Respect the Kraken
Kraken Rum
I enjoy rum, dark ones in particular. They remind me of the days I spent as a pirate out at sea, but that was another life and another post entirely. The market for alcohol and spirits reminds me of an overcrowded bar–everyone leans in, shoulder-to-shoulder, thrusting their money into the air just to catch a moment of the bartender’s limited attention. Of course, in this metaphor, I’m the bartender and alcohol is waving around the money; I didn’t find it shocking when I saw the industry’s ad spend for magazines and television totals over $1 Billion US dollars annually. They all want to be the reason for my hangover, but is their money focused on the right way to reach me?
I say if you really want to stand out from your competition, focus on providing your physical product with the most compelling brand image possible. The marketing needs to be built into the product, they’re even writing books about this approach (http://www.bakedin.com/), and that’s the winning factor which I’ll attribute to the soon-to-be cult success of Kraken Rum.
I had never heard of Kraken Rum until it was posted on a favorite blog of mine, NOTCOT.org. Blown away. There are no words, but, seeing as you came here to read, I’ll try my best to carry on. Everything about this product has been thought out to the tiniest detail. The outside of the box, the wrapping paper for the contents, and the box contents themselves. Beyond the bottle there are nick-nacks which complement the brand’s clever back story, including: real Kraken Ink, a feathered quill, an authentic Kraken tooth discovered near St. Lucia, a poster displaying the scale of the Kraken, a book filled with Kraken Diagrams and historical accounts, a DVD of original movies explaining the legacy of the Kraken and Kraken Rum, and a correspondence signed by the “Thornton Cumberbatch, Noted Hoax Researcher.” It’s an incredible brand experience and you haven’t even tasted the rum yet.
The initial reaction of one NOTCOT commenter says it all, “I fear it will be impossible for me to ever consider my life complete without this product.” Has anyone ever said that about your brand? Do you want them to? Then listen. This wasn’t a matter of creating a product and then figuring out the selling message after the fact. Both messaging and design were integrated from the beginning of the product’s process and this is clear from the end result. Save your money on TV and print, focus on involving your agency in the beginning phases of your product development. Blow out your brand image with the kind of compelling imagery and collateral that makes me want to show it off to my friends. I want to be the proud owner of something and it’s your job to make me proud. Kraken Rum has accomplished all of the above, providing me a product that’s thoughtful and downright cool. So, with glass in hand, I raise a toast to the improvement of your brand, “here’s to ourselves, and hold your luff, plenty of prizes and plenty of duff.”
Photo Credit: jspad
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by melanieswong: New post on #tngg from Dylan Klymenko on Kraken Rum. http://bit.ly/3ImGgs #brands…
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[...] Respect tһе Kraken | Tһе Next Grеаt Generation [...]
All very nice and well-conceived marketing, but what about the actual product, the rum itself? Does it taste like anything—or does that even matter anymore in this day and age of artificially flavored grain alcohol? I think I will stick to my Mount Gay, Barbancourt, and Pusser’s, and leave the wrapping paper and squid teeth to those easily swayed by such trinkets. But don’t get me wrong: although I shake my head at the thriving gullibility of consumers, it means I’ll always have a job preying on it.
Well Paul, all I can tell you is that my loving husband slipped a bottle of the Kraken under the tree on christmas eve and from my first shot (on ice) it spoke to me as few rums ever have. Finished the last drop yesterday so here’s hoping that it wasn’t just a holiday specialty item at my local liquor store!
Great points, Paul. I think the most important factor here is that, good or bad, I *care* to find out what it tastes like. That’s a tough job to pull off given all the options available, but, it’s also the exact job of well-conceived marketing. Ultimately, if the product proves to be subpar, then the news will spread quickly (from myself included): flashy packaging, crap product.
Out of curiosity, what lead you to first try Mount Gay, Barbancourt, and Pusser’s? Were they recommended by a friend? Or were they sought out as something new in your own journey for pleasant rums?
This reminds me of Apple’s approach to sales. When you buy an iPod or a Macbook, you’re really buying into a carefully cultivated ecosystem of products designed to express a certain level of exclusivity. Everything is designed with this in mind – right down to the packaging and the retail experience.
