How ambassadorship transformed a small company into a huge brand
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SocialSeed.c Ambassad ship TRANSFORMED MAKER’S MARK HOW
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Transcript of How ambassadorship transformed a small company into a huge brand
WHEN BILL SAMUELS FOUNDED MAKER’S MARK IN 1958, ALL OF THE CUSTOMERS LIVED IN OR AROUND
KENTUCKY, WHERE THE DISTILLERY WAS LOCATED.
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Kentucky
THE LOYAL GROUP OF BUYERS HAD LEARNED ABOUT THE NEW BOURBON FROM THEIR FRIENDS
AND THAT WAS THE WAY THEY LIKED IT.
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Friends
THE FOUNDER MANAGED TO GET TO KNOW PERSONALLY MOST OF HIS CUSTOMERS AND BY DOING SO, KEEP HIS LITTLE DISTILLERY AFLOAT FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
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MarketingMINIMUM
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Business
Problems
BUT AS
GREW
THE
BECAME BIGGERSocialSeeder.com
Kennedy BubbleTHE
BURSTED
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UNLIKE IN KENTUCKY WHERE THEY KNEW JUST ABOUT EVERY ONE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS BY NAME, THE BOURBON DISTILLER THEN HAD CUSTOMERS IN SUCH FARAWAY LANDS AS
CHICAGO, LOS ANGELES AND MIAMI - AND DIDN’T KNOW A SINGLE SOUL OUT THERE.
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WHILE HAVING COCKTAILS WITH A FRIEND ONE EVENING, SAMUELS’ SON WAS VENTING ABOUT HOW GREAT IT WAS TO HAVE ALL THIS NEW BUSINESS BUT THAT
SOMEHOW THE “IDEA” OF GETTING TO KNOW THEIR CUSTOMERS WAS GETTING LOST.
The EmbassySocialSeeder.com
HIS FRIEND ADVISED TO CREATE AN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM. USING AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY, MAKER’S MARK COULD ALLOW FAR-OFF BRAND FRIENDS TO CONNECT WITH THE PEOPLE AND THE PLACE WHO MAKE THEIR WHISKY.
THE COMPANY TOOK HIS ADVICE, AND A FEW YEARS LATER THE EMBASSY WAS LAUNCHED.
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WHY SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON ADVERTISING IF YOU COULD LET PEOPLE DO THE TALK FOR YOU?
AND SO THEY PUT THE CUSTOMER IN THE CENTRE OF THEIR ORGANIZATION, TRYING TO CONVERT EVERY
SINGLE BUYER INTO AN AMBASSADOR AND PLANNING THE ENTIRE MARKETING STRATEGY FROM THIS
AMBASSADOR PERSPECTIVE.SocialSeeder.com
THEY DIDN’T SEE AN AMBASSADOR AS AN ADD-ON TO THE MARKETING STRATEGY, THEY SAW THE AMBASSADOR AS THE STARTING POINT.
. Digital . Transformation
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OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS, THE BOURBON DISTILLERY HASN’T CHANGED ITS STRATEGY. ON THE CONTRARY, DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION MADE THE COMPANY SWITCH GEARS AND ENABLED THEM TO CONNECT WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS EVEN MORE.
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TODAY, PEOPLE CAN JOIN “THE OFFICIAL MAKER’S MARK’S EMBASSY” AND BECOME A TRUE BRAND AMBASSADOR BY SIGNING IN ON THEIR WEBSITE. WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT THE SIGN IN, IS THE WAY IN WHICH THE COMPANY IS CREATING A CURIOUS AND
PROUD FEELING. WHO WOULDN’T WANT TO HOLD A HIGHFALUTIN TITLE?
The Official Maker’s Mark’s Embassy
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The Official Maker’s Mark’s Embassy
BEING A MAKER’S MARK AMBASSADOR GIVES YOU BOTH ONLINE AND OFFLINE PRIVILEGES. ONCE YOU REGISTERED, AN AMBASSADOR’S KIT WITH A PERSONALIZED NOTE CARD AND A
STACK OF BUSINESS CARDS WITH YOUR NAME ON THEM IS BEING SENT TO YOUR HOME BY MAIL TO REMIND YOU OF YOUR AMBASSADORSHIP. THE NOTE IS SIGNED BY BILL SAMUELS JR.
