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By Barry White
In 1934, recent M.I.T. graduate Jay Sindler had a moment of clarity while enjoying a Martini in Boston’s Ritz Carlton. Sindler was opposed to placing his fingers into his Martini to extract the olives that soaked in the bottom of his glass, so he devised a plan to invent a small “swizzle stick.”
This swizzle stick allowed for the olives to be speared with one end while the wider opposite end could be used for a promotional tool. Sindler hit the ground running with his idea and quickly formed the company Spirit Brands that has grown to become a world leader in drink stirrers with distribution levels in the billions.
A Higher Level of Service
“Business owners are always looking for ways to increase their quality image, but they are also attempting to control costs,” notes Spirit Brand’s Web site. “Custom and specialty drink stirrers and specialty straws offer an affordable way to increase the quality perception of an establishment.”
Vice president of Spirit Brands, Joe Pierro, says something as simple as a swizzle stick can enhance profitability, improve image and raise popularity of a nightclub or bar.
In 2004, The Reed Research Group conducted a study that concluded, “two out of three respondents would expect to pay more for a hard/mixed drink with a customized, molded drink stirrer.”
The study also found that respondents, on average, expected bars that use high-end stirrers, as opposed to plain black stirrers, to provide a higher level of service, atmosphere and cleanliness.
“When a customer receives a drink with a custom stirrer, their perception of the establishment is associated with higher quality, better sanitary conditions and improved ambiance,” Pierro says.
Stir Sticks also can promote brand awareness by making the consumer aware of particular liquors that are made available by a bar. This option of advertisement may be advantageous to a bar owner through cold branding. Cold branding is a term that describes how a liquor company will share or pay the cost of custom stirrers to elevate market support.
Breed Ad Recognition
Robert Ed, of Innovative Marketing Consultants, says, “Customized drink products breed ad recognition and provide incentives that add value to a customer’s experience.”
Presentation of a product plays a crucial role in how much a patron is willing to pay. Through the addition of items such as custom stir sticks, the quality of the product is raised in the eyes of most consumers, who in return are willing to pay more for a better experience, drink for drink.
NCB
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