Jim Beam Expands Brand Building In The US Hispanic Market.

Jim Beam Brands Co. is launching its first U.S. Hispanic marketing campaign. The national campaign, which will include a combination of print, radio and outdoor advertising, point-of-sale and on-premise promotions, will be tailored for different Hispanic consumers in cities across the country. While Jim Beam Brands Co. markets its products in more than 160 countries, this is the first time the company has marketed specifically to the Hispanic community in the United States.

The company’s efforts include a multi-million-dollar investment on a national campaign that includes a full local-market and national media buy. Jim Beam tapped The Bravo Group, the Hispanic subsidiary of Young and Rubicam, to design the ad campaign. GMR Marketing’s Hispanic specialty unit will execute the Jim Beam on-premise promotions created for Hispanic consumers, including Jim Beam Flash. In this promotion, a Spanish-speaking representative takes photos of groups of friends at bars and clubs. Consumers can then retrieve their Jim Beam Flash photos on the company’s bilingual web site, jimbeam.com, and share the pictures with friends through email. The promotional campaign, created by Bates USA South, will be expanded in subsequent years.

“We’re customizing our advertisements, promotions and other programs to reflect the diverse Hispanic population in the United States,” said Carl Larsen, director, global brand development, Jim Beam Brands Co. “The Jim Beam campaign communicates our understanding of Hispanics’ individual lifestyles and distinct regional differences.”

While Jim Beam® Bourbon is widely available in Latin America, the U.S. Hispanic community represents a tremendous opportunity for domestic growth. Since Jim Beam began test marketing its Hispanic programs, the company has built brand awareness and relevance with Hispanic consumers, and gained measured sales growth among the target audience.

Hispanic Messaging Development

The advertising campaign is based on the global Jim Beam Bourbon strategy of embracing friendships among young adult males. The Hispanic ads will not be a literal translation of the English-language “Real friends. Real bourbon.” ads, but an in-culture representation of the concept.

After conducting primary and secondary research, Jim Beam refined its communications to more accurately reflect sociability among young adult Hispanic males. In order to connect with them on a personal level, Jim Beam wanted to demonstrate an understanding of the way they socialize by communicating in a way that lets Hispanic consumers know the ads are talking to them. Since bourbon has not traditionally been part of the Hispanic culture, the executions will feature product usage and emphasize Jim Beam’s 207-year-old heritage, allowing Hispanic consumers to learn about the brand and start new traditions.

“This campaign is reflective of the company’s overall global positioning,” said Tom Hernquist, senior vice president of marketing, Jim Beam Brands Co. “Our brand image is based on consumers spending time with friends and enjoying our product. We’ve translated that image to U.S. Hispanic audiences while keeping our overall messages consistent.”

In-depth Local Market Research

Jim Beam has taken a very strategic approach to understanding U.S. Hispanic communities and reaching them in a meaningful way. In addition to substantial secondary research and analysis, the company conducted numerous focus groups in each of its key Hispanic markets and found that, to be effective, the marketing approach needed to vary by market.

“While key elements of this campaign will stay consistent with our positioning in terms of look and language, the marketing mix may vary from Miami to Houston,” said Larsen.Since October 2001, Jim Beam has had a full-time representative in various Hispanic markets to implement on-premise promotions.

During the past six months, the company has tested promotions in targeted Hispanic markets, and has been making adaptations based on the response from local consumers.

In preparation for the launch of the marketing campaign, Jim Beam re-launched the U.S. portion of jimbeam.com in December 2001 as a bilingual site.