The Future of Advocacy

It’s no secret that the bar world has changed drastically over the last few months. The hours after the Spirited Awards winners are announced were usually followed as sure as night follows day by the sight of the world’s brand ambassadors propping up the bar at the Alibi, shaking hands and kissing babies, looking to get a selfie with the winners so they can tell social media how amazing and inspirational they are.

But this year things are different, and the new virtual world we now inhabit means the brand advocates have to almost completely overhaul how they get their brands’ message across to the bar world as budgets dwindle, distillery trips are cancelled, and even their ability to meet people in person has been removed. 

But is that what brand advocacy was all about? Shots and selfies? The chosen few, wearing bright on-brand suits on business class flights, Facebook check ins to the Concorde Room or Ambassador’s Lounge, clanging Big Name Bartender name drops, and casually picking up everyone’s tab in bars around the world - and were these ever even effective tools in giving back to the bar community, in communicating the brand message to customers? DISCARD spoke to three advocacy specialists who have shaped some of the world’s biggest and most successful advocacy programs in recent years, to discuss what has worked in the past, and what the future might look like.

First things first though, what does the catch all term “advocacy” even mean? Obviously, our facetious caricature of the perma-smiling frequent flying global BA is a little bit of a joke, but what does the process actually entail for the brands of the world? Charlotte Voisey is Director of Brand Advocacy at William & Grants USA, and states that her definition of advocacy is “…making people fall in love with a brand where that brand love transpires into action.” This call to action is echoed by Claire Warner, now Head of New Brands at Æcorn spirits and previously Director of Education for Moet Hennessy: “Today, I think it comes down to communicating with impact. And that can take many forms; educational, inspirational, meaningful or entertaining. In order to create a change, to move someone from where they are to where you want them to be - as in desirous of what you are advocating - requires that you make them feel something. Transcend the technical and speak to their heart. Impactful communication, active listening and responding to your audience needs has that power which goes beyond brand storytelling and taps into something more emotional, and therefore much more compelling.” 

Meimi Sanchez, Global BA of Havana Club says advocacy to her is “the personal touch between the brand and the final consumer” and touches on the theme of bringing like-minded people together: “it is all about creating a community. Within that community you build long lasting supportive and positive relationships that meet everyone’s needs”. Voisey stresses that an equally important piece of the puzzle is ensuring the message is reaching the right people: “Advocacy becomes truly meaningful when those you infect with brand love are influential, have professional or social circles of others that look to them, trust them for guidance on what’s cool.” Sanchez has similar sentiments, stating that consumer spending is shaped by the influence of those making the drinks, and that this link between bartender and consumer is vital: “The trade gives us insight and access to the consumer. I’m a big believer that in order to grow as a brand you need the trade behind you otherwise it’s a waaaayyy slower journey. You walk into a bar as a consumer and ask the bartender for a recommendation, based on that experience your shopping behaviour and at home consumption may be guided.”

So advocacy in the traditional sense could be said to be the practice showcasing the favourable aspects of a brand to the right people, to create meaningful emotional ties to that brand - but is it merely the actions resulting from these connections that seem to be the deciding factor on whether the advocacy has actually been successful? By what metrics can a company judge whether a program has worked? “Oof. There’s the million-dollar question” says Warner, “bottom line is, are people paying attention to - and crucially paying for - your brand? Is it connecting? Does the message resonate? Are your audience engaged, awake, asking questions? Are they physically and metaphorically ‘leaning in’? Ultimately, is the brand growing in volume and value in line with saliency?” Voisey maintains that focussing on reaching the correct people in the industry with the requisite influence is as important as appealing to the consumer directly (ie, bypassing the bartender altogether) can mean a longer wait for results: “Advocacy can be consumer direct, it just takes a lot more time and invariably you need to rely on third parties to provide platforms to reach the consumers. By focusing advocacy efforts on the influential, they in turn influence the broader consumer so it becomes a more efficient and impactful way to spread brand love. Bartender recommendation is the most direct example of this in our world.” The importance of patience is echoed by Warner: “Advocacy is a long-term game. The best examples of bartender advocacy from brands in our industry reveal many years of work against slow, steady growth before obvious success is seen. It is not easy to measure but you will certainly miss the effects of advocacy if it has not been an area of investment historically for your brand.

Sanchez points again to the community aspect, pushing the idea that creating long lasting loyalty is the key to increased case sales down the line: “successful advocacy means loyalty to the brand – therefore more menu listings, incremental volume, social media presence and recommendations. I love taking bartenders to Havana, it can be a make or break experience! I have friends in the trade now that I took to Havana twelve years ago who still pour Havana Club and are loyal to the brand because of the bond we made during that trip”. 

