To pay tribute to members of the middle tier in the beverage alcohol industry, Beverage Wholesaler has put together our first annual Distributor Best Practices Awards. This first year was a success, and we are honoring five companies who have demonstrated innovation in running efficient, successful operations.
With how competitive the beverage alcohol landscape has become, marketing activations and programs are crucial to not only engage your customers, but also in keeping them loyal.
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits figured out an innovative way to do just this through its Tales of the Cocktail (TOTC) activation, earning them a win in our Best On-Premise Activation Program category.
Southern Glazer’s’ “MAIS YEAH!” Program
On July 24 and 25, 2023, the Southern Glazer’s communications and CSR team, leveraging its Served Up Podcast and in partnership with the company’s events, multicultural center of excellence and talent acquisition colleagues, created a “first-of-its-kind” TOTC activation for diverse- and women-owned brands – called “MAIS YEAH!”
TOTC is an on-premise cocktail festival held annually in New Orleans. “MAIS YEAH!” is a phrase that embodies the spirit of Cajun hospitality and the welcoming nature of the community, according to Southern Glazer’s. It’s a phrase that means “but yes” or “of course” in Cajun, and it reflects the openness and generosity of the people who live there.
At the company’s event, “MAIS YEAH!” represented a celebration of diversity, equity, inclusion and all things hospitality.
“Southern Glazer’s always looks to find ways to connect and engage with the industry trade and promote our brands in a meaningful way,” says Cindy Haas, vice president, communications & corporate social responsibility, Southern Glazer’s. “We know the bartender community and beverage industry has strengthened its focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, so we wanted to create a 360-degree experience where both diverse brands and beverage professionals could come together and have real conversations about topics they care about, while also making a positive impact in the local community.”
The TOTC activation included live recordings of Southern Glazer’s Served Up podcast with industry leaders and beverage influencers, a bar featuring eight diverse- and women-owned wine and spirits brands, individual diverse supplier bars for networking and education, and an industry resource center offering career and multicultural insights mentoring for bartenders and bar owners.
The “MAIS YEAH!” event also featured diverse bartenders from the local community, which were hired through Southern Glazer’s non-profit partner, Turning Tables. Over the course of the two days, TOTC had 1,177 attendees, representing 34% of all registered attendees at the festival, according to Southern Glazer’s.
“For our supporting marketing campaign, we had goals related to impressions and engagement,” Haas says. “We were overwhelmed by the results after the event. From our public relations, digital and social campaigns promoting our participating brands and activities, we garnered millions of impressions. Importantly, we surveyed our participating suppliers and received overwhelmingly positive feedback.”
Even though the TOTC activation proved to be a success, Haas notes that the company is always looking for opportunities to improve.
“Our goal going forward is to expand the reach of our experiences and to make sure we are providing value to beverage professionals based on their needs and interests,” she says. “It’s important that our customers and suppliers see the benefits of working with Southern Glazer’s as a partner, beyond the transactional interactions they are used to in day-to-day business activities.”
