Shaping one spirits proposition for different palates

The question

The new proposition had two jobs: bring in new drinkers, and stay recognizably part of an established brand.

The liquid, pack, name and concept were all still open, and the work had to shape one proposition for four markets in two regions at once, each with its own palate and its own serving rituals.

Our approach

We designed the research to improve the proposition as well as measure it.

In each market, people tasted the formulas live, handled the packs and reacted to the names and the concept, in small qualitative sessions. We included drinkers of other spirits, the people the proposition was meant to bring in.

A quantitative taste test in each market then measured what the qualitative sessions had taken forward, so every element faced numbers as well as conversation.

Between markets, working sessions with the client team brought each round of evidence back into the stimulus, so the proposition was refined before the next market.

What the team came away with

The brand team had one body of evidence across all four markets, qualitative and quantitative together.

It came with recommendations on the liquid, pack, name and concept, with serve guidance and communication territories, built from evidence that had already shaped the proposition along the way.