Branded Cocktails are Trending — Here’s Why

Cocktails offer a different drinking experience and one that people worldwide have learned to appreciate over the past few years. Lately, we see that branded cocktails, in particular, are becoming a hit thanks to their ability to create a unique experience that elevates customers’ moods and brands’ marketing efforts. Here are a few reasons why we see branded cocktails everywhere and how you can embrace this trend.

The Visual Focus

They say that people eat with their eyes, but apparently, we also drink with them. Cocktails create a festive feeling. It starts with the creative and entertaining preparation process, including bottle flaring techniques, and continues to a beautifully garnished, colorful glass. Classic visual elements may include layers of liqueurs with different densities or a simple cocktail umbrella. Crazier experiences could set cocktails on fire, add dramatic smoke, or serve the cocktail in unique containers. Many cocktail bars embrace a vintage theme and design to set the mood for customers.

This approach to drinking works perfectly with the idea of branded cocktails. The different branding methods available today (which we’ll discuss later on) offer a modern twist on this visual experience and open a world of opportunities for bars and restaurants. When other drinks maintain a more traditional approach, cocktails allow brands to get creative.

Branded cocktails for the social media age

The modern version of “if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” is asking, “if you go out but don’t share an image on social media, did you really go out at all?.” And what image is better to share than a pretty cocktail?

Food and Drink is the most popular Instagram category in the UK, with nearly 40% of users identifying as fans or such content. This topic’s popularity has turned some mixologists into proper 

social media influencers with millions of online followers. Bartenders admit that social media has changed how they prepare drinks and that branding and garnishing are done with social shares in mind. Consumers themselves are known for choosing the drink that’ll get them more attention from online friends and followers. These facts are particularly important to restaurants, bars, and other businesses looking to increase their online exposure and attract new customers.

Branded cocktails take things to the next level by allowing consumers to share unique images and messages on social media. Natural, organic branding and advertising are the most substantial forms of promotion. Branded cocktails turn visitors into social media ambassadors and ensure that every drink served will boost business, yet another reason for their growing success.

Adding a Touch of Personalization

Cocktails have always been a part of personal branding. Famous characters and people were known for their favorite cocktail, like James Bond’s Martini and Hemingway’s Mojito. Branded cocktails allow businesses to create a unique and personal experience, even when the ingredients used are pretty much the same. Since cocktails tend to cost a bit more than other drinks, giving customers more bang for their buck is essential. With 80% of consumers opting to buy from brands that offer a personalized experience, this move can make all the difference.

Another way of personalizing the drinking journey is by allowing customers to choose their cocktail design and even create it using their own images and messages. This is the visual version of naming a cocktail after a customer, and it brings endless possibilities. By adding the brands’ logo to the design, customers’ choices are connected to the brand and form a bond between the two.

The Power of Branding

One key reason that branded cocktails are on the rise is that they offer a branding opportunity like no other. Not only bars and restaurants can use them to promote their brand, but any business in the world. Here at Ripples, we see brands from every industry use bev-top media and adjust it to fit their style and goals.

Consumers’ short attention spans pose a real challenge for marketing professionals. The search after the ‘golden nugget,’ that one moment of focus, leads brands to take a more creative path. Survey found that creativity is the second most important brand quality in the eyes of consumers, right after trustworthiness. It’s no wonder that brands everywhere are looking for creative ways to promote their business and reach customers directly, which is precisely what branded cocktails manage to do.

Get to know these cocktail branding methods

• Cool as ice: The ice can be branded using customized molds or laser etching. The disadvantage of using this method is that it only works with drinks that actually require ice, and it melts rather quickly.

Bev-top media:

• Edible printing allows brands to print any image or text they can imagine on foam-based drinks. This is branded cocktail personalization at its finest.

Stenciling: A traditional and somewhat more limited version of bev-top media is to create branded visuals manually and using stencils. It may not offer the same creative freedom or accuracy as bev-top media, but it has its charm.

Garnishing: Branding the cocktail umbrella or any other decoration is a wonderful way of creating a branded moment that lasts and works seamlessly with the cocktail drinking experience.

As we can see, branded cocktails have reached their status for good reasons. They complete the visual experience craved by cocktail drinkers and create a magical social media moment that customers and brands both adore. There are many different ways of branding a cocktail, each one delivering certain advantages and challenges. Thanks to these drinks’ rising popularity, we can expect to see more techniques added to the list and current ones advance over time. Choose the drink branding method that works for your business and start creating a fun and memorable time for your customers!

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