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How the world's leading spirits brands are competing for memory space, not shelf space.
How the world's leading spirits brands are
competing for memory space, not shelf space.
How the world’s leading beauty brands
are redefining experience.
The inside story of how spirits' most powerful brands are rewriting the experiential playbook.
The inside story of how spirits' most powerful brands are rewriting the experiential playbook.
The inside story of how spirits' most powerful brands are rewriting the experiential playbook.
The inside story of how spirits' most powerful brands are rewriting the experiential playbook.
From Diageo to Moët Hennessy to William Grant & Sons — our newest IMPACT Report uncovers how top brands are turning on-premise into media, converting cultural presence into lasting loyalty, and building the only moat that can't be bought: memory.
If you work in spirits, wine, or brand experience, this is the report everyone will be quoting next quarter.
From Diageo to Moët Hennessy to William Grant & Sons — our newest IMPACT Report uncovers how top brands are turning on-premise into media, converting cultural presence into lasting loyalty, and building the only moat that can't be bought: memory.
If you work in spirits, wine, or brand experience, this is the report everyone will be quoting next quarter.
From Diageo to Moët Hennessy to William Grant & Sons — our newest IMPACT Report uncovers how top brands are turning on-premise into media, converting cultural presence into lasting loyalty, and building the only moat that can't be bought: memory.
If you work in spirits, wine, or brand experience, this is the report everyone will be quoting next quarter.
From Diageo to Moët Hennessy to William Grant & Sons — our newest IMPACT Report uncovers how top brands are turning on-premise into media, converting cultural presence into lasting loyalty, and building the only moat that can't be bought: memory.
If you work in spirits, wine, or brand experience, this is the report everyone will be quoting next quarter.
A Note From Anthony Coppers
A Note From Anthony Coppers
A Note From
Anthony Coppers
A Note From Anthony Coppers
"Experiential in spirits is not a tactic. It is the last defensible moat."
"Experiential in spirits is not a tactic. It is the last defensible moat."
"Experiential in spirits is not a tactic. It is the last defensible moat."
The spirits industry is under real pressure. But the brands reacting with short-term tactics are fighting the wrong battle. The leaders in this report — from the Edrington Group to Southern Glazer's — are building something different: cultural authority that compounds. This report distills their thinking, their data, and their conviction that the fight for memory space is winnable, for any brand willing to earn it.
The spirits industry is under real pressure. But the brands reacting with short-term tactics are fighting the wrong battle. The leaders in this report — from the Edrington Group to Southern Glazer's — are building something different: cultural authority that compounds. This report distills their thinking, their data, and their conviction that the fight for memory space is winnable, for any brand willing to earn it.
The spirits industry is under real pressure. But the brands reacting with short-term tactics are fighting the wrong battle. The leaders in this report — from the Edrington Group to Southern Glazer's — are building something different: cultural authority that compounds. This report distills their thinking, their data, and their conviction that the fight for memory space is winnable, for any brand willing to earn it.
"Stop competing for category share. Compete for memory space. The brands that understand that first are the ones pulling ahead."
"Stop competing for category share. Compete for memory space. The brands that understand that first are the ones pulling ahead."
"Stop competing for category share. Compete for memory space. The brands that understand that first are the ones pulling ahead."
"Stop competing for category share. Compete for memory space. The brands that understand that first are the ones pulling ahead."
INTEGRATED
INTEGRATED
INTEGRATED
From Event to Ecosystem
From Event to Ecosystem
From Event to Ecosystem
Spirits' leading brands are turning on-premise moments into connected brand worlds.
Spirits' leading brands are turning on-premise moments into connected brand worlds.
Spirits' leading brands are turning on-premise moments into connected brand worlds.
The most effective spirits brands no longer separate on-premise, digital, retail, and culture — they program the entire consumer loop. The on-premise anchors it. The story scales from it. And the data follows it. As Rowan Régnier of Diageo puts it: brief the 360° experiential storytelling first, then let the product and campaign follow.
The most effective spirits brands no longer separate on-premise, digital, retail, and culture — they program the entire consumer loop. The on-premise anchors it. The story scales from it. And the data follows it. As Rowan Régnier of Diageo puts it: brief the 360° experiential storytelling first, then let the product and campaign follow.