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Personalization
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The Official Maker’s Mark’s Embassy
BEING A MAKER’S MARK AMBASSADOR GIVES YOU BOTH ONLINE AND OFFLINE PRIVILEGES. ONCE YOU REGISTERED, AN AMBASSADOR’S KIT WITH A PERSONALIZED NOTE CARD AND A
STACK OF BUSINESS CARDS WITH YOUR NAME ON THEM IS BEING SENT TO YOUR HOME BY MAIL TO REMIND YOU OF YOUR AMBASSADORSHIP. THE NOTE IS SIGNED BY BILL SAMUELS JR.
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BUT THE DISTILLERY IS DOING SO MUCH MORE TO KEEP THEIR AMBASSADORS WARM. -
WHEN SIGNING UP TO THE EMBASSY, NEW AMBASSADORS HAVE TO TYPE DOWN THEIR NAME, WHICH MAKER’S MARK THEN ENGRAVES ON A METAL PLATE AND ATTACHES TO THEIR ‘OWN’ BARREL. THE COMPANY EVEN TAKES A
PICTURE OF THE ACTUAL BARREL AND UPLOADS IT ONTO THE AMBASSADOR’S MEMBER PAGE. DURING THE YEARS OF THE AGING PROCESS, THE AMBASSADORS CAN CHECK IN ON THE PROGRESS OF THEIR ‘OWN’ BOURBON.
- WHEN YOUR BARREL REACHES MATURITY, YOU GET INFORMED AND INVITED OVER TO THE BREWERY TO PICK UP A
BOTTLE OF YOUR OWN, PERSONALIZED BOURBON WITH YOUR NAME ON IT.
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Ownership
TO MAKE SURE THE AMBASSADORS DON’T FORGET ABOUT MAKER’S MARK DURING THE YEARS OF WAITING, THE DISTILLERY COMMUNICATES WITH THE AMBASSADORS THROUGH A MOBILE APP.
THE ‘AMBASSADORS IN CHIEF’ SEND TEXTS MESSAGES TO THE AMBASSADORS, INVITE THEM TO SECRET EVENTS, GIVE THEM DISCOUNTS ON PRODUCTS OR GIVE THEM 101 LESSONS IN THE DISTILLING AND TASTING OF BOURBON. THE COMPANY EVEN SENDS A CHRISTMAS GIFT WITH A NOTE INCLUDED TO THEIR ADVOCATES EVERY YEAR. THE ONLY THING BILL ASKS FOR IN THE NOTE IS TO TAKE A PICTURE OF/WITH THE PRESENT AND POST IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
Mobile
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AND THAT’S THE ONLY THING BILL SAMUELS AND HIS SONS ASK FROM YOU. YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR THE ENGRAVED METAL PLATE NOR FOR YOUR PERSONALIZED BOTTLES OF FINE BOURBON. YOU DON’T HAVE TO LIKE
THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE OR RETWEET THE COMPANY’S TWEETS.
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Give Give Give
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MAKER’S MARK SOLELY RELIES ON THE POWER OF WORD OF MOUTH AND WHEN YOU GIVE MORE THAN YOU ASK, PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS TALK ABOUT YOU IN A POSITIVE WAY. EVEN PEOPLE WHO NEVER HAVE PURCHASED A MAKER’S MARK BOURBON BEFORE ARE BECOMING AMBASSADORS. IF IT ISN’T FOR THE SECRET EVENTS OR TO LEARN ABOUT THE AGING PROCESS OF BOURBON, IT’S BECAUSE OF THE CHRISTMAS GIFTS OR THE FREE PERSONALIZED BOURBON.
BUT GUESS WHAT BRAND POPS UP, TOP OF MIND, WHEN THIS NON-CUSTOMER EVER THINKS ABOUT GETTING HIMSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE A NEAT BOTTLE OF BOURBON? AND THINK ABOUT THE THOUSANDS OF TRUE AMBASSADORS WHO ARE CONVINCING THEIR BOURBON LOVING FRIENDS TO DRINK MAKER’S MARK.
