PR and social media agency Down At The Social has partnered with drinks’ brand marketing specialists Distinctly Aware to work with pioneering functional drink brand MEDAHUMAN and iconic Italian liqueur Amaro Montenegro to bring back the annual competition - The Vero Bartender.
The partner agencies have also signed a deal to sponsor and promote Battle Of The Bottle, a new international bartending competition headed up by award winning mixologist Tom Dyer and Erik Folkart, The Avenue Live co-founder.
The competition, which will be 100% online, is supported by the two of the biggest bartender associations in the world, the World Flair Association and the International Bartenders Association. Judging the competition will be a respected panel of judges in the bartending industry but the viewing public will also play a part in choosing the winning bartender who has the chance to win a share of up to $10,ooo dollars in tips.
Leanne, MD of Distinctly Aware, is a board member of the UKBG and has brought Down at the Social on board to support the guild’s relaunch as it works to reset the organisation which launched in 1934. The UKBG is made up of a team of experienced trade professionals, acting as the governing and guiding body of the hospitality trade in the UK.
The agencies, which have worked together previously on campaigns for brands such as gin distiller Zymurgorium, have combined their skills to create an integrated brand, sales, marketing, PR and social media campaign for MEDAHUMAN as it announces its first national multiple listing.
With the functional wellness combined global market estimated to be worth $28.72 billion by 2030, MEDAHUMAN is leading the way in the UK with its range of drinks containing more functional elements than any other brand on the market and will appear on shelves in more than 200 Morrisons shops across the country from Monday, June 20th, 2022.
Down at the Social’s campaign is focussed on consumer and trade activity to grow the reach and understanding of the CBD drink range and communicate its top quality ingredients and functions to consumers and buyers. The campaign is designed to shout about the listing, target new ones and ensure that customers are going in store to try the product.
Distinctly Aware heads up the marketing strategy for the brand. It has secured significant traction in the on and off trade, whereby Distinctly Aware is seeking to ensure continual growth through enhanced consumer and trade marketing programmes that enhance brand awareness, visibility and sales.
Amaro Montenegro - Italy’s number one premium amaro - brought back The Vero Bartender, its annual cocktail competition that invites bartenders from around the world to showcase their talent in synergy with the brand. After a two-year hiatus due to the global pandemic, the concept celebrated the joy of coming together - something the bartending community sorely missed.
Distinctly Aware led the campaign to engage with bartenders across the UK via a number of masterclasses with key trade influencers to inspire entrants to the competition as well as being given key insights to the brand. The campaign culminated in a national final in September in London.
Down at the Social took the reins with trade media relations, tapping into its network of regional influencers and national media contacts to drive coverage and content to encourage as many contestants in the competition as possible. The agency also supported with social media content creation and paid advertising strategy to reach as many bartenders as possible.
Daisy Whitehouse, MD at Down at the Social, said; “As a business we look for clients with engaging activations to promote and brilliant stories to tell.
“MEDAHUMAN is at a hugely exciting time in its evolution as it begins to secure a series of big listeings that will cement its position in the mainstream, redefining the functional drinks space. Consumers are slowly starting to understand the huge benefits of CBD and how it can work with other ingredients to improve wellbeing and MEDAHUMAN is well positioned to be the daily solution that we are all searching for.
“Vero Bartender is an institution and it is an honour to support its return as part of an international team. The final promises to be a special moment as many of the industry that we love come together again to share their love of truly great drinks.
“We are so pleased to work with Leanne and her brilliant team at Distinctly Aware to bring these very different campaigns to life. Leanne’s understanding of brand, hospitality and the overall drinks industry is second to none and she is an asset to both her campaigns and ours.”
Leanne Ware, MD of Distinctly Aware, said; “The aim of Distinctly Aware is to be able to provide an holistic solution to drink and hospitality brands, regardless of where they are in their journey, scale and budgets. Key to our success is working with partners that wholly understand the drinks industry.
“Down at the Social is fully immersed in this sector, which has enabled us to amplify campaigns in exactly the way we envisage for the brands. We have been able to work beautifully in tandem with Daisy and the team and look forward to more projects together.”
Down at the Social has experience working with national brands including KBK, Shoryu Ramen, Skinny Lager/ Skinny IPA, Zymurgorium, HRH Group, Native, OrderYOYO, Chopstix Noodle Bars, Seetec, Manchester Pride and Kays Traffic Management.
Distinctly Aware draws on experience of working with household brands such as Whitley Neill, Bacardi, Jack Daniels and Beluga through to guiding smaller, independent brands such as Ocean Beer, BeauFort Spirit, Beebolin Mixers and The House of Rum.
