As marketing people we need to be brand police. Brand police make sure that brands stay faithful to their positioning. For example, Single Barrel has been spending the last two years trying to convince YUMA’s (young upwardly mobile adults) that it is a credible alternative to the premium scotch and vodka they have been drinking. In fact, only recently they invited YUMA’s down to a super premium experience including Machel, Sushi and other great food plus some spectacular rum cocktails.
So when I saw this banner today I wondered where the Single Barrel brand police were. This banner is mounted on what we would call a rum shop, aka “hawk and spit”. It’s not where you want Single Barrel. To make matters worse, the banner is promoting soup. Talk about brand schizophrenia.
Everything you do with a brand affects it. We must therefore say “no” to anything that does not fit the brand. This takes discipline. And all brand managers must have a filtration system that keeps their brand honest. So next time a Rum Shop selling soup comes asking for a banner or anything for that matter, the Single Barrel brand manager should rum not walk. It’s a better fit for his Hard Wine peer.
