Whisky and content marketing in the digital age

I’m certainly no connoisseur when it comes to bourbon. But one thing’s for sure: I’m a sucker for the current crop of OOH Jack Daniels adverts. The stories they tell about the Jack Daniels factory, the charcoal mellowing process and the time-honoured tradition of aging in oak barrels are captivating. I tip my hat to the Jack Daniels marketing team. They’ve got content marketing down to a T.

Content marketing is hot right now, and is set to play a central part of the marketing mix in the foreseeable future, especially as more marketing spend follows consumers online.

But there is one thing missing from the Jack Daniels marketing for me and that is an element of the fourth ‘C’ of Shimizu’s four core marketing principles.

I’m talking about ‘channel’. I love the JD OOH ads. I’m a big fan of the JD website from a marketing perspective. Their storytelling is so compelling that I’d be very likely to act on it immediately if I saw it in my home. Perhaps I’m bound to say this because I’m immersed in local media. But the fact is that home is where I relax and kick back with my infrequent tipple. Local papers and weekend newspapers are read when people are really ‘leaning in’ – paying attention to selected, paid-for media.

Think about it for a moment. 9—5pm is filled with non-stop media noise and clutter. 15 minutes of breakfast telly with our morning toast and coffee, followed by a quick catch-up on twitter during the rush to work, a check of the BBC website throughout the day and perhaps our favourite football team or national newspaper website too.

Tranquillity descends when we’re at home

That’s when we’ve got time to digest and assimilate information. And this is the place where we’re most heavily invested. The local newspaper is the place where we find out about the issues that will affect us greatly, not just the local news and events, but also important information such as planning notices, school league tables and the like.

And perhaps most importantly, the environment of local newspapers/websites is absolutely on the button for content marketing. It’s an environment of high-quality, original content about the things which people care about greatly.

So my message is this: keep in mind the tranquillity of the home and the attention a local newspaper audience pays when they’re consuming content, and don’t miss out on the opportunity to tap into that all-too-rare consumer immersion to tell a story about your brand.

I make no apology for the blatant promotion of local media; any piece about content marketing should surely practice what it is preaching right?

Although I am a little annoyed – I’ve just watched JD’s video about ‘Gentleman Jack’ and am now intrigued. I might just have to grab a bottle on the way home on Friday.

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