It can be tempting to throw all your energy into perfecting the quality of the spirit you produce. After all, isn’t that what it’s all about? Forget about brand values, ethos and big picture positioning… it’s the flavour that matters!
Spoiler Alert – do that at your peril. While the quality of your spirit is undeniably crucial, it’s the soul of your brand – the values you stand for – that creates true differentiation and lasting loyalty. It’s also the factor that will allow you to make the spirits so care about – it’s what makes them sell.
As a maker it’s hard to accept this, and the first thing that may have popped into your head when reading that statement is “no it’s not, taste keeps them coming back”. Maybe you even thought “my flavour sets me apart”.
We hate to break it to you, but it’s a very rare consumer who only likes one type of whisky / rum / gin and one alone. The rest of us are swayed. We’ll come back, sure, but it’s an open relationship, not an exclusive one…
Moreover, having sat in spirits competitions with elite judges and distillers – when it’s all blind and no one knows which brand is which, even the most respected distillers and blenders find it very hard to pick out theirs. Flavour might establish your quality, but it’s rare that no other is like you, particularly for crowded categories like gin, or due to the subtlety involved in the likes of vodka and heritage in Whisky that dictates certain styles and genres share similarities.
To stand out and stay true, you need both. Your brand values should be as clear and distinct as the notes in your beverage. Especially once you apply it through your ethos and tone of voice. Here’s all the reasons why…
Values drive decisions
In a market flooded with options, authenticity is your most potent weapon. If your brand values aren’t just marketing gimmicks but genuine beliefs you and your team live by, consumers will sense it. Authenticity creates trust, and trust is invaluable.
They also act as a compass, ensuring you don’t lose sight of your brand’s essence.
From the ingredients you source to the design of your bottles and labels, your brand values should be evident in every aspect of your business. When you’re faced with tough decisions or directions to expand into, those core values can guide you.
On those two reasons alone, clear and actionable brand values are worth their weight in gold.
Go beyond semantics; Brand Values vs Brand Ethos
Brand values and brand ethos are terms that are sometimes used interchangeably, but they can be understood in subtly different ways. Once you do, you can better implement them in practice.
Brand Values
- Brand values are the guiding principles that shape every aspect of a business. They are a set of beliefs or standards the brand upholds and are used to drive behaviour, influence standards and inform decisions.
- They serve as a foundation, creating a consistent vision and mission throughout the organisation. They’re often what the company will fall back on when faced with decisions or potential challenges.
Brand Ethos
- The ethos of a brand refers to its character, culture, or spirit that’s derived from its values. It’s the manifestation of the brand values and the “personality” of the brand. It’s better understood as a synonym of that, than value. Ethos is often linked to the emotional connection a brand establishes with its audience.
For Example: If a brand has sustainability as a core value, its ethos might be reflected in teh way it demonstrates an authentic commitment to environmental responsibility, seen in its marketing campaigns, the eco-friendly materials in its products, and its partnerships with environmental organisations.
It’s a subtle difference but it should be clear. Both values and ethos deal with beliefs and guiding principles. Brand values are more about the internal guiding principles a company strives to uphold, while brand ethos is about how these principles are projected externally, shaping the brand’s character and reputation in the public eye.
Or as one producer told us; Think of values as the foundations and ethos as the house built on top. They need to align and you need one for the other to be stable.
So why are we labouring this point? Because making that differentiation matters due to the fact that many brands share similar foundational values. Most distilleries, for instance, might champion artisan craftsmanship or by contrast, innovation. They might pick sustainability or community.
But by applying it with a distinct ethos, the flavour or character of a brand, you can really differentiate one distillery from another.
Imagine two distilleries that both share the same brand value – a dedication to craftsmanship:
- Distillery A – Their ethos emphasises their heritage. They’re based in a historical building, use methods passed down through generations, and their branding and storytelling revolve around honouring traditions. Their events might include historical tours, and their marketing might feature sepia-toned images and tales of the past.
- Distillery B – Their ethos centres on modern artisanal creativity. They constantly experiment, collaborate with mixologists, and use branding that’s sleek, contemporary, and vibrant. Their events might be cocktail innovation nights, and their marketing could showcase behind-the-scenes glimpses of their experimental processes.
Both distilleries value craftsmanship, but their ethos and personality —the way they interpret and express that value—is radically different.
How to focus your values & ethos to create differentiation
- Touches emotions: While values resonate with our underlying beliefs, ethos touches our emotions. How have you taken that core principle and found a way to trigger someone’s emotion?
- Sets the aesthetic tone: The ethos dictates the visual and sensory identity. It informs decisions on everything from bottle design and packaging to the interior décor of the tasting room. Have you applied your ethos consistently everywhere? If so, work it backwards – Based on your what you see when asked to sum it up, do people consistently point to the same underlying principle?
- Guides communication: Whether it’s social media, advertising campaigns, or PR, the brand’s ethos will determine the tone of voice, style, and content of its communications. How are you expressing it? Do you have buzzwords and repeat sentences you want to drive home time and again.
- Shapes experiences: From distillery tours to launch events, the way a brand interacts with its customers is an embodiment of its ethos. It’s the little details—the music, the presentation, the vibe—that make these experiences memorable and distinctive. If your brand was a person, what would they look like? If it were a soundtrack, what would the playlist be? Build a world and make it immersive – then apply it to every interaction.
- Use values as your Litmus test: How often do you judge a decision or a campaign by the values you aspire to live up to? The more you bring your values to the front of the decision making process, the more they will be evident in everything they do and the more they will self perpetuate.
Final Thoughts
To truly succeed in the world of craft distilling, it’s crucial to see beyond the beverage itself.
Your spirits might be the main attraction, but it’s your values, your story, and your commitment that will transform fleeting interest into a sale, and if done consistently – lasting loyalty.
Understand that while values lay the foundation, it’s the ethos that gives the brand its unique identity. Give as much thought to the soul of your brand as you do to the spirit in the bottle. Now that you’ve understood more about brand Value, look at how they integrate with Tone of Voice & Building Your Brand Equity – as there’s a lot of crossover there.
If you do, despite being inundated with choices, you’ll find that consumers will consistently pick a strong, differentiated offering. Your underlying values will be the deciding factor that makes them reach for your bottle over another.
