Photo: Liquor.com
Philip Duff, a full-time NYC consultant and founder of Tales of the Cocktail, has launched a new brand of genever – a Dutch vodka-like liquor for those uninitiated. The taste isn’t the only thing special about Old Duff Genever; Duff talks with Liquor.com about building his brand using an unusual, even unorthodox brand-building approach.
Duff has taken what most entrepreneurs find dis-advantageous and has turned it in his favor. Rather than launch nationally or internationally, offer price discounts, or find a large distributor to work with, he has made the decision to launch city by city and watch the results. The idea behind such a brand strategy is to create demand by being a must-have to only a small handful of influential, well-known bars in major cities. Consumers nowadays want brands that provide quality products and put a face to a name. Duff has also chosen this strategy so he has the ability to visit each bar himself to present his brand.
When it comes to building your own brand, you have to be genuine and consistent with your message. Whether your specialty is dinnerware, glassware…. or liquor, it is important to have authenticity, consistency of message, and that message as to be delivered with a certain level of frequency. Of course, having a distinctive brand personality helps too! These seem to be Duff’s goals for Old Duff Genever by selling his product with a face-to-face, one-bar-at-a-time approach as someone with sincerity and knowledge of his industry and product.
The brand-building journey is different for every brand. So, what’s your brand-building journey looking like?
To read the full article, and hear more of Duff’s history and successes that have led him to Old Duff Genever, visit Liquor.com here: http://www.liquor.com/articles/philip-duff/#gs.JiEcTU4
-G. Stegall
