Mike's Hard Lemonade Goes All In on Digital?
Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co. (www.mikeshard.com) is a social brand fueled by the passion that its fans have for its leading flavored malt beverage product. More often than not, those fans are Millennial adults who are looking for more flavorful alcoholic refreshments.
In step with its target consumer, the company made the decision to trade in its historically TV-dominated marketing strategy for one that’s 100-percent digital in 2014. This change gives the brand the opportunity to engage with its target consumers more frequently and be part of the two-way conversation.
“This demographic lives online, so it’s important that we be in the digital spaces where they’re consuming content,” says Sanjiv Gajiwala, senior director, Marketing Activation, Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co.
The company’s 2014 marketing programming is supported across digital, social, retail and grassroots platforms through an integrated team of agency partners. Social media engagement, particularly, plays a huge role in the content marketing strategy. According to Kantar Media, Mike’s more than doubled its year-over-year marketing investment and is reinforcing the “mike’s” personality by building upon the relationships that it has with fans and fun, social occasions.
In June, Mike’s connected the digital and physical worlds by temporarily rebranding itself “paul’s hard lemonade” in celebration of its one-millionth Facebook fan, Paul Siano of Orland Park, Ill. Within 24 hours of identifying the milestone fan, Mike’s created a new logo and packaging, updated its web site, Facebook and Twitter properties to reflect the new name; presented Siano with
his very own six-pack of “paul’s hard lemonade”; and documented the entire process at Facebook.com/mikeshardlemonade.
“The execution of the millionth fan celebration was made for social media. We were able to reward a Facebook fan for engaging with us and, at the same time, share compelling social media content with the rest of our audience,” says Gajiwala.
The celebration led to an uptick in engagement in the days that followed the one-millionth fan announcement and video. According to Facebook Insights, the company experienced 400 percent more engagement the week of June 16th than the next best-performing flavored malt beverage brand. Additionally, comments about and shares of the “paul’s hard lemonade” YouTube video spiked.
Similarly, a “mikehacks” program is building social buzz by arming consumers with ingenious ways to make summer occasions, like backyard barbeques, even more fun. The program offers ideas, expert guidance and challenges for fans to craft and share their #mikehacks at getmikehacks.com, which utilizes the social platform, Tumblr.
The company also partnered with The Onion’s branded content unit Onion Labs this past Spring to develop collectible 16 oz. can designs for mike’s HARDER, and is now asking consumers for their ideas.
“We’re now running a series of consumer contests that let fans design the cans for future flavors. The first of these fan-designed collectible cans will debut this Fall,” says Gajiwala.
To measure the effectiveness of all its digital marketing programs, Mike’s relies on a variety of tools, including custom research to track the Mike’s brand against core consumers.
“But the numbers only take us so far; one-to-one, qualitative research is integral to our evaluation strategy, and we collect that from primary research as well as real-time social feedback from consumers,” says Gajiwala. “We monitor all our media to determine what’s driving sales, but we also use social media to gather insights from our consumers. For example, this two-way communication informs our mike’s HARDER Collectibles series.”
Mike’s will continue its mission to be an original, authentic brand with a passion for harnessing new, playful ideas. Future digital marketing programs will reflect this personality.
“Mike’s Hard Lemonade is a social brand that brings friends together, and by focusing on a social media strategy, we’re helping to gather those friends and connect them online.”
— Sanjiv Gajiwala, senior director, marketing activation, Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co.
In step with its target consumer, the company made the decision to trade in its historically TV-dominated marketing strategy for one that’s 100-percent digital in 2014. This change gives the brand the opportunity to engage with its target consumers more frequently and be part of the two-way conversation.
“This demographic lives online, so it’s important that we be in the digital spaces where they’re consuming content,” says Sanjiv Gajiwala, senior director, Marketing Activation, Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co.
The company’s 2014 marketing programming is supported across digital, social, retail and grassroots platforms through an integrated team of agency partners. Social media engagement, particularly, plays a huge role in the content marketing strategy. According to Kantar Media, Mike’s more than doubled its year-over-year marketing investment and is reinforcing the “mike’s” personality by building upon the relationships that it has with fans and fun, social occasions.
In June, Mike’s connected the digital and physical worlds by temporarily rebranding itself “paul’s hard lemonade” in celebration of its one-millionth Facebook fan, Paul Siano of Orland Park, Ill. Within 24 hours of identifying the milestone fan, Mike’s created a new logo and packaging, updated its web site, Facebook and Twitter properties to reflect the new name; presented Siano with
his very own six-pack of “paul’s hard lemonade”; and documented the entire process at Facebook.com/mikeshardlemonade.
“The execution of the millionth fan celebration was made for social media. We were able to reward a Facebook fan for engaging with us and, at the same time, share compelling social media content with the rest of our audience,” says Gajiwala.
The celebration led to an uptick in engagement in the days that followed the one-millionth fan announcement and video. According to Facebook Insights, the company experienced 400 percent more engagement the week of June 16th than the next best-performing flavored malt beverage brand. Additionally, comments about and shares of the “paul’s hard lemonade” YouTube video spiked.
Similarly, a “mikehacks” program is building social buzz by arming consumers with ingenious ways to make summer occasions, like backyard barbeques, even more fun. The program offers ideas, expert guidance and challenges for fans to craft and share their #mikehacks at getmikehacks.com, which utilizes the social platform, Tumblr.
The company also partnered with The Onion’s branded content unit Onion Labs this past Spring to develop collectible 16 oz. can designs for mike’s HARDER, and is now asking consumers for their ideas.
“We’re now running a series of consumer contests that let fans design the cans for future flavors. The first of these fan-designed collectible cans will debut this Fall,” says Gajiwala.
To measure the effectiveness of all its digital marketing programs, Mike’s relies on a variety of tools, including custom research to track the Mike’s brand against core consumers.
“But the numbers only take us so far; one-to-one, qualitative research is integral to our evaluation strategy, and we collect that from primary research as well as real-time social feedback from consumers,” says Gajiwala. “We monitor all our media to determine what’s driving sales, but we also use social media to gather insights from our consumers. For example, this two-way communication informs our mike’s HARDER Collectibles series.”
Mike’s will continue its mission to be an original, authentic brand with a passion for harnessing new, playful ideas. Future digital marketing programs will reflect this personality.
“Mike’s Hard Lemonade is a social brand that brings friends together, and by focusing on a social media strategy, we’re helping to gather those friends and connect them online.”
— Sanjiv Gajiwala, senior director, marketing activation, Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co.