The Covid-19 pandemic is taking over the industry, and causing quite a bit of havoc. Businesses are on pause, things are not working, and almost everyone’s on lockdown. However, this doesn’t mean that we need to stop work completely. Our hands might be tied to a certain extent, but there are also lots of things we can do to sell your spirits during this time.

Panicking and wondering what you can do with your brand is something that is not going to help. There are things which are out of your control, but there are also some things which are in your control. So, it’s best to tap into those that you have control over, and use them to your advantage.

Of course, you can’t control the closure of restaurants, bars, and the dying demand in the on-premise sector. However, what you can do is make ends meet, and take your spirits to the customer. Let’s be honest, even during these times, people aren’t going to stop drinking. Off-premise sales have already shot up since customers are stocking up. So, even though your spirits might not be in front of the customer’s eyes, you can try and make it available to them.

Here are a few things you can do to sell spirits during a pandemic.

1. Try out delivery options.

 A lot of people will want same-day delivery and will want their spirits as quickly as possible. See if you have the option of same-day delivery. Ask your employees if they’re willing to make a delivery run (of course, only if it’s safe to do so for them).

2. Give your customers a little something over the top.

Offer them discounts on spirits, or send across a voucher for one of your services when they order. Let them know that you care. Your customers are all going to be looking to do something interesting during this time. Like SVB on wine suggests, ship your customers a game for family play with their order. You can also include a gift card to Uber Eats to have dinner delivered.

3. Get onto online portals

The internet is one of the most helpful places as of now. You can leverage it to your topmost advantage. There are a lot of online portals that are still doing deliveries. You can get onto those online portals and let your customers know that your spirits are available there.

4. Create a lot of online content

Of course, you can’t have customers come in and taste your spirits, and you definitely cannot hold store tastings - so the best thing to do here is to create online tastings. Get in touch with spirits specialists, influencers, celebs etc. Deliver your spirits to them and create a deal with them where they’ll be posting about your spirits.

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Having a strong digital marketing strategy will help your brand gain the awareness it needs between both consumers and buyers. So how should you build a digital marketing strategy that you can be known for?

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5. Have a pick-up option with a limited number of people

Create a portal where customers can order and pick up their spirits in a certain time slot. Make sure you space out the time slots so others don’t come in contact with each other. This is a good way to connect with your customers as well. Here you can also offer the vouchers and coupons as mentioned before.

6. Talk to local restaurants and hotels are that open

Hotels are most likely to still be open, so their drinks would be served as well. Talk to hotels and see if you can get your spirits in their bars and kitchens. Give them free delivery options, and tell them you’ll stock up their bars. This will pull customers in hotels to drink your spirits since the hotel will always have them in stock.

7. Be strong digitally

This will probably not sell your spirits right now, but it will help in the long run. Focus on your digital strategy. Make your brand visible. What you need to do right now is show customers that you’re still there, and make sure they don’t forget about you. Be active on social media, inform your customers about what is going on - tell them what you’ll be doing next, tell them what you have planned. Ask them what they’re doing. Engaging with your customers will help them come to you once all of this blows over.

Looking for more tips? Listen to Grow Your Beverage Brand Podcast: Leveraging social media during the pandemic: Grow Your Beverage Brand

8. Give discounts

Off-premise sales are skyrocketing right now as customers are stocking up every time they step foot in a store. Leverage this to your advantage. Create discounts for your spirits. Talk to the retailer, and offer discounts when people buy altogether. For example, you can offer a combo of Tequila, Vodka, and Whiskey for let’s say $50, depending on the price of your products. Make sure your pricing is something that appeals to buyers at this time. Keep in mind, a lot of people are losing their jobs, and finding cheap products is what they are looking for at the moment. So if they find a budget vodka, then they’re definitely bound to stock up.

All in all, you can use these ways to keep your sales afloat during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the most important thing right now is your safety, and the safety of others - so make sure all steps taken are with precaution, especially delivery.

Continue Reading...

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• How can distilleries build their online presence to drive delivery & curbside sales

• Your Sales Rep: The Most Important Person in Your Supply Chain

• Tips To Sell More Spirits During The Holiday Season

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