Notorious Beam Team

Glenfiddich has embraced the concept of blogging as a way of both engaging with their consumers and as a way of building an online community of fans. They use the blog as a feed of interesting information about Glenfiddich such as new releases, interviews with the master distiller etc. Crucially the blogging format allows any articles written to be commented on.

From New Media Age in March 2006:

"Glenfiddich single-malt owner William Grant & Sons recently announced that it is building an online loyalty club for the whisky brand, including a blog. The move reflects the continuing growth of the distillery's digital budget. The Glenfiddich loyalty club will provide access to exclusive promotions. It will be supported by an online campaign and educational blog aimed at whisky connoisseurs. The decision follows a successful offline CRM campaign conducted by direct marketing agency Presky Maves last year, which established a database of 100,000 committed whisky drinkers who Glenfiddich now hopes to retain using online marketing. The blog, also a first for the brand, will be written by Glenfiddich's "brand ambassadors" Ian Millar and Ludo Ducrocq. They will supply educational and informative content for people interested in whisky-related events, to attract new consumers as well as retain current drinkers. "This is all about letting consumers get closer to the brand," said Glenfiddich new media manager Rebecca Heathcote. "The focus is on leveraging our database and concentrating on customer retention and loyalty."

Thanks to Erika Warren for this.

The article on Ladybank Distillers highlights the current trend for whiskies to chase a younger audience via a wealth of CRM ideas.