Bacardi employees cozy up to 'shaken and stirred' generation during #BacktotheBar event

Dive Brief:

For Bacardi’s second-annual "Back to the Bar" event on Feb. 7, the brand is aiming to encourage "homegrown Instagram influencers" from within the company to go to local bars and generate more than 5,000 unique posts using hashtag #BacktotheBar, according to a press release.
"Back to the Bar" will highlight drinks trends, like "drink less but better," "Instagrammable handcrafted cocktails" and "no/low is the new go-to," and will focus on reaching adult millennials, according to the brand.
For the campaign, more than 7,000 Bacardi employees in 130 cities worldwide will head to a bar to mix drinks and interact with consumers during a 16-hour timeframe. The event commemorates the company’s 157th anniversary.

Dive Insight:

With "Back to the Bar," Bacardi is celebrating its roots and attempting to emotionally connect with millennial bar-goers. The brand refers to the group as the "shaken and stirred" generation, as they have shown more interest in craft cocktails and are driving a rise in sales for spirits.

More booze brands are taking an experiential approach to marketing, and Bacardi’s new campaign aligns with that trend. The experiential, influencer-focused campaign should appeal to millennials, who enjoy opportunities to engage with brands in unique ways and often let memorable experiences drive their purchasing habits. The events will likely help Bacardi grow its social media fan base and build brand loyalty with consumers, as participants are encouraged to share selfies and other photos using hashtag #BacktotheBar. Last year’s event generated about 1,000 social media posts, according to MediaPost, and Bacardi is putting higher hopes on this year’s event.

Influencer content is effective in reaching younger audiences, who see influencers as more authentic, trustworthy and engaging than celebrity endorsement and other advertising formats. Nearly 40% of marketers were planning to increase their influencer marketing budgets in 2018, with most expecting to spend $25,000 and $50,000 and leverage a multi-faceted influencer strategy, according to Linqia.

"Back to the Bar" follows another recent Bacardi campaign that focused on the brand’s heritage. In December, the brand unveiled "The Angels Share," a digital short film co-directed by actor and filmmaker Michael B. Jordan and Emmy-nominated director Paul Hunter to promote its premium collection. The film tells the brand’s story and follows three characters, a Maestro de Ron, a bartender and Bacardi family member.