Kraken is attempting the same trick. When you buy a bottle, they expect you to show it off to your friends – like the Heineken in Mad Men – and maybe even watch the DVD together. They’re going for that cool factor because then it becomes a topic for conversation, rather than just a drink.
My question is, do you think the added expenditure on knick-knacks like a quill and a tooth has a better effect than a Jameson bottle that comes with an inscribed flask, or a bottle of Baileys that comes with a couple of glasses?
All the tchotchkes aside, I think one must remember that it’s not only the brand image that drives consumer interest and engagement. In my opinion of booze, the brand image must translate into consumer image.
The Kraken story is great. Excellent post, Dylan – I think you make great points, and I would buy Kraken just for all the good stuff and to tell my buddies and biddies that I’ve got this awesome bottle of rum.
But, when I go to a bar, or when I’m stocking up on top-shelf for a party, I care about what others think about me. Call me vain, but the reason why I order a Belvedere on the rocks, shots of Patron, a neat Maker’s or Gay & Tonic, is because (a) they’re tasty, to tip my hat to Paul’s point above, but also because (b) I want people to see that I’m sophisticated, baller, alpha male and tasteful, respectively.
Kraken’s brand experience may take me on a hell of a journey, but I think the brand needs to consider how that manifests itself into the consumer’s image and mindset. Ok, I know why I would BUY a bottle of Kraken, but what would compel me to order it, serve it and drink it? What do you think?
In response to Matt, I think the quill and tooth are awesome, but the flask and glasses obviously add more value.
I think that it’s also a case where Bailey’s and Jameson have already established themselves as passion brands (Jameson, more than Bailey’s), and having a Jameson flask means much more than having a flask.
Kraken can get there – it’ll just need a few more years
Paul, beautiful post. This topic gets me REALLY excited.
Alcohol branding is fascinating – its one of those products where many times quality is second to brand and perception. Eugene hit the nail on the head – he may not even be able to taste a difference between Belvedere and Absolut, but the perception is EVERYTHING.
I was in a liquor store the other day and noticed this bottle (awesome) as I was taking pictures of beautifully branded Vodka bottles (doing a post on this soon). In fact, for most liquors (not all) I would stock my bar with the bottles I liked the most.. ones with interesting stories, attention to detail, and a strong brand that I feel would reflect who I am / who I want to be.
This is so much of a great branding exercise that two ad agencies have even gotten into it with their own product. Red Tettemer (Philly) created http://tubgin.com, and Quaker City Mercantile (formally Gyro, Philly) has a slew of alcohol brands, notably their newest is Root (http://bit.ly/1irRBY). Both created the brand story, and contracted out the actual production. Brilliant work.
Also, I did a video post on my blog about Bluecoat Gin (http://bit.ly/1XfKBR), which has a killer brand story around their gin. It’s my favorite and I don’t even like the taste (Rangpur holds that)!
For those of us who love creating brand stories, we also need to think about if this will effect the bottom line more long term than excellent product or heaving advertising. I think it will, but its up to us to prove it to everyone else.
Thanks for the great post on the subject Paul, love it!
- Seth Hosko
http://sethhosko.com
Seth, even though my name isn’t Paul, I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for your examples. I especially enjoyed the work on Root–the bottle pops from the display and speaks well its organic heritage, which I’m sure was their intent.
Oops! Sorry Dylan! I think I looked at your reply to Paul and hastily went with that. Thanks for correcting me.
If you love Kraken Rum and are looking to purchase go to our facebook page and become a fan! We will let you know when Kraken is available in your area, how to contact us and the latest Kraken Rum news!! http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/The-Kraken-Rum-The-Official-Page/195398271519?ref=search&sid=611033283.118806720..1
All very nice and well-conceived marketing, but what about the actual product, the rum itself? Does it taste like anything—or does that even matter anymore in this day and age of artificially flavored grain alcohol? I think I will stick to my Mount Gay, Barbancourt, and Pusser's, and leave the wrapping paper and squid teeth to those easily swayed by such trinkets. But don't get me wrong: although I shake my head at the thriving gullibility of consumers, it means I'll always have a job preying on it.
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