The most effective spirits brands no longer separate on-premise, digital, retail, and culture — they program the entire consumer loop. The on-premise anchors it. The story scales from it. And the data follows it. As Rowan Régnier of Diageo puts it: brief the 360° experiential storytelling first, then let the product and campaign follow.
The most effective spirits brands no longer separate on-premise, digital, retail, and culture — they program the entire consumer loop. The on-premise anchors it. The story scales from it. And the data follows it. As Rowan Régnier of Diageo puts it: brief the 360° experiential storytelling first, then let the product and campaign follow.
01
02
03
THE TENSION
81% of spirits marketers believe experiential should be integrated from the start of a campaign. Only 25% actually do it.
THE TENSION
81% of spirits marketers believe experiential should be integrated from the start of a campaign. Only 25% actually do it.
THE TENSION
81% of spirits marketers believe experiential should be integrated from the start of a campaign. Only 25% actually do it.
THE DATA
Only 11% define experiential as all brand touchpoints across the consumer journey. The other 89% see tactics, not an ecosystem.
THE DATA
Only 11% define experiential as all brand touchpoints across the consumer journey. The other 89% see tactics, not an ecosystem.
THE DATA
Only 11% define experiential as all brand touchpoints across the consumer journey. The other 89% see tactics, not an ecosystem.
THE VOICE
"The experience shouldn't be an extension of the concept, it should be the concept." — Anu Rao, Spirits Industry Executive
THE VOICE
"The experience shouldn't be an extension of the concept, it should be the concept." — Anu Rao, Spirits Industry Executive
THE VOICE
"The experience shouldn't be an extension of the concept, it should be the concept." — Anu Rao, Spirits Industry Executive
"The most important media buy in spirits is not digital. It is a barstool."
"The most important media buy in spirits is not digital. It is a barstool."
"The most important media buy in spirits is not digital. It is a barstool."
MEASURABLE
MEASURABLE
MEASURABLE
measuring Memory
measuring Memory
measuring Memory
From impression counts to the Shadow P&L.
From impression counts to the Shadow P&L.
There is a paradox at the center of spirits measurement. Sales is the #1 ROI priority for every marketer in this report. Trackable sales ranks last as a measurement tool. The gap between intention and instrumentation is costing the category its best investment argument. The brands closing it aren't waiting for perfect attribution — they're building behavioral intelligence engines through D2C, social listening, and halo P&Ls that make experiential visible to finance.
There is a paradox at the center of spirits measurement. Sales is the #1 ROI priority for every marketer in this report. Trackable sales ranks last as a measurement tool. The gap between intention and instrumentation is costing the category its best investment argument. The brands closing it aren't waiting for perfect attribution — they're building behavioral intelligence engines through D2C, social listening, and halo P&Ls that make experiential visible to finance.
There is a paradox at the center of spirits measurement. Sales is the #1 ROI priority for every marketer in this report. Trackable sales ranks last as a measurement tool. The gap between intention and instrumentation is costing the category its best investment argument. The brands closing it aren't waiting for perfect attribution — they're building behavioral intelligence engines through D2C, social listening, and halo P&Ls that make experiential visible to finance.
There is a paradox at the center of spirits measurement. Sales is the #1 ROI priority for every marketer in this report. Trackable sales ranks last as a measurement tool. The gap between intention and instrumentation is costing the category its best investment argument. The brands closing it aren't waiting for perfect attribution — they're building behavioral intelligence engines through D2C, social listening, and halo P&Ls that make experiential visible to finance.
Sales: #1 ROI priority (weighted score: 1.91/5) |
Trackable sales: used by just 25% of respondents.
84% say they're satisfied with their measurement ability.
60% cite measurability as a top challenge. Satisfaction reflects familiarity with existing systems — not confidence they're capturing the full picture.
Sales: #1 ROI priority (weighted score: 1.91/5) |
Trackable sales: used by just 25% of respondents.
84% say they're satisfied with their measurement ability.
60% cite measurability as a top challenge. Satisfaction reflects familiarity with existing systems — not confidence they're capturing the full picture.
