Winter Independent Retail Campaign

With the continuing restrictions to the on-trade and the knowledge that we were not feasibly going to be able to launch our full range of sales services until the spring, we decided to capitalize on the run-up to Christmas by running a 6-week independent retail campaign starting in November.  It was an opportunity to reconnect with our network of buyers and owners in the Off-Trade and to work with some brands we love in the process.

We approached 3 complementary brands which we thought would appeal to independents and set about creating a comprehensive database of key national indie retailers and their buyers, with a particular focus on London and the South East. We were thrilled to be able to work with the following:

el Rayo Tequila

el Rayo Tequila, a beautiful looking 100% Agave Tequila founded by two Peckham based friends who believed that the “T&T” or tequila and tonic can rival any  “G&T” and wanted to exploit what they believed to be a gap in the market where tequila is concerned. They were keen to create something which invited people into a category which can sometimes feel daunting to those who might have some unsavoury memories of tequila shots, lime and salt during their formative years. The branding is eye-catching and we knew the colourful, modern and bold look would be refreshing to the Indies we had identified.

Kinahan’s Irish Whiskey

The second brand we partnered with is Kinahan’s Irish Whiskey, a brand close to our hearts having previously worked with them before at Distributor Mangrove Brands. Kinahan’s are known to be a pioneer in Irish Whiskey having been founded in 1779 and having held two Royal Warrants. Bartenders favourite, Jerry Thomas, even referred to Kinahan’s as having been his “Irish Whiskey of Choice”.  Like many brands, they ceased to trade during the prohibition years but were then revived in 2014. We had two SKUs on our travels, their bread and butter “Small Batch” and their innovative KASK Series, a whiskey aged in a cask formed of five different wood types- Hungarian, American, French, Chesnut and Portuguese. It was a pleasure introducing the brand to the retailers who enjoyed seeing some innovation in this category.

Konik’s Tail Vodka

Finally, we were really happy to have the opportunity to work with Konik’s Tail Vodka, a brand we have long respected and one we have certainly enjoyed in many Martini’s at some of the best bars in London. Konik’s is a brand with an extraordinary story. It is the product of one man’s sheer determination to succeed. Having moved to London in the ’90s with barely two pennies to his name. Pleurat Shabani is now known to be a reference figure in the production of vodka and someone who commands a lot of respect within the category. The vodka is beautifully balanced and creamy, made using three grains, Rye, Spelt and Winter Grain. If you ask Pleurat to tell you his story, make sure you have a comfy chair and a Konik’s Tail Martini to hand…

Our plan was to visit at least 70 independent retailers in November, mainly in London and South East, but also venturing as far as Bristol and Birmingham.  We devised a rating system and a map of the most worthwhile places to visit and set about planning the weeks ahead.

Campaigns in challenging times

A spanner was thrown into the works two days before the start of the campaign in the form of the government’s announcement of Lockdown 2. We knew this was going to make it much more challenging visiting some of the planned areas and presenting in venues which were limiting customer numbers in store. Due to the new restrictions, we were unable to visit some of the Cities we had planned to stay overnight in such as Bristol, Bath and Birmingham.

Our visits over the following 4-6 weeks covered some of the leading retailers across the following regions; Kent, West Sussex, East Sussex, Surrey, London, Essex, Hampshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Hertfordshire & the Midlands. We racked up nearly 1,400 miles by car!

As we suspected, the Covid restrictions presented some key challenges; presenting while wearing a face mask was not something we had considered beforehand! Trying to smile with your eyes only visible is a skill we are still not sure we have mastered! Cold calling was a little less well-received than normal given that most shops were limiting numbers, and, in some cases, owners were not open to taking meetings at all.

Despite these setbacks, we comfortably achieved our target of reaching over 70 retailers (74) and far exceeded this in terms of calls, visiting some businesses 2/3 times in order to make sure we presented to the decision-maker or to move them through the Sales Cycle.

18 new Independent Retail customers

In terms of listings, we gained 18 new Independent Retail customers (including 2 larger independent retail groups) across the three brands and 2 new wholesale listings through the demand we created. We averaged a 25% success rate overall which we are delighted with considering the challenges created by the pandemic.

From the Brands Owner’s perspective, as well as gaining some listings, their product was presented in an expert and professional manner to a large number of prospective new buyers. Even if they did not purchase during the short campaign itself, buyers have been made aware of the brand and may purchase at some point in the future.

Marketing Rule of Seven – A prospective buyer needs to hear or see your marketing message at least seven times before they purchase!

From a Nightcap perspective, the campaign was thoroughly worthwhile. We increased our network within Independent Retail and developed a relationship with the buyers for future business. We are confident that had our campaign lasted longer, we would have converted many more of our visits to new customers for our brand partners.

Remember, shop local and help champion independent retail!