Dive Brief:

• Jameson is collaborating with Pinterest to introduce its new Jameson Orange whiskey, according to information shared with Marketing Dive.
• As part of the partnership, Pernod Ricard-owned Jameson will own the keyword "orange" when people conduct searches on the social media site. The goal is to influence where Jameson Orange appears on the site, allowing the brand to "break through" users' personalized Pinterest feeds.
• The strategy not only helps to boost product awareness, but also to help the brand reach young consumers whose alcohol preferences may still be developing.

Dive Insight:

Jameson Orange wants to get in front of consumers displaying an interest in orange as a flavor or color on a platform known for engaging people seeking inspiration in areas like food, beverage and decor. There are over 16 million searches for the word "orange" on Pinterest annually, per information the platform shared. As part of its collaboration, Jameson Orange content will appear in the results for searches for "orange aesthetic," "orange chicken" and "orange nails," among others, giving the brand a way to leverage contextual targeting instead of demographic targeting.

Experimenting with contextual targeting as a tactic for reaching digital users who may be interested in a brand's message has become more important with the deprecation of third-party cookies looming, a primary way that brands have targeted people online but which is losing favor in the face of growing privacy concerns.

Among Pinterest users, 86% say the app helps them learn what they like to drink, according to information the platform shared. Additionally, 82% of active users use the site to help decide what food and beverage they'll purchase when they're undecided and 93% engage with the platform to discover items they're interested in purchasing. Over 70 million Pinterest users actively engage with food and beverage content.

"Through a first of its kind color takeover on Pinterest, we can offer consumers a unique and unconventional way to discover Jameson Orange and celebrate the diversity of Irish whiskey," Kelly Suhr, senior brand director of Jameson at Pernod Ricard, said in a statement. "Our collaboration with Pinterest is a perfect way to introduce more consumers to Jameson Orange in a bold, refreshing and highly engaging way."

Jameson is the most popular Irish whiskey in the U.S., selling 3.58 million cases in 2020. It currently holds 70% of the market in the country, but has been forced to grabble with recent competitor growth, such as Tullamore D.E.W. and Proper No. Twelve. With the growth in popularity of both Irish whisky in general and additional rivals, Jameson has looked to diversify its portfolio to appeal to millennial tastes. In addition to the new orange liquor, the brand recently released a line of canned cocktails.