Fitch & Leedes had already established themselves as the number one tonic brand in South Africa and with their sights set on the UK and a distributor, Hoyle Bottom Spirits lined up the next step was bringing in a marketing agency to launch them into the UK drinks market.
From day one (during the UK’s first lockdown no less) we knew that the strategy would need to remain agile, responding to the ups and downs the hospitality industry was facing.
The Brand Story
The introduction of Fitch & Leedes to UK shores has only been a matter of time as the brand itself is inspired by the tale of two intrepid English pioneers of the 16th Century, who left English shores to discover new and exotic flavours from around the world.
With this information in hand, we wanted to pay homage to the brand’s name and history whilst pioneering a reactive marketing strategy at a time when the hospitality sector continues to tackle the effects of COVID-19 restrictions.
The Social Media Launch
Fitch & Leedes is a much-loved tonic and mixer brand throughout Africa with a proud and engaged online community. It was time to bring this to the UK with a social strategy that would appeal to both the UK consumer and trade audiences.
Creating new UK social channels for the brand, we positioned the launch around the range of mixers that could be enjoyed at home. We wanted consumers to feel like they could experience the same quality of drink from their favourite bar or restaurant at a time when they can’t visit public venues. Working closely with Craft Gin Club, who featured Fitch & Leedes in their November box, we’ve been able to engage and nurture new potential customers through our social channels and encourage further sales via the Craft Gin Club website.
Not forgetting, a nod to industry experts too… our strategy positions bartenders and mixologists as the the hero of the story – much like the foundations of the brand who position themselves as an understudy to greatness when referencing the premium craft spirits Fitch & Leedes mixers complement.
The Trade Support
As the current climate for trade adapts, we plan to adapt alongside them too to ensure Fitch & Leedes is supporting the industry they know and love as much as possible. Building out a tiered approach, we’re able to ramp up or reduced activity as needed.
Our strategy outlines the brand’s plans to become a pioneering force in helping drinking venues attract clientele back to venues with the very best drink offering – enter Fitch & Leedes Pink and Blue Tonics! This include creating buyer packs to showcase the brand to relevant buyers and trade outlets looking to be the first to stock Fitch & Leedes.
The Look & Feel
There’s no denying that the UK will never live up to the sunny climes of South Africa, so we wanted to ensure our content for Fitch & Leedes here in the UK is relatable to us British folk.
We’re not talking about G&Ts in the rain, but rather aspirational imagery that aligns with the brand’s quality offering. We went about shooting minimalistic, clean-cut photography that places focus on the brand, its products and the drinking experience itself.
We also headed to Bibis Restaurant to capture some Covid friendly new bar images, complete with in-shot face masks of course!
“The decision to work with Brilliant Agency was an exceptionally easy one to make and we have been consistently impressed by the team’s penetrating and dynamic response to the strategic demands of bringing our products to market, in what has been a very challenging year for businesses. We cannot stress enough the vital part that everyone at Brilliant Agency has played in developing awareness and engagement with our brand.”
Owen McNally - Co-founder of Hoyle Bottom SpiritsExclusive distributer of Fitch & Leedes in the UK
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