Business of Drinks 24: JW Wiseman of Curious Elixirs on How to Build a Community-Driven Brand - Business of Drinks
JW Wiseman of Curious Elixirs is a bonafide audience whisperer. After working as an early marketing hire at the media startup Thrillist, he went on to found a growth marketing firm. That experience unlocked the key audience expansion strategies he’s employed at his cult-y non-alcoholic RTD brand, Curious Elixirs.
This is a brand you won’t find on store shelves. It’s nearly all DTC subscriptions, with a bit of prestige on-premise placements (like the Blue Note jazz club in NYC). Curious Elixirs was audience-driven from the get-go. JW launched the brand on Kickstarter — not because he needed the money, but rather as a smart tactic to grow community and demand around the product.
Since launching in 2015, the brand has been laser-focused on its subscription strategy and customer loyalty, and now serves millions of consumers a year.
The brand’s growth has been driven by word of mouth in sober curious communities, and by really effective targeting on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Yes, social channels are STILL performing very well for Curious Elixirs. So much so that the brand is up 40% in sales year over year.
Want some tips from Curious Elixirs’ wildly successful playbook? In this episode, JW discusses:
- How to grow — and sustain! — a community around your brand
- Strategies for building word-of-mouth referral
- How to build a successful DTC subscription business in today’s marketp
- Why video — and UGC content specifically — should be the backbone of your social strategy
- Low-cost, IRL customer events and activations
- Why customer loyalty is the No. 1 KPI you should pay attention to
And more! Give a listen.
About Erica Duecy, host:
Erica Duecy is host of Business of Drinks, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies. She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast, and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator, and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails.
To learn more about Erica Duecy:
https://www.instagram.com/ericaduecy/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-duecy-4a35844/