idea, we only need to reference New Coke to see the holes in the thinking. Blind taste tests are notorious for giving false positives. It’s what’s called sensation transference. Basically a drinker’s reaction to the beverage is affected by the packaging/brand. Their opinion of the beverage changes once they are made aware they have chosen (in this case) Pepsi over Coke.
Also I wasn’t saying consumers buy solely on price point, I was inferring that until Stolen Rum successfully establishes itself as a niche brand then consumers will continue to be swayed by price point, which inturn benefits Bacardi. I don’t have any data to substantiate this, but going on what I see in the market place, SR are in the process of building a loyal, niche following.
Looks like PL has straightened some of your facts about Bacardi. Guess that answers any questions you had over scalability.
If I’ve hit a nerve, I’m sorry mate. But flavour alone is not a strong enough point of difference and neither is a cheeky letter. Being on a brands radar is great, but being on a consumers shelf is better. My focus would be there.
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