Challenge
Name any beer, wine or spirit, and there’s a good chance you’ll find it at BevMo! — the leading specialty retailer of alcoholic beverages on the west coast for over 20 years, comprising 165 stores in three states. For the first time, BevMo! is facing increased competition from super chains. Until recently, grocers carried a narrow selection of alcohol. Not anymore. Many major retailers now offer craft beer, fine wine and premium liquor. Meanwhile, other specialty alcohol purveyors have emerged. This shift in the market allowed BevMo!’s competitors to increase in size and scope. In order to fortify its regional stronghold and maximize its promotional capabilities, BevMo! needed a holistic approach to marketing with an emphasis on digital transformation. BevMo! had a reputable brand without a consistent brand voice. BevMo!’s internal marketing team was highly skilled but inundated and overly specialized. They also worked with multiple agencies who had limited capacities. Due to the fragmentation of their resources, BevMo!’s branding lacked uniformity. They needed a vision. They needed a voice. They needed a strategic overhaul — and that’s where PureRED stepped in.
Solution
We introduced a 3-Point Plan to confront BevMo!’s challenges. Reshaping the agency model—We started by streamlining BevMo!’s internal marketing department, providing their leadership team with the flexibility to be more innovative and tactical. PureRED consolidated the responsibilities once outsourced to numerous entities. Our office is close to BevMo!’s headquarters, offering boots on the ground with devoted brand experts and account executives. Differentiating the brand from the competition—Next, PureRED redefined BevMo!’s identity by leveraging their fun personality, distinguishing them from their more buttoned-up competitors. Through the use of wit, whimsy and humor, we’ve established a cohesive brand voice that’s both strategically compelling and emotionally appealing. Modernizing their digital ecosystem Finally, we created a new responsive website to better align with the brand, improve SEO and simplify the user experience. We also expanded their email marketing, re-targeting banners, social ads and the recently launched BevMo! App. The key to a successful marketing partnership is communication. Our new partnership model provides a larger team under one roof at PureRED with supplemental onsite presence. This agility enables alertness, competitive response, and the ability to scale efficiently, allowing us to anticipate opportunities and trends. PureRED is staffed with writers and designers dedicated to BevMo! on a daily basis. We’re fully integrated across all channels including email, web and print, serving as an extension of BevMo!’s internal team. A partnership model allows for unified brand strategy, planning and execution. PureRED now manages shopper communication across all activations, amplifying BevMo!’s digital touchpoints and improving upon their traditional print materials. We partner closely with BevMo!’s internal marketing and merchant teams—from planning and strategic development through campaign activation. BevMo!’s messaging is now consistent, and the campaigns are less labor intensive, allowing for longer lead times and faster speed to market.
Results
The results speak for themselves. Through its partnership with PureRED, BevMo! has increased quality and productivity while decreasing costs. This operational transformation provided BevMo! with the digital tools, strategic planning and traffic management to thrive in an increasingly competitive marketplace. We’ve instituted results-focused discipline and best practices relating to all marketing activations. Enhanced personalization and localized targeting have improved customer engagement, consequently driving conversion and improving the shopper experience. Increased comp sales despite being outspent by larger competitors New responsive website, boosting e-commerce sales and web traffic Nearly doubled the volume of email deployments without adding expense
Want fresh marketing stories in your inbox?
Get the weekly email that makes you a marketing genius.
Stay informed and inspired, for free.