Cutwater claims a #1 spot in the US’ spirit-based canned cocktail market: with a host of vodka, rum, tequila, gin and whisky cocktails all based on the real spirit.
But looking at the RTD alcohol category as a whole, many purchase decisions are made on the basis of flavor and convenience: quality, ingredients and premiumization don’t necessarily feature as highly as they do in other beverage categories.
In fact, the survey carried out by Suzy Research and Cutwater found that more people believe in ghosts (44%) than believe canned cocktails are “real” cocktails (36%).
So Cutwater’s Halloween campaign, ‘Real Spirits Inside’, seeks to challenge how people perceive of RTD alcohol.
‘Long term growth comes from quality’
Steve Wolf, Group Vice President of Anheuser-Busch’s Beyond Beer Business Unit, says that honing in on ingredients, quality and premiumization will be key to the future of the RTD alcohol category.
“Convenience is definitely a driver of the canned cocktail category, but long-term growth comes from quality,” he said.
“At Cutwater, we believe true brand loyalty is built on offering a premium product that tastes as good as a freshly made cocktail. Every Cutwater can is crafted with award-winning spirits and real ingredients, perfectly mixed and ready to enjoy straight from the can or served over ice with a garnish.”
But building a premium brand is about more than that.
“For us, premium positioning starts long before someone cracks open a can. It is about building a brand that feels intentional and high quality at every touchpoint, from how the product looks and feels to the kinds of partnerships and experiences we show up in. Consumers can tell when a brand pays attention to the details, and that is something we take seriously. We are always thinking about how to connect with people in ways that feel authentic, creative, and true to who we are as a premium cocktail brand.”
Connecting with consumers via cultural storytelling
So how best to connect with consumers in an authentic way?
For Cutwater, it’s all about ‘cultural storytelling’, which, explains Wolf, is about ‘translating what we stand for into something people can feel and engage with’.
That could mean sharing cocktails or recipes, or going beyond traditional content to find authentic moments of discovery and connection.
That was the basis of the brand’s Halloween campaign this year. Cutwater invited fans to discover the ‘Real Spirits Inside’ one of America’s famous haunted houses: Cleveland’s infamous Franklin Castle.
Built in 1881, Franklin Castle is steeped in chilling legends. Winners of an overnight stay for two arrived at the castle, enjoying a haunted tour of the castle, a cocktail tasting experience with Nikk Alcaraz; a cocktail-paired sensory dinner; and a late-night ghost investigation led by Steve Gonsalves with paranormal hunting tools.
“For us, it’s about connecting the idea of “Real Spirits Inside” to real moments in culture in a way that’s authentic and entertaining,” said Wolf.
“Our Halloween campaign brought that to life across multiple layers, from collaborations with Steve Gonsalves and Nikk Alcaraz to the Franklin Castle experience and even our “Ghost Ship” activation in our tasting room in San Diego – the brand’s spiritual home. Each element gave consumers a new way to interact with the brand, extending our message beyond the product and into experiences that showcase both our creativity and our commitment to quality.
“Additionally, the haunted house experiential event served as a powerful example of an intimate, real consumer interaction that resulted in a unique experience, building lasting memories while creating compelling content. It added a layer of authenticity that reinforces our commitment to creating experiences that feel personal and genuinely fun.”
