Brief:

• Patrón tequila plans to host a virtual benefit concert on Instagram Live to support Black artists and raise money for charity. The brand's "More Than Tequila" music series will livestream from the Instagram channel of rap singer Rapsody at 7 p.m. ET on Oct. 20, per an announcement shared with Mobile Marketer.
• Newcomer artists Deante' Hitchcock, GQ and Cyanca will perform in the benefit concert, which seeks to raise money for an initiative called "Backing the B.A.R." Patrón's parent company Bacardi partnered with the NAACP on the charity drive, which provides grants to Black-owned accounts and retailers to advance racial equality in the restaurant and bar industry.
• As the latest brand to sponsor a livestreamed benefit concert, Patrón has sought to remain visible with its digital marketing efforts for younger adults. Before the livestreamed concert, Patrón and Rapsody will host a conversation with bartender Solomon Thomas about what the campaign means for promoting equality.

Insight:

Patrón aims to reach younger adults with its livestreamed concert on Instagram while supporting African-American employees of restaurants and bars who have faced financial hardship during the coronavirus pandemic. The health crisis has led to the cancelation of live events including music performances at clubs, festivals and other entertainment venues where spirits makers typically run promotions to raise brand awareness. With many people avoiding crowded venues like bars and restaurants, they're more likely to consume alcoholic beverages at home, where Patrón can reach them with its livestreamed benefit concert.

Patrón also wants to demonstrate its commitment to social causes by urging people to support Black-owned businesses that have seen disproportionately negative effects from the pandemic. The brand cited research showing that 40% of African-American business owners weren't working in April, when the health crisis led to lockdowns on many businesses, compared with only 17% of white owners of small businesses.

In addition to seeking donations for "Backing the B.A.R.," Patrón also pledged to support the effort in an initiative that likely will help to improve opinion about its brand among younger adults who are a key consumer group for liquor brands. Two-thirds (66%) of Generation Z consumers said their impression of a brand is positively affected by an association with a social cause, while 58% said such an association might lead to a purchase, consulting firm DoSomething Strategic found in a survey.

The livestreamed concert is another sign of how Patrón has sought to remain visible with its digital marketing efforts aimed at younger adults. Those initiatives include a collaboration with startup Barsys to sell limited-edition "smart coaster" kits to help home bartenders mix the perfect margarita. For Cinco de Mayo, Patrón opened a "virtual bar" on Instagram that let people receive online tutorials from bartenders on how to make margaritas at home. Previously, Patrón included mobile technology in campaigns such as its Amazon Alexa "Ask Patrón" voice-powered app for cocktail recipes and a "Bot-Tender" chatbot on Twitter.

Patrón is the latest brand to sponsor a livestreamed benefit concert to entertain consumers and help a social cause. Mexican beer brand Tecate in August began a four-part virtual concert series to showcase different genres of Latin music and to help Latinx hospitality workers. Event company Superfly in June livestreamed a benefit concert on TikTok and other social platforms to help minority-owned businesses. Fiat Chrysler, Pepsi, Sennheiser and Verizon also livestreamed relief concerts to reach homebound consumers.