Canadian-owned tequila brand Siempre, which normally relies heavily on cross-continent visits by its founders to market its products, pivoted with some inspirational strategies during the pandemic.
Virtual account visits via video call allowed the brand to stay in touch with bars and retailers selling its products. Siempre hosted live cocktail competitions on social media channels using its products, replacing the cocktail festivals and contests it would normally participate in during the busy summer season. (It also gave talented DJ’s one-hour slots on its platforms to curate music, giving fans another reason to tune in for a festival-like atmosphere.)
Because many U.S. states are not allowing open-bottle sampling during the pandemic, Siempre took a sampling technique (and readily available packaging) from the perfume industry to create small-vial samples that respect safety and hygiene practices.