Here's a quote that may have a ring of familiarity to it:
Sounds like a high-tech product or brand? Maybe even a very savvy media company? Or a radio station trying to expand its footprint?
But no, it's Southern Comfort, and the speaker is Lena DerOhannessian, the company's U.S. Brand Marketing Director.
Examples of their new program include sponsoring a list of the Top 50 all-time cover songs, presented with Spin on their website, including free downloads.
Southern Comfort will also have a Facebook Fan Page that will include videos, news, recipes, and a text platform. In that way, they hope to engage its community of fans and help give Southern Comfort a greater sense of currency and movement, rather than simply being just another kind of alcohol brand.
Southern Comfort's digital strategy includes expanding its "cume" by tying in with other Internet websites, and in the process, taking advantage of their communities and reach. This includes promotions and activities with sites from Comedy Central, Break.com, Hulu, and My Damn Channel. In this way, they can take advantage of the content on these sites to tie in Southern Comfort into those communities.
As DerOhannessian concludes, "We hope to learn significantly more about who our consumer is and what it is as a brand that we can provide to them that would make the communication more satisfying to them and the experience more memorable."
Southern Comfort has done its homework, determining the websites and brands its consumers enjoy. In the process, it has provided them with a digital roadmap that allows them to better connect with customers, instead of just doing bar nights.
Someone on their team has also read Seth Godin's Meatball Sundae. These digital strategic initiatives launched by a legacy "meatball" brand like Southern Comfort should be yet another reminder of the importance of using new platforms and tools to better serve today's customers and communities. And it starts with understanding the consumer, and not just doing digital stuff.
Southern Comfort is 135 years old. If they can take stock, do their homework, figure it out, adapt, and start moving – anybody can.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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