Diddy and Ciroc Vodka
I started reading this article from AdAge about Diddy coming on board with Diageo to manage the marketing of Ciroc vodka with a fair bit of bemusement. But thinking about it, with Diddy talking about bottom lines and his success with his other brands makes me think he may be good for it. He also seems to be comfortable with the changing ways of advertising and marketing
Diddy: I have my own formula and learned how to engage people and inform them. People say content is king, but only when it’s content people are interested in. I can’t make 1 million people view nothing unless it’s tagged to something they like. That’s the only way people are going to pay attention to your content.
Something to be watched closely, it may get some surprising results.
The interesting thing about vodka is that by definition it is supposed to be tasteless and odorless, which means that the various offerings need to differentiate themselves through branding.
http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/31/is-vodka-different/
But as vodka is not just a mixture of pure ethanol and water but has other alcohols and congeners in it – not many, but some – then there are small differences based on raw materials and still. But most people will never notice the difference (or only ever drink with a mixer) so that’s why it is all about the branding and message. Smirnoff pushed for a while the results of the NYT blind taste test where they came out on top but for many the branding of Grey Goose or Stoli was better and they had that.
It’s the same with many other spirits as well, especially for experiments. If you want to try something different are you going to ask for a rum and coke or a Bacardi and coke – the latter makes you sound at least like you know what you are drinking. Getting a brand out there and into the consideration set is what it is all about.
Actually, have you even tried Ciroc? When mixed, it happens to be one of the most “tasteless” liquors I’ve *ever* put in my mouth, if not the most tasteless. It’s amazing! Try it.