We understood that the independent on-trade have traditionally been a difficult and hard-to-reach audience particularly for challenger brands. We needed to find a way of demonstrating the rapidly growing demand and growth of The Kraken Black Spiced Rum to this audience in order to encourage trial and repeat stocking. We understood that only 1 in 4 independent bars/pubs had stocked or did stock The Kraken.

We also had a thorough understanding of the power and appeal of the brand, why it had been growing exponentially since it’s introduction in 2011. The consumer demand for the product was incredibly loyalist and this had contributed massively to its avid growth. We needed to marry the two together.

Create and develop an engagement platform that would intrinsically link both the independent on-trade and consumers through delivery of rich content, business support, incentivisation and exclusive offers and competitions.

By doing so we would reward both audiences for their ongoing advocacy and loyalty – helping to deliver demand and providing a vehicle that non-stockists could clearly see was beneficial to them. Offering not only reward for stocking and selling the product but by actively promoting it and on the other hand, helping to amplify the brand amongst consumers to push demand as well as pull it.

An engagement and communications platform with 10,000 members within 18 months – over 14,500 user sessions every month.

Contributing to a YoY increase in brand perception of 32% and a very significant increase in volume growth versus 2016. Plus, an overwhelming distribution growth in independent on-trade of vs.2016 well in excess of the forecast 50%.