#208 – Saisha Singh – Marketing Vodka

Marketing Vodka with Saisha Singh Today we're talking to Saisha Singh, who is the brand and communications director for Laplandia Vodka. As a young entrepreneur, she is in charge of marketing the vodka. But, that title seems like a huge role! What does it entail? Marketing vodka: a day in the life of a brand and communications director Ultimately, Saisha leads communications and deals with how people view Laplandia in the market. It started off creating the content - what made the brand stand out? Also, Saisha's role includes training brand ambassadors and negotiating contracts. She also works with consumers and influencers to hold vodka tasters, masterclasses, exhibitions and other events. Wow, what a job! The vodka The vodka, unsurprisingly, is from Lapland. Vodka is 60% water. Therefore, water is a key ingredient. Additionally, the water sourced for Laplandia Vodka comes from Lake Hirsijärvi. This Lake is 200km from the Arctic Circle. It is very pure and clean. The flavours here represent the colours of the Northern Lights. Overall, the intention is to keep Laplandia vodka natural, clean and pure. At the moment, the market is looking for ingredients that are clean. Laplandia vodka is sweetened with heather honey, so there are no artificial sweeteners (as found in other vodkas). http://thenext100days.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Clean-Ingredients.mp4   The artistry of vodka's craft is spoiled by the idea of knocking vodka down to get drunk. The key strategy Saisha has worked with is hosting vodka tastings, in order that people understand the product. The millennials today are more discerning - what are they drinking and where has it come from? Affordable luxuries Laplandia vodka is an affordable luxury. As a result, it is marketed as a premium product. Part of that comes from educating consumers. Saisha works with bartenders to understand their craft. After all, they are the biggest ambassadors for the brand. http://thenext100days.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Sugar-saturated-industry.mp4   Mixer of choice All Laplandia's products can be drunk over ice. The target audience is the sipping consumer - someone who enjoys their drink. This is more in line with a luxury lifestyle and good quality ingredients. Additionally, it echoes the idea of understanding what you're drinking and respecting the craft. http://thenext100days.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Vodka-mixers.mp4 http://thenext100days.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Affordable-luxury.mp4   What's the pricing? At retail stores, there is a range between £30 and £32. It's very easy for someone to purchase and less expensive than Grey Goose or Belvedir. Graham's lost his sense of smell...oh, heck! As some readers may know, Graham lost his sense of smell a while ago. Don't worry, it's coming back now! But the question is, can you tell the difference between different brands of smell? What's interesting is, if you pour a Laplandia Coco shot and, what was, a Xerox Coconut shot, you'll find their's is colourless. In contrast, Laplandia Coco is cloudy because of the natural ingredients. You can also smell it. This makes Laplandia different. Laplandia founders Laplandia was founded by two Finnish men. "Rock and Roll meets diamonds!" An international, diamond jeweller and a rock and roll club owner wanted to capture nature's essence in a bottle. Consequently, the blue prints of Laplandia were born. In other words, these two men wanted to respond to the beauty of Finland with an original and authentic product that represented luxury and Finnish beauty. What are the challenges to marketing vodka? The key thing is timing. Laplandia is a relatively new brand in comparison to vodka competitors. At this stage, it's about Stephan Cover's area of influence. Saisha helps identify who the key people are - bar managers, restaurants, clubs. As a result, the team can focus their time on these people because they are facing ...