Barfly was commissioned to undertake an in-depth review of the vodka category through the eyes and experience of dozens of bar professionals from eight cities around the world – London, Berlin, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, New York, Los Angeles, Austin and St.Louis.

Specifically, the business wanted to establish a clear understanding of the historical, current and projected dynamics within the vodka category. Additionally, the study needed to unlock two key pieces of information:

• The driving factors behind the winning vodka brands
• How brands establish credible competitive advantage within a category where liquid differentiation is difficult to demonstrate

The qualitative filmed interviews also invited bartenders to offer their views on innovation in vodka, including best practice examples within liquid, pack and activation. The concluding element was an in-depth brand audit on SKYY to understand current awareness, along with key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

The global category study provided critical insight which, in turn, has shaped the future brand positioning for SKYY, influencing every element of the marketing mix.