2018 commended, Monkey Shoulder, long term excellence - case study

Monkey Shoulder. Yes, it’s Blended Scotch Whisky. No, it’s not your run- of-the-mill dram. Not even close. Tradition? You keep it, Monkey Shoulder walks a dierent path. A blend of three single malts, and originally created to make the perfect Old Fashioned, Monkey Shoulder explodes onto the market place with iconic activations, brave messaging and singular appeal to an audience other brands would kill for. It’s all part of this whisky brand’s genetic make-up - irreverence, alternative thinking, playfulness and a preconception-breaking stance that’s unique.

That attitude translates to the marketing strategy, too. Monkey Shoulder decided long ago that building the brand needed to be founded on concrete footings.

Slow and steady wins the day, so talking directly to the on-trade and building trust with bartenders generated the word-of- mouth, grass roots support they needed. Blinding strategy, because it worked. The brand’s grown and established itself in the world’s best bars. Now, the focus has shifted to get new consumers on board and drinking Monkey Shoulder. And, of course, there’s no other way to do it than in the Monkey Shoulder way. What does that mean?

Massive impact, HUGE engagement and a truly personal approach. They realised - early on - that creating experiences that gave  consumers the best memories to take away really worked. Fun, transgressive and ground breaking characterised the activity that Monkey Shoulder brought to the category and not a traditional whisky moment in sight. Let’s talk results. The Monkey Shoulder approach has netted accolades in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. In each of those years, Monkey Shoulder has been voted the world’s top trending scotch by drinks international reports. And they did it with our help. We are ACA Live.

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(Please note: parts of this case study may have been redacted for confidentiality purposes.)