Marketing innovation to drive extra use from Bacardi

Saw a great example of marketing innovation at the airport last week. It was a promotion stand for Bacardi pushing a pouch of mix for making Bacardi Mojitos.

There are several things that I like about this:

1. Driving extended usage: Bacardi are helping people re-create a Mojito they enjoy in a bar at home, thus driving more usage. Its a good bit of "SMS" marketing: sell more stuff.

2. Grows the core: we love this, growing the core business, not extending

3. Solves a real problem for consumers: the hassle of making cocktails at home. Rather than just doing the normal advertorials pushing branded cocktails, make it easy to make one.

4. Better than a pre-mix: pre-mix cans of cocktails have never taken off in a big way. They lack authenticity, and never seem to taste quite right. Also, they stretch the brand and add complexity. This new approach drives sales of the core instead

5. Nice, simple sales pitch: "The 10 second Bacardi Mojito".

In conclusion, hats off to Bacardi for coming up with a clever way to grow their core business, at the same time as reinforcing the brand's image as the authentic base for Mojitos.

Please let's see more of this sort of innovation that drives the core, rather than fragmenting the brand and business.