What do you expect from Advocacy, Brand Ambassadors, Engagement & Education programmes?

Advocacy now needs to be very engaging and in very positive ways to have any impact, partly due to the increased amount of platforms and activations. The variety of tools to remain at the forefront of bartenders’ minds is getting larger by the day. Education seems the most obvious, but a simple brand story does not have much leverage anymore. Many brand stories are embellished or even barely true, and therefore have lost gravitas and impact.

Education has to be inspiring but also teach something new and valuable. I need pieces of information to be pushed in front of me, without requiring an active e ort to find it, such as snippets of information and data seeded that I can remember, use, and share, allowing me to be more knowledgeable. The content has to be distinctive, fun, and to the point.

Training in-house by the brand ambassador becomes complicated, as a bar manager, it requires me to ask my team to come to work early at a time when sta ing shortage is almost a state of fact, so even if I'd like to, I am reluctant to do so unless I know that the masterclass will be an experience. But having available relevant clear, and novel information about the brand so I can train my team ongoingly is of real interest. The other good option is for the brand ambassador to come to the bar at opening time and deliver a short clear and to-the-point training (10mn max). Positive and social experiences are often underrated. Bartenders live an upside-down life with little socialising time, so bonding activities go a long way. Giving exposure to bar and bartenders, and supporting them to gain recognition among our peers is important, and bring a sentiment of fulfillment. Beyond showing, again and again, the ten most successful bartenders in the world and what they do. Visiting distilleries is a powerful advocacy tool, a first-hand experience of the brand. Lastly, but the list can go on, never underestimate premium and long-lasting bar equipment. I would rather own one great shaker than work in a bar equipped with crappy branded equipment.

What advocacy programme made a di erence and shifted your loyalty to a brand?

Platforms that gave me a sense of community and fun, like the Highland Games or the softball, are still fresh in my mind, and my gratitude to the brand remains to this day (10 years later). Even if I realise that the cost is prohibitive, brand trips to distilleries and the genuine interaction with the people who make the product, which systematically makes me realise the immense work and passion they put into what they do. Brand Ambassadors are the day-to-day brand relatable representation, but experiencing this will always assert the belief that the brand is of greater quality and will motivate me to push the product in my bar and to my patrons ( because I now personally know the people behind it).

Hendricks' bespoke barware created over the years has always given me a sentiment of desire and excitement; that I must admit has maintained my interest in the brand. And the few I own are still prized possessions.