Given the lack of awareness and distribution for the Sipsmith in the US, Barfly was asked to evaluate the potential for what was in many ways a new brand launch.

The start point for this project was to take the external perspective and ask the telling question…’does the US need another super-premium gin brand?’

The Barfly brief was to undertake a full brand audit around the entire Sipsmith offering. 23 in-depth bartender interviews were conducted across the US to determine the legitimate brand edge that Sipsmith offers – i.e. what are the genuine points of differentiation, versus the establish competition, that are meaningful to both bar professionals and consumers.

The brand audit included all the possible communication touchpoints around production, liquid, education, social and sustainability credentials, and trade activations.

The output from the project provided valuable insight into the brand positioning and messaging as well as optimising the education and activation plans for the next few years.