When one mentions the term “[tag]master of marketing[/tag]” I immediately think of Bill Samuels of Maker’s Mark. Maker’s Mark is a small family-operated bourbon distillery nestled in the countryside near Loretto, Kentucky, a tiny town in the beautiful Bluegrass Region. But the big boys in New York and Los Angeles have nothing on Bill Samuels.
Some of the most [tag]creative[/tag] [tag]marketing[/tag] pieces I have ever seen have come out of Maker’s Mark. Their billboards around Central Kentucky are legendary (you’ll see some of them in future posts). Their Ambassador program is as brilliant as it is well-run.
I have been a Maker’s Mark Ambassador for a few years. Over that time, I’ve been treated to some great promotions made all the more special by the fact that I’m involved in marketing.
The rest of us should study what Maker’s Mark does in it’s marketing and use the creativity in it to boost our own ingenuity and innovativeness when planning our own marketing campaigns.
Maker’s Mark Ambassadors are expected to promote the brand – a fairly easy job considering the quality of Maker’s Mark’s [tag]bourbon[/tag] [tag]whisky[/tag]. The marketing folks design Ambassador’s [tag]promotions[/tag] to make that goal even easier.
A few days ago, the latest Maker’s Mark Ambassador’s package arrived in my mailbox and it met my expectations of what I have come to expect from them.
This was a mailer that used a form of [tag]viral marketing[/tag] that is in keeping with the goals of the Ambassador program.
The outside of the mailer is glossy black and red and sealed with the Maker’s logo in red wax and about a quarter-inch in thickness – now who could miss that in with their mail – and who could resist opening it?
Mailer exterior front and back
Full mailer interior
Inside the mailer was a text panel with a message to the recipient and instructions on how to use the enclosed stickers. This is one of those places where the Maker’s Mark marketing team excels. They make no assumptions that you will know what to do.
Busy people need instructions – to have the idea implanted. It might be hard to read the panel in this reduced-size image, so I have re-printed it below.
Instructions on how an Ambassador should use the contents
The panel reads,
"Dear Ambassador,
My mother always told me to do what I love, and to have fun doing it.
While you've been introducing a lot of folks to my family's little brand of bourbon, I hope you've had fun. In addition, I hope you've been enjoying the many perks that come with your position. It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it, right?
Speaking of jobs, we're all about making sure you can adequately do your's as a Maker's Mark Ambassador. That's why you'll find 48 receipt stickers to stick to your bills when you frequent restaurants and drinking establishments. 24 stickers to thank them for stocking Maker's Mark or, in the unfortunate case they don't carry it, 24 stickers to encourage them to stock it.
With this new tool, introducing folks to our bourbon whisky will make your job easier and more fun. Trust me, it'll rub off on those around you.
Thanks again for all you do.
Sincerely yours,
Bill Samuels, Jr.
President and Ambassador-at-Large”
Folks, if you miss the brilliance in this, read it again and again until you get it.
And here are those stickers. I don’t know exactly how many Maker’s Mark Ambassadors there are, but each one is now armed with 48 stickers to help Maker’s promote the brand. And because it is a fun thing, many will do just that.
The stickers
By the way, this weekend is Thoroughbreds and Redheads weekend here in Kentucky. Over two days, the Maker’s Mark Ambassadors and guests will enjoy the 11th running of the Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland Racetrack in Lexington, be treated to a big block party in downtown Lexington and the Ambassador’s Homecoming event at the distillery in Loretto.
How much goodwill will Maker’s generate over the weekend? Enough to ensure that this fine product will be available long into the future. And how many lessons in first-rate marketing can we glean from the folks at Maker’s? It just doesn’t end.
Learn more about Maker’s Mark whisky and become a Maker’s Mark Ambassador at the Maker’s Mark website.