"What you call a media buy is often just a boost of the content we created through experience." — Nora Torpey, Hendrick's — William Grant & Sons
"What you call a media buy is often just a boost of the content we created through experience." — Nora Torpey, Hendrick's — William Grant & Sons
"What you call a media buy is often just a boost of the content we created through experience." — Nora Torpey, Hendrick's — William Grant & Sons
PARTICIPATORY
PARTICIPATORY
PARTICIPATORY
Performance Starts With Participation
Performance Starts With Participation
Performance Starts With Participation
The best spirits experiences are ones consumers choose
and choose to come back to.
The best spirits experiences are ones consumers choose
and choose to come back to.
The best spirits experiences are ones consumers choose
and choose to come back to.
Dom Pérignon | Moët Hennessy LVMH — Ticketed Experiences as Revenue Immersive dinners, journeys, and concerts that consumers pay premium prices to attend. The format works because participation is chosen, not passive — consumers who paid to be there leave with a story that is theirs.
Dom Pérignon | Moët Hennessy LVMH — Ticketed Experiences as Revenue Immersive dinners, journeys, and concerts that consumers pay premium prices to attend. The format works because participation is chosen, not passive — consumers who paid to be there leave with a story that is theirs.
Dom Pérignon | Moët Hennessy LVMH — Ticketed Experiences as Revenue Immersive dinners, journeys, and concerts that consumers pay premium prices to attend. The format works because participation is chosen, not passive — consumers who paid to be there leave with a story that is theirs.
Consumers aren't spectators
Consumers aren't spectators
Consumers aren't spectators
Consumers aren't spectators
The brands winning in spirits are designing for agency, not passive consumption. From sold-out Dom Pérignon immersive dinners to Balvenie's espresso martini activation at the Country Music Awards — the formats that produce lasting memories are the ones consumers inhabit, not just observe. The glass is not the point. The memory is.
The brands winning in spirits are designing for agency, not passive consumption. From sold-out Dom Pérignon immersive dinners to Balvenie's espresso martini activation at the Country Music Awards — the formats that produce lasting memories are the ones consumers inhabit, not just observe. The glass is not the point. The memory is.
The brands winning in spirits are designing for agency, not passive consumption. From sold-out Dom Pérignon immersive dinners to Balvenie's espresso martini activation at the Country Music Awards — the formats that produce lasting memories are the ones consumers inhabit, not just observe. The glass is not the point. The memory is.
The brands winning in spirits are designing for agency, not passive consumption. From sold-out Dom Pérignon immersive dinners to Balvenie's espresso martini activation at the Country Music Awards — the formats that produce lasting memories are the ones consumers inhabit, not just observe. The glass is not the point. The memory is.
Relationship-building ranks as the #1 primary objective of spirits experiential marketing. Product trial & sampling ranks last — in a category where getting liquid to lips has historically been the entire activation strategy.
Relationship-building ranks as the #1 primary objective of spirits experiential marketing. Product trial & sampling ranks last — in a category where getting liquid to lips has historically been the entire activation strategy.
Relationship-building ranks as the #1 primary objective of spirits experiential marketing. Product trial & sampling ranks last — in a category where getting liquid to lips has historically been the entire activation strategy.
"Many brands tend to dictate: 'The only way to drink that is neat.' That's the way to die. The ritual must welcome. Not curate out." — Vérane de Marffy, William Grant & Sons
"Many brands tend to dictate: 'The only way to drink that is neat.' That's the way to die. The ritual must welcome. Not curate out." — Vérane de Marffy, William Grant & Sons
"Many brands tend to dictate: 'The only way to drink that is neat.' That's the way to die. The ritual must welcome. Not curate out." — Vérane de Marffy, William Grant & Sons
AFFECTIVE
AFFECTIVE
AFFECTIVE
Memory is The Real Asset
Memory is The Real Asset
Memory is The Real Asset
The brands that understand this design for it. The ones that don't will never know what they left behind.
The brands that understand this design for it. The ones that don't will never know what they left behind.
The brands that understand this design for it. The ones that don't will never know what they left behind.
Spirits brands operate in the most emotionally charged environments in consumer life: celebrations, romance, grief, bonding, milestones. The glass in hand at the right moment is not a beverage. It is a chapter marker in someone's life story. The brands winning in affective experience aren't chasing emotion — they're architecting it. And the most powerful memory architecture is also the simplest: legible on first encounter, impossible to forget after.
