Our client, a leading US spirits supplier, needed to understand emerging consumer behaviors in a rapidly changing market. We delivered a comprehensive cross-portfolio segmentation, combining qualitative and quantitative research, which empowered the client to refine brand positioning, drive innovation and unlock new growth opportunities across whiskey and bourbon categories.
- Outcome 1: Applied segmentation to guide multiple new brand campaigns and product innovations
- Outcome 2: Identified and prioritized 4 cross-portfolio customer segments for growth
- Outcome 3: Surveyed 2,000+ consumers, delivering nationally representative insights
The challenge
The spirits industry is undergoing rapid change, with mocktails and ready-to-drink formats. As the largest independent and family-owned distilled spirits supplier in the US, our client needed to respond to shifting consumption habits to maintain their leadership. Historically brand-focused, they recognized the need for an updated and consumer-centric approach to navigate the increasingly dynamic landscape and future-proof their whiskey and bourbon portfolio.
The client sought to uncover the highest-potential customer segments across their whiskey and bourbon brands, understand their values and consumption habits, and use these insights to refine brand positioning and drive innovation. They needed a unified, emotionally resonant segmentation that could inform long-term portfolio strategy, support campaign development and ensure cross-functional alignment across marketing, innovation and portfolio management teams.
The approach
To ensure the segmentation was actionable, we conducted discovery workshops with the client’s leadership team and reviewed existing insights before executing four online focus groups and a national survey of 2,000 spirit consumers. Our cross-portfolio segmentation then mapped customer mindsets and occasions, layering emotional drivers like flavor curiosity and evolving masculinity into the findings. We created detailed playbooks, opportunity maps and innovation briefs to embed the segmentation across the client’s brand, marketing and innovation teams.
The value delivered
The segmentation framework allowed the client to align brand strategy and innovation efforts around high-potential segments. It directly informed the launch of new brand campaigns targeting key emotional drivers, such as spontaneity and exploration and influenced product development to attract younger, flavor-curious consumers. Cross-functional teams adopted a shared language for customer understanding, accelerating decision-making and ensuring consistent messaging across all touchpoints. The client is now better positioned to capitalize on emerging trends and maintain leadership in the whiskey and bourbon categories.