Find your position
In his first Drinksbiz liquor marketing column, Kane Stanford considers the crucial strategic pillar of ‘positioning’...
The New Zealand liquor market is hyper-competitive and the stakes for nailing your branding strategy and marketing execution have never been higher. Brands need to stand out. Whether you’re a retailer, distributor, or brand owner, understanding what your brand means to people is crucial.
The importance of positioning
There are a thousand definitions of what a brand actually is. My favourite is: “what people say about you when you’re not in the room”. The idea behind this is that it’s not actually your brand, it belongs to the public and is a collection of every available touchpoint, experience and memory.
Positioning is the art of distilling all of that into one word, one phrase, one concept. People are busy, overwhelmed by brand choices and the brain loves a good shortcut. All those elements need to consolidate as a simple concept in people’s minds.
Volvo is all about safety.
Lego is all about imagination.
Red Bull is all about adrenaline.
Playing on provenance
In liquor, provenance can play a central role in positioning. Where you come from is super important, whether you’re pushing hyper-local credentials and ingredients in craft beer, your region and micro-climate for wine, or the centuries-old origin story of the barrels in which your spirits are now resting.
By highlighting a country of origin you bring a certain vibe to your brand: tradition, heritage, centuries of expertise, original recipe/methods. When you add the brand name and the right imagery and you’re consistent with that… then you stand for something. You have a position in people’s minds.
In the New Zealand liquor market today, we’re seeing the rise and rise of Japanese brands. It’s been noticeable in all areas and in nearly all categories (except wine, really): Kirin Hyoketsu, Roku Gin, Japanese whiskies, Asahi buying Independent Liquor, Suntory launching in 2026, and even the growth of cultural features like Japanese Listening Lounges with Ante Social and Kemuri Hifi in Auckland.
“Find your position, then make sure all your touchpoints align with it.”
The road to ‘Ichiban’ (‘Number One’)
Lion’s Kirin Hyoketsu has been a fascinating runaway success. Lion has leaned heavily into the “#1 RTD in Japan” angle. But Japan has no centuries-old connection to lemons, they’re not vodka experts, and no one’s great-great-grandfather was making RTDs in between samurai trainings.
But Japan means something outside of liquor. Thanks to its famed codes of honour, respect and humility, and track record of precision, technology and innovation, Japan as a brand means something. It has its own vibe, its own position.
Suntory does exactly the same thing with Boss Coffee “Japan’s #1 Coffee in a Can”. Both these brands are in a world of intense competition.
There were over 200 brands of RTDs sold in New Zealand in the last 12 months. On day one, Kirin Hyoketsu was the 201st. But instead of trying to compete directly with other RTD brands, Lion instead focused on being the biggest Japanese RTD. That’s interesting. That gives punters something to think about. The Kirin Hyoketsu brand manager can talk about the product, the brand, AND JAPAN. Then their job is to grow the category, which they own. Much more interesting.
From a consumer point of view, if something is Japanese, it’s safe to say it’s reliably good. We drive their cars, we watch their smart TVs, we eat their delicious food… it’s more than likely they know how to make a good RTD.
Keeping the brand name Hyoketsu in the New Zealand market was a huge risk. The most common conversation I hear about the brand is people mispronouncing it, or saying they don’t know what it’s really called. The upside is that it leans heavily into the position of being Japanese. And that’s totally worked. At last check, with only 3 SKUs in market, Kirin Hyoketsu is the #2 RTD brand in New Zealand and stealing share off all the big brands.
Find your position
So, whether you’re a liquor brand, a distributor, or a retailer, there are huge benefits in focusing on your brand position. What can you be famous for? What can you be #1 in? Then focus relentlessly on that. Find your position, then make sure all your touchpoints align with it.
Kane Stanford has worked for 13+ years in liquor marketing in New Zealand at Independent Liquor, Bacardi and now Besos Margarita, where he is GM. He is also Head Strategy Judge at the 2 Degrees Auckland Chamber Business Awards.
