Launch Marketing Council Episode 1: Launching in the beverage sector

Welcome to Launch Marketing Council’s new 3-part series focused on unlocking the secrets of launching brands, products and service by exploring real-life examples from Australia’s marketing elite, in conjunction with the independent agency Five by Five Global.

In Episode 1, we kick off our deep dive by looking into the nature of product and marketing launch strategies in the beverages sector. To do that, we’re joined by two dynamic marketing leaders in Australia’s alcohol and non-alcoholic spirits category: Southtrade International marketing director, Fraser Lockwood and Lyre’s Spirit Co chief marketing officer, Paul Gloster.

Episode 1: Key markers

1.18 – Introduction to the Launch Marketing Council

3.10 – Lyre’s Spirit Co CMO, Paul Gloster, shares the importance of reinvention in the brand’s launch strategy

13.25 – Southtrade International marketing director, Fraser Lockwood, explains ‘educator’ and ‘non-conformer’ as launch marketing techniques

20.00 – How to use market and customer insights when building a launch marketing approach

26.00 – The role of defining and evolving personas and what role context and occasion play

28.10 – Unpacking pricing in a launch marketing effort

35.50 – How COVID-19 is impacting 2021 launch plans and the rise of ‘artisanship’

41.50 – The disruption of brand loyalty and brand paradigm

43.10 – What the rise of the self-serve consumer, direct-to-consumer mechanisms and the ‘in-premise channel’ has done to the path to market

45.15 – Low-risk ways of seeding a brand opportunity

47.50 – The role of brand identity and packaging in launches

About our speakers:

Paul Gloster has had over 25 years’ experience in marketing and strategy, working with companies such as Coca Cola Amatil and Carlton & United Breweries and partnering with SAB Miller, ABInbev and Molson Coors. It’s work that has seen him lead global beverage brands such as Peroni, Stella Artois, Coors and work across diverse categories as spirits, coffee and non-alcoholic beverages. More recently Paul, led strategy for alcohol and coffee across the Pacific region for Coca-Cola Amatil, including M&A of various breweries and distilleries and business integration and transformation projects, delivering growth across the business.

Paul moved across to work with long-time friend, Mark Livings on the Lyre’s Non-alcoholic Spirits brand in 2019 and today heads up Lyre’s Marketing team of 18 people globally.

Fraser Lockwood started his career in market research working for Kantar Millward Brown before moving to an in-house insights role in Lion’s Spirits business arm, Bacardi Lion. After a significant stint in insights and innovation launching new RTD’s, Ciders and Spirits into Australia he moved into Brand Management on the Bacardi Trademark. By the time he left Bacardi-Martini Australia he oversaw the total portfolio which includes notable spirits heavy weight brands Bombay Sapphire Gin, Grey Goose Vodka, Dewar’s Whisky as well as Bacardi.

In 2018, Fraser moved to SouthTrade International to head up the marketing team. In the last 3 years the business has moved to be the fastest growing spirits distributor in Australia.

Matt Lawton is a graduate of Melbourne Business School and managing director of Five by Five - a global independent agency that specialises in launching things. Australian clients include Volt bank, Patron Tequila, Red Bull, Lenovo, Crescent Tools and a host of innovative startups.