So, should those setting up new advocacy programs just be targeting the 1% of bartending? Are the bartending “influencers” - those with the high day rates, shelves of Spirited Awards and similar frequent flier status as the aforementioned global BAs – the only people brands should be focussing on? Voisey doesn’t believe so and thinks involving those with genuine love for the industry is key to creating long lasting brand loyalty: “the strongest advocacy programs involve and include the most passionate people that work in bars and restaurants and they are the most likely to respond to the education, entertainment, the most likely to be inspired by advocacy and show loyalty in the future.” Warner mentions that the bartenders themselves are not the only ones working in the bar environment that have the influence: “any effective marketing campaign needs to pull on the levers which work with a particular audience. After all, you’re trying to encourage someone to see, remember, seek out and purchase your brand in an ocean of other increasingly noisy (and nosy) brands. An effective advocacy programme is still designed to ultimately reach the consumer via the bartender, manager or floor staff who, it could be argued, has a greater ability to influence the consumers than a billboard.” Sanchez acknowledges the importance of reaching out to the industry top brass, as they tend to be the decision makers in their particular bar(s), but also warns of overlooking others in the trade: “you can’t ignore the people in front of consumers day to day that are pushing your brand. You need to have a program for both. As a brand you learn very different insights from talking to the bar owner and talking to the bartender – you’d be stupid to ignore that “just” the bartender may well be the future bar entrepreneur winning all the industry awards!”

Success in advocacy seems to be a lot more than simply affecting case sales, even if obviously that is the eventual goal. Meaningful connections seem to be the key to influencing how people will respond to a given program and winning with the trade involves a lot more than simply buying a few dinners or taking people on a bar crawl. Warner pushes the importance of an almost altruistic investment in trade education, to strengthen the bond between brand and end consumer “Typically, advocacy is still relevant because when it’s good, it can be highly effective. Our industry is made up of the well-informed and the want-to-be-well-informed and we’ve placed a lot of value in education. We demand brands tell us everything, to be transparent, authentic and to align with our values. We want to peer into the souls of brands we love to see if they’re really worthy of our affection and attention. All the while we’re able to connect and create affinity with an advocacy programme, it will remain relevant.”

So, where does this leave us now? As the world looks to recover from the ongoing pandemic, what changes are we likely to see in the world of brand advocacy? “The post COVID world looks to be shaking up who the influencers are a little” says Voisey, “those who are important to pass along the brand love and recommendation.  Bartenders remain the most important in my opinion but with a temporary increase in people entertaining at home more, or buying direct from the off-trade and through e-commerce, there may be additional or new people in the mix who influence what people choose to buy and enjoy.” Sanchez speaks to a more personal touch going forward “I think the relationships you now have with the trade as a brand feel a little more real, less pure business.” Warner says that embracing digital methodology is key but that this is nothing new: “I think before COVID things were already changing. We have more information at our fingertips than ever before, so perhaps we’re not looking to brands to provide the 101s like they used to. Digital education platforms, gamification of training and immersive experiences have replaced much of the bread and butter of advocacy. Post COVID, perhaps we’ll see more of a reliance on digital platforms to do much of the heavy lifting. The question will be how to bring a brand to life if events and in person activations are limited or even banned? One thing is for sure, advocacy will not look the same post COVID.”

Although there is - understandably - a fair amount of doom and gloom in the industry currently, there are still those out there using their decreased resources to good effect. “I am always impressed when brands have actively listened to what bartenders need and want and made that the foundation of their advocacy” states Voisey, “whether that is the combination of wellness and positivity of Bacardi’s Rum Shaker program or the community spirited Campari Cares initiatives.” Warner adds: “Anytime I see an ambassador living their values which also happen to genuinely connect with their brand values is a good example of a programme that will likely connect meaningfully. Someone genuine, inspiring and who gives a shit about helping me be better. Never the other way around. [A good] example would be Fabiano at Reyka - a great example of someone is educating, inspiring and having fun while being totally himself. 

It does seem the landscape of advocacy may have irrevocably changed in 2020, and maybe the traditional brand behaviours we had perhaps come to take for granted will never return. Business performance is intrinsically linked to how much budget is allocated to advocacy programs and worldwide lockdowns have seen all the brands suffer financially, but is there still a place for the expense account and brand trip even if travel and interactions return to normal in the future? “It is a difficult area to create metrics for, but for me education and advocacy needs to drive commercial success” says Warner, “It’s strangely unpopular and we don’t like talking about it, but without commercial success, where does the funding for your next trip to a distillery/winery/vineyard (delete where appropriate) actually come from?” 

However, she states that communicating well with the industry, however it may look post COVID, will always be key to brand success: “Great advocacy can move us in ways that an above the line advertising campaign cannot. Unless of course you’re Nike.”