Of Palate and Pride
What SBE Entertainment Looks for in Vodka

Somewhere between the super-obscure and the extremely commonplace are the brands that one of Los Angeles' most innovative nightlife companies wants on its backbars. Exactly where the right brands sit, within that broad expanse, is a matter of sophisticated subjectivity.

SBE Entertainment's stylish Los Angeles properties include Area, Hyde and S Bar, and the firm's exclusive market positioning in its nightlife environs and hotel and restaurant properties all flows from an upscale bent, giving it the enviable privilege of being sought by premium spirits marketers for entrée to its diverse and affluent demographic — to win over influencers and begin the trickle-down process.

The most recent addition to the SBE portfolio is S Bar, in the heart of Hollywood. Launched in October 2007, it's garnered accolades from USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, Hollywood Reporter and more.

Developed by SBE's Sam Nazarian, Brent Bolthouse and Theresa Fatino, the team behind hotspots Hyde Lounge and Area, S Bar is at the forefront of the surging revitalization of the Hollywood neighborhood. S Bar's interiors were conceived by world-renowned designer Philippe Starck, with whom SBE has a multi-year exclusive for hotels, restaurants and nightclubs in the United States, Caribbean and Mexico.

S Bar

Undying Image That Mixes Well With Others

As senior director of operations, logistics and special projects for SBE, Boe Trumball says that SBE chooses its partnerships with spirits brands based on a balancing test of what fits for SBE's goals.

"It behooves the marketplace to identify emerging products that have potential for pleasing the guest palate and also providing the venue with a product that is flexible enough to be used both as a call drink or in a specialty cocktail," he says. One vodka that has worked well to meet these criteria for SBE has been EFFEN, a brand he says is accessible but not overly saturated in the consumer mind to a point of brand diminishing returns for the high-end operator.

"Yes, you can buy it at the corner market, but even though they've gone to a domestic marketing strategy and exposure, they have been able to maintain their image as a premium product," he says. "Many products have fallen prey to becoming too domestic or too common."

Reinvesting

Trumball notes that the most successful brands can balance both high volume with maintaining — and building — their status with consumers, and he cites Grey Goose as the king example.

"Grey Goose was nowhere to be found six years ago, and now you can buy it by the pallet if you want to in a discount food store," he says. "But they still have this image about them. They've placed themselves well. I would rank the image of EFFEN Vodka to be the same strategy success as Grey Goose and the rebuilding of the Belvedere market. Belvedere saw a huge dip in interest when being called against its competing brands. They've re-placed the emphasis on exposure to unique environments like our own that offer upscale clientele and care and put a lot of emphasis on that care.

"It's a challenge for us to find products that have a good appeal and image and are willing to re-invest in that image."