At a time when tequila gross sales are rising and there’s no scarcity of latest manufacturers within the area, 818 Tequila has discovered success by hooking into cultural moments and committing to sustainability initiatives. Having a star founder in Kendall Jenner hasn’t harm both: The truth star additionally serves because the model’s chief inventive officer.
Since launching in 2021, the model has expanded rapidly and now has a presence in 34 international locations. Alongside the best way, it has constructed a robust presence on social media, grow to be an authorized B Company and linked with Gen Z by a robust presence at Coachella and by placing its personal spin on social media-driven traits just like the espresso martini.
“A part of that [growth] is a testomony to the truth that we have created greater than only a liquid,” stated Chief Advertising and marketing Officer Kathleen Braine. “We have created a model that has actually resonated with our goal shopper.”
Conscientious consumption
Whereas current information from Statista exhibits that Gen Z customers are consuming much less alcohol, 818 Tequila has discovered a solution to construct a relationship with this health-conscious, environmentally-minded, experience-loving demographic, together with by dropping costs a yr in the past to make the vary extra inexpensive for its core customers.
The model’s viewers additionally loves social media. And regardless of not with the ability to promote the model on TikTok because of the platform’s guidelines round how alcohol is marketed, 818 Tequila remains to be the most-talked about tequila model there and the most-followed tequila model on Instagram, per information shared by the model.
On the ecological entrance, 818 has applied numerous inexperienced measures, like utilizing sustainable packaging — from glass to corks to labels, repurposing agave waste into infrastructure and group tasks in Mexico, utilizing energy-efficient solar energy and biomass within the manufacturing course of, and practising regenerative agriculture to rework agave fields into biodiverse farms.
Connecting with Gen Z over the atmosphere is vital as over 90% of Gen Z desires to purchase from sustainable corporations, with over three-quarters keen to pay extra for these merchandise, in accordance with the PDI Enterprise of Sustainability Index.
Tequila 818 tries to go a step additional in its messaging to deal with how Gen Z desires not solely to make sure what they’re shopping for was created in a method that’s not hurting the Earth, however that environmental consciousness additionally extends to their very own wellness and well being, a serious precedence for the technology.
“[Gen Z views] consumption when it comes to eager to know what you are placing in your physique and the way it’s made,” Braine stated.
Connecting on-line and offline
Exterior of speaking up how the merchandise are made, the model’s advertising and marketing messaging focuses on different areas of curiosity for Gen Z.
As an example, figuring out that music festivals are a serious attraction for Gen Z and millennials, 818 Tequila has been concerned in Coachella for the final three years. The newest incarnation concerned developing a mini pop-up Western city the place customers may have the “influencer expertise.” Invites had been arrange on its Instagram account, with 1,000 spots reserved inside quarter-hour of opening. Total, the activation drove 1.3 billion social impressions and 90,000 social mentions.
“The encompass sound actions of the pageant grow to be usually as vital because the pageant itself,” Braine stated.
The model additionally retains a tab on topical conversations and moments the place it will probably insert itself in a method that is smart.
Take the espresso martini, which is having a resurgence in reputation amongst youthful generations. For a current collaboration with Chamberlain Espresso, based by influencer Emma Chamberlain, the duo launched a equipment for making the drink, which offered out inside 4 hours and was featured on menus in eating places and bars. The partnership acquired greater than 315 million social impressions and 1.6 billion earned media impressions.
The model has its eye on different traits it will probably capitalize on as properly. For instance, it partnered with Rao’s Selfmade earlier this yr to herald tequila as an ingredient customers can use within the kitchen when making pasta sauce.
“Not solely do we now have an internet group, we now have an offline group,” Braine stated.
