Slane Irish Whiskey: Strategic Marketing for a New Brand

In 2021, the Irish whiskey segment was the fastest growing whiskey segment in the United States. US-based Brown-Forman Corporation had acquired the Slane brand in 2015 after purchasing all shares in the Slane Castle Irish Whiskey company and agreeing to invest in building a new Irish whiskey distillery and visitor centre on the historic Slane Castle Estate. Slane Distillery filled its first barrel of Irish whiskey in 2018, and the company then quickly began targeting key markets in Europe and North America.

The challenge now for Brown-Forman in the United States was building the Slane brand from scratch. The company's brand marketing team had to first identify overarching strategies that would accelerate awareness and trial for the Slane Irish Whiskey brand in the United States. Key goals included determining a point of differentiation for the Slane Irish Whiskey brand among the alternatives, and fostering a connection between the Slane Irish Whiskey brand and the North American consumer.