In 2005, Brown-Forman launched Stellar Gin in four test markets. Ammo Marketing was approached to develop an influencer program to promote trial and awareness among young professionals in the Indianapolis market.
In recent years, Indianapolis has experienced a surge in upscale nightclubs, and all the trappings that come with them: velvet ropes, bottle service, and VIP rooms. Ammo developed the Stellar Influencer program to provide selected Influencers with the type of access that makes them the "go-to" friend within their social and professional circles.
The Stellar VIPs were aged 25-35, ethnically diverse, and upwardly mobile. They were found through two months of on-premise activity, talking to people in social environments across the city, and feeding the pool of potential VIPs through Ammo's proprietary Influencer Index.
The backbone of the program was the Stellar Concierge -- the in-market manager and nightlife negotiator -- responsible for developing and executing events. For four months, Stellar's 200 VIPs (and their friends/colleagues) were treated to the best Indianapolis had to offer, and our Stellar Concierge, the face of Stellar Gin in Indianapolis, made sure that our VIPs had the city in the palm of their hands.
The hard metrics:
- More than 2500 Direct Touch Experiences (DTEs) with the Stellar brand
- 80% of VIPs attended 3 or more events; 20% attended 8 or more
- 50% of VIPs told more than 9 people about the program; 25% of VIPs told more than 15 people
- 70% of VIPs intend to order Stellar in bars/clubs/restaurants over the next two months
In a survey conducted with a panel of VIPs' friends/colleagues six weeks after the program's conclusion:
- 44% of VIP' friends/colleagues had heard of Stellar Gin
- Of these, 50% would order Stellar again
- 75% would recommend Stellar to a friend
"This is exactly the type of program that liquor companies should be doing," said John Kruse, B-F's regional marketing manager for Indiana. "I could see the results in the numbers coming in."
Credit Information
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Client: Brown-Forman (Stellar Gin)
Agency: Ammo Marketing
Budget: Undisclosed
Date of Campaign: May - September 2006
