My View

Published: 18 January, 2007

Balancing the need for consistent communication with evolution, Jack Daniel's has remained true to its heritage and its consumers.

One of the key reasons behind the growth of Jack Daniel's over the past few decades has been a consistent communication strategy.

We're not a brand that has packaging re-designs every five years and we don't have "re-launches". Jack Daniel's is about substance, not fashion.

Our whiskey is still made using the same recipe Mr Jack used back in 1866. The iconic black and white advertising we use has followed the same formula since 1955.

However, doing exactly the same thing every year isn't the right strategy either, so we look to evolve certain promotional programs in order to keep the consumer interested in what the brand has to say.

We try to ground things in brand stories. Due to a courthouse fire, Jack's exact birth date has been lost to history - but we do know he was born sometime in September 1850. Every September we therefore implement a campaign to celebrate, but each year we ensure it is refreshed either through the creative look and feel, the type of media we might select or the promotional mechanics we might implement.

This year for the first time we held a national cocktail competition to find the Birthday cocktail for 2008.

Many brands expend energy spinning compelling stories around themselves, but at Jack Daniel's we don't need to. With consumers who spot a fake miles away, authenticity is key.

Phil Epps is the marketing manager of Jack Daniel's UK

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