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Brand Owner Profile - IXM’s Bill Henderson and Denise Raab
WINNING PLACE IN ONE
By Jill Dutton Photo taken on location at Lamia's Fish Market IXM Builds Brands and Relationships with Bartenders
Bill Henderson and Denise Raab Photo of Leo Bottles courtesy of Voodo Fé - artist.
— ixm founder bill henderson
INNOVATION is taking existing ideas and putting them together in a new way. But it’s also about understanding if that new idea will work. It’s an important distinction that drives NYC-based Innovation X Marketing (IXM), which provides custom solutions for spirits, wine, and cannabis brands at any stage in their lifecycle. Driving IXM is long-time spirits marketing expert and Founder Bill Henderson who together with colleague Denise Raab is creating custom solutions that provide everything needed to bring a brand to market from seed to store.
Henderson and Raab met while working together at Sidney Frank on legendary brands such as Grey Goose Vodka, Casamigos Tequila, and Jägermeister. The duo combines several decades of experience designing and implementing sales and marketing strategies.
“We are a one-stop shop that provides everything needed to bring a brand to market,” says Henderson.
Jon Pardi
The Inspiration Behind IXM
“IXM was created from a desire to be my own boss,” says Henderson. “I had always worked for this amazing company and was very successful. But I wanted to go out on my own and see if I could make it work. Could I build something from scratch? That was my motivation.”
The opportunity came when a long-time client invited Henderson to consult directly. This presented an intriguing opportunity to build a consultancy that could hit the ground running with an existing client base. Henderson took the challenge. “That was IXM 1.0, and there were a lot of growing pains. First, I had to understand how a consultancy of one could influence a huge organization. Then it began to work, and I could see how this type of a relationship could benefit other companies,” he explains.
Enter IXM 2.0. Raab joined Henderson and expanded capabilities to include sales. “We now offer not just the design and consulting, but we execute and provide a complete suite of services like sales strategy, planning, market reps, budgeting. It’s a full-service agency,” notes Raab.
Act Like an Owner
IXM works with brands in a variety of ways. They have taken an equity position in some and consult with others. Some brands are just concepts seeking investors, others are established looking for distributors or to expand into new markets, while others are just stalled in growth.
“Every client is unique. We think of each engagement from the perspective of brand owners,” says Raab. “We also provide realistic programs and strategies, as opposed to agencies who might be great idea generators but who don’t know anything about the market and how it works.”
It’s this approach that has attracted several celebrity brands. IXM is currently working with Country Music Star Jon Pardi on the launch of his American Whiskey and is soon to launch a new brand with Rapper A$AP Rocky.
Start With the Basics
Raab is quick to point out that bartenders are the core of any brand program for IXM. “Bartenders are your gatekeepers and always will be. Brands need to focus on bartender outreach and education with quality products. You can’t just think that consumers will discover your brand on their own.” IXM suggests that brands adopt a mindset of helping bartenders succeed rather than straight sales. That starts with a conversation with key gatekeepers to understand what they need and how they work. “Even after dropping off the product, I’ll spend another 30-45 minutes talking to the bartenders about their job, even taking a photo with them for the brand’s social media channel. That helps promote the bartender, who will remember us when asked for recommendations,” says Raab.
What’s Ahead?
IXM has a lot in the pipeline, including an agreement with a distillery and distributors, which has helped the consultancy build a platform to create a brand and then supply everything needed to bring it to market.
“We now can create a concept, produce the liquid, build the brand, and sell to a distributor who can bring it to market,” says Henderson. “So, for us, that closes the circle. From seed to store, we can get it done.”
— ixm founder bill henderson