Spirits brands operate in the most emotionally charged environments in consumer life: celebrations, romance, grief, bonding, milestones. The glass in hand at the right moment is not a beverage. It is a chapter marker in someone's life story. The brands winning in affective experience aren't chasing emotion — they're architecting it. And the most powerful memory architecture is also the simplest: legible on first encounter, impossible to forget after.
Spirits brands operate in the most emotionally charged environments in consumer life: celebrations, romance, grief, bonding, milestones. The glass in hand at the right moment is not a beverage. It is a chapter marker in someone's life story. The brands winning in affective experience aren't chasing emotion — they're architecting it. And the most powerful memory architecture is also the simplest: legible on first encounter, impossible to forget after.
Spirits brands operate in the most emotionally charged environments in consumer life: celebrations, romance, grief, bonding, milestones. The glass in hand at the right moment is not a beverage. It is a chapter marker in someone's life story. The brands winning in affective experience aren't chasing emotion — they're architecting it. And the most powerful memory architecture is also the simplest: legible on first encounter, impossible to forget after.
The Memory Architecture Principle Aperol's Mediterranean shorthand. Red Bull's athlete enablement. Dom Pérignon's status invitation. The brands with the strongest affective presence share one trait: their story requires no initiation to understand. If the story needs explaining on-premise, it isn't ready to be told on-premise.
The Memory Architecture Principle Aperol's Mediterranean shorthand. Red Bull's athlete enablement. Dom Pérignon's status invitation. The brands with the strongest affective presence share one trait: their story requires no initiation to understand. If the story needs explaining on-premise, it isn't ready to be told on-premise.
A truly impactful brand experience creates a lasting memory. It becomes part of the lexicon of your memories — the library of stories you carry and tell." — Anu Rao, Spirits Industry Executive
A truly impactful brand experience creates a lasting memory. It becomes part of the lexicon of your memories — the library of stories you carry and tell." — Anu Rao, Spirits Industry Executive
A truly impactful brand experience creates a lasting memory. It becomes part of the lexicon of your memories — the library of stories you carry and tell." — Anu Rao, Spirits Industry Executive
COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY
Culture Over Category
Culture Over Category
Culture Over Category
How shared rituals are replacing traditional loyalty — and bartenders are the new community builders.
How shared rituals are replacing traditional loyalty — and bartenders are the new community builders.
How shared rituals are replacing
traditional loyalty.
The strongest cross-interview pattern in this report is not about format or channel. It is about posture. The spirits brands winning in community are the ones that listen before they speak — that show up in culture before they try to lead it. On-premise is the primary cultural entry point. Social amplification follows. It does not lead.
The strongest cross-interview pattern in this report is not about format or channel. It is about posture. The spirits brands winning in community are the ones that listen before they speak — that show up in culture before they try to lead it. On-premise is the primary cultural entry point. Social amplification follows. It does not lead.
The strongest cross-interview pattern in this report is not about format or channel. It is about posture. The spirits brands winning in community are the ones that listen before they speak — that show up in culture before they try to lead it. On-premise is the primary cultural entry point. Social amplification follows. It does not lead.
The strongest cross-interview pattern in this report is not about format or channel. It is about posture. The spirits brands winning in community are the ones that listen before they speak — that show up in culture before they try to lead it. On-premise is the primary cultural entry point. Social amplification follows. It does not lead.
"When you buy Hennessy, you're buying a sense of belonging — the music and culture make the brand tangible." — Anne Sophie Stock, Moët Hennessy LVMH
"When you buy Hennessy, you're buying a sense of belonging — the music and culture make the brand tangible." — Anne Sophie Stock, Moët Hennessy LVMH
"When you buy Hennessy, you're buying a sense of belonging — the music and culture make the brand tangible." — Anne Sophie Stock, Moët Hennessy LVMH
TRUE TO BRAND
TRUE TO BRAND
TRUE TO BRAND
Scale Without Losing Soul
Scale Without Losing Soul
Scale Without
Losing Soul
Before the product, what is the story? If you can't answer that in a sentence, the experience will feel hollow.
