{"id":722,"date":"2013-02-20T09:45:25","date_gmt":"2013-02-20T13:45:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readysetlaunch.net\/?p=722"},"modified":"2017-02-07T14:28:09","modified_gmt":"2017-02-07T19:28:09","slug":"makers-mark-teaches-us-how-not-to-dilute-our-brand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readysetlaunch.net\/2013\/02\/20\/makers-mark-teaches-us-how-not-to-dilute-our-brand\/","title":{"rendered":"Maker’s Mark teaches us how not to \u201cdilute\u201d our brand"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Makers-Mark-Neat\"<\/a>Maker’s Mark<\/a>. This bourbon has been sold in a very distinctive bottle sealed with red wax since 1954.\u00a0 In addition to great packaging and taste, you can count on its 45% alcohol by volume \/ 90 proof the same way you can count on the annual Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.<\/p>\n

Or can you?<\/b> In The Washington Post, \u201cMaker\u2019s Mark reverses decision to cut amount of alcohol in whiskey, restores historic level<\/a>\u201d <\/i>on February 17, 2013, we learn that Maker\u2019s Maker actually considered adding water to its award winning product (dropping its alcohol volume from 45% to 42%), due to excess consumer demand. Immediately, consumers passionately responded via social media against this change and actually preferred a mild shortage of the product over altering its composition. Maker\u2019s Mark quickly recognized its folly and scraped plans of the product change.<\/p>\n

In planning to water down its product, this great bourbon not only ignored the economics of supply and demand (thoroughly discussed in this great Forbes article<\/a>) but also the emotional attachment customers had with Maker\u2019s Mark brand. Adding water to Maker\u2019s Mark, literally and figuratively dilutes this powerful spirits brand.<\/p>\n

Quick marketing lesson: in its simplest definition, a brand is \u201ca delivery of promise.\u201d\u00a0 This promise (product or service) can be delivered via functional and emotional benefits to the desired customer. When Maker\u2019s Mark delivers its promise, customers expect a quality product at 45% alcohol volume.\u00a0 Altering its composition would be no different than changing the formula in Coca-Cola or revamping the packaging of Tropicana Orange Juice. Customers develop an emotional attachment to the brand that they have come to expect over decades.<\/p>\n

Maker\u2019s Mark\u2019s recent misstep allows us to ponder how we can successfully manage our personal brand to avoid any \u201cbrand dilution\u201d:<\/p>\n