Before the product, what is the story? If you can't answer that in a sentence, the experience will feel hollow.
Before the product, what is the story? If you can't answer that in a sentence, the experience will feel hollow.
Authenticity in spirits is not a communication style.
Authenticity in spirits is not a communication style.
Authenticity in spirits is not a communication style.
Authenticity in spirits is not a communication style.
It is a structural commitment. The brands with the strongest experiential presence — Hendrick's, French Bloom, Johnnie Walker — all share one discipline: they know exactly what they are, and every touchpoint reflects it. Not the logo. Not the marketing brief. The emotional positioning. When that translation succeeds, the brand is present without being intrusive. When it fails, the experience becomes a product presentation wearing a cultural costume.
It is a structural commitment. The brands with the strongest experiential presence — Hendrick's, French Bloom, Johnnie Walker — all share one discipline: they know exactly what they are, and every touchpoint reflects it. Not the logo. Not the marketing brief. The emotional positioning. When that translation succeeds, the brand is present without being intrusive. When it fails, the experience becomes a product presentation wearing a cultural costume.
It is a structural commitment. The brands with the strongest experiential presence — Hendrick's, French Bloom, Johnnie Walker — all share one discipline: they know exactly what they are, and every touchpoint reflects it. Not the logo. Not the marketing brief. The emotional positioning. When that translation succeeds, the brand is present without being intrusive. When it fails, the experience becomes a product presentation wearing a cultural costume.
It is a structural commitment. The brands with the strongest experiential presence — Hendrick's, French Bloom, Johnnie Walker — all share one discipline: they know exactly what they are, and every touchpoint reflects it. Not the logo. Not the marketing brief. The emotional positioning. When that translation succeeds, the brand is present without being intrusive. When it fails, the experience becomes a product presentation wearing a cultural costume.
"A good story told and lived helps craft the product. Before the product, what is the story?" — Rowan Régnier, Head of Marketing & Luxury, Diageo
"A good story told and lived helps craft the product. Before the product, what is the story?" — Rowan Régnier, Head of Marketing & Luxury, Diageo
"A good story told and lived helps craft the product. Before the product, what is the story?" — Rowan Régnier, Head of Marketing & Luxury, Diageo
Hendrick's | William Grant & Sons — Creativity as Brand Identity Joyful, unmistakable, artistically led, unburdened by category convention. The Hendrick's unlock isn't a campaign — it is a consistent creative operating principle. That clarity of brand truth is what makes every experience feel authentic rather than produced.
Hendrick's | William Grant & Sons — Creativity as Brand Identity Joyful, unmistakable, artistically led, unburdened by category convention. The Hendrick's unlock isn't a campaign — it is a consistent creative operating principle. That clarity of brand truth is what makes every experience feel authentic rather than produced.
Hendrick's | William Grant & Sons — Creativity as Brand Identity Joyful, unmistakable, artistically led, unburdened by category convention. The Hendrick's unlock isn't a campaign — it is a consistent creative operating principle. That clarity of brand truth is what makes every experience feel authentic rather than produced.
Spirits' Next Era Is Experiential
Spirits' Next Era Is Experiential
Spirits' Next Era Is Experiential
spirits'
Next Era Is Experiential
A smaller pie doesn't mean a small opportunity. It means the fight for relevance, loyalty, and cultural presence becomes sharper. This report is the blueprint for brands ready to build the moat — not defend the shelf.
A smaller pie doesn't mean a small opportunity. It means the fight for relevance, loyalty, and cultural presence becomes sharper. This report is the blueprint for brands ready to build the moat — not defend the shelf.
A smaller pie doesn't mean a small opportunity. It means the fight for relevance, loyalty, and cultural presence becomes sharper. This report is the blueprint for brands ready to build the moat — not defend the shelf.
A smaller pie doesn't mean a small opportunity. It means the fight for relevance, loyalty, and cultural presence becomes sharper. This report is the blueprint for brands ready to build the moat — not defend the shelf.
Because in spirits, the brands competing for memory space are the ones built to last.
Because in spirits, the brands competing for memory space are the ones built to last.
Because in spirits, the brands competing for memory space are the ones built to last.