Looking for expert PR tips? Today’s guest is Annette Malkin, CEO and founder of Culturewise Collective, a PR agency that helps small-to-mid-size brands build awareness, amplification, and credibility through strategic and authentic messaging. Annette has worked with brands like Tequila Don Julio, Zacapa Rum, Altoids, TAZO Tea and Maxwell House. In this episode, you’ll hear expert advice on amplifying your brand message through social media and traditional media outlets, as well as ways entrepreneurs can present themselves as a subject matter experts to build credibility.
LISTEN ON SPOTIFY: Expert PR Tips for Alcohol Brands: Amplify Your Brand
Or listen on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, IHeartRadio.
WATCH ON YOUTUBE: Expert PR Tips for Alcohol Brands: Amplify Your Brand
Annette Malkin
CEO & Founder
Culturewise Collective
Meet Annette Malkin– CEO, Culturewise Collective
Annette Malkin (she/her/ella) is a communications and cultural strategist with 20 years of experience specializing in food + beverage and consumer PR. Since founding Culturewise Collective she has been helping emerging companies and nonprofit organizations create their brand identity, develop social good strategies as well as generate awareness and press coverage in a meaningful way.
She began her career in New York City and oversaw brand building campaigns for Fortune 500 companies including Amazon, Johnson & Johnson, Diageo, Red Bull and Pernod Ricard, to name a few. She applies her big brand thinking to counsel small to midsize companies looking to scale their reach through integrated and inclusive communication efforts.
As a bicultural and bilingual Latina, Annette also spent a decade developing culturally mindful campaigns aimed at reaching multicultural audiences. Annette was awarded a BadA$$ Woman Award in 2023 for her DEI work and commitment by the Miami Beach Chambers of Commerce.
Annette lives in Miami with her husband and two kids. She enjoys giving back to her profession as well as causes that are meaningful to her. For the past four years she’s sat on PRSA Miami Board focused on the organization’s DEI initiatives as well as mentoring the next generation of PR professionals. She also sits on the Board of Directors of the Arts and Business Council in Miami as well as Justice in Motion. She’s also a proud member of 100+ Women Who Care Miami Beach.
About Culturewise Collective:
Culturewise Collective is a minority-owned, female led boutique communications agency focused on helping emerging companies and nonprofits establish their brand identity, develop their communication strategy and garner valuable press coverage. Culturewise Collective is a DEI certified workplace and a Goldman Sachs 10,000 small business alum. The agency is headquartered in Miami and has a presence in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, New York, North Carolina, San Francisco, as well as global partners in the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Argentina, and Mexico.
Episode Q&A: PR Tips for Alcohol Brands: Amplify Your Brand
Can you share your journey in PR and marketing that led you to found Culturewise Collective?
I started out my career in New York City working in a mid-size PR firm that specializes in national lifestyle PR. I worked with household name brands including TAZO Tea, Amazon, RedBull, Tequila Don Julio, and TABASCO, to name a few. After ten years in New York, I relocated to Miami. At this time, I was running the agency’s U.S. Hispanic practice. It was great to build something from scratch and in many ways, I was running an agency within an agency. After sixteen years at the agency and after becoming a mother of two young children, I realized that I needed a change if I wanted to be a more present parent for my young kids. Launching my own company was the best professional decision I have ever made. At Culturewise Collective, we focus on small to midsize companies. Our sweet spot is food and beverage, wine and spirits, travel and hospitality and we are getting more involved in the Adult non-alcohol beverage category, which is booming.
Culturewise Collective has a footprint across the country, and in Europe. We help brands enter the U.S. market from Europe and Latin America as well as help American brands launch in Europe and Mexico. We understand the local culture in these markets and how the alcohol industry works, which is important in this particular category since it varies greatly.
What should brands entering the U.S. or expanding globally keep in mind?
Your playbook that worked in the U.S. might not work abroad and vice versa. Work with partners that know the culture in those markets and know the regulations. Brands from Latin America may think they know U.S. Hispanic consumers because of the shared language but there are nuances that a brand might miss which could make a big impact on driving awareness or growth if you don’t get it right.
With your extensive experience working with iconic brands like Tequila Don Julio and Zacapa Rum, what are the most significant differences in marketing alcohol compared to other CPG products?
I started my career working with two of the industries’ global leaders, Pernod Ricard and Diageo and they have strict marketing codes that set the standard for the industry. All of the marketing communication had to promote socially responsible drinking, did not make health claims, or promote alcohol with another vice. From a PR perspective, brands need to ensure they are strictly marketing to adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the United States). One example is TikTok’s latest update where Ads in the U.S. should only be placed in media where at least 73.8% of the audience is of legal purchase age (21+), the same holds for broadcast segments.
Alcohol Public Relations and Marketing comes with strict regulations, especially on social media. What advice do you have for entrepreneurs navigating these challenges while building their brand presence?
Either seek out an attorney who knows the regulations who can do a training for your team, if you are going to handle the social media in-house, or find an agency partner/consultant that knows the ins and outs of alcohol beverage compliance and standards for social media. This will avoid any fines or having to take down content. It’s a waste of resources and effort and better to get it right the first time.
Storytelling plays a big role in alcohol branding. How can entrepreneurs craft compelling narratives that resonate with their audience and reflect their brand values?
Particularly in spirits, there are craft brands launching daily so the competition is steep. Consumers will remember stories about a place, an experience, not tasting notes or nuanced production details. Have a fine balance of messaging that makes an emotional connection with the consumer while still having functional messaging. You want to evoke a feeling when consumers see your product or are enjoying it.
What social media platforms are most effective for alcohol brands today, and how should entrepreneurs tailor their strategies for each platform?
Instagram is a great platform because storytelling is also visual and this platform allows brands to share functional and emotional storytelling, from cocktail recipes to provenance photos.The messages are digestible and shareable. LinkedIn is an underutilized tool for craft brands but one that can have a lot of impact as you are growing your brand and for B2B. Sharing category or industry news with a brief point of view establishes the entrepreneur as a thought leader which helps pitch them for PR features and builds credibility amongst the trade. Now that TikTok has introduced a policy allowing alcohol ads, we will see if it does for the category what it’s done in other industries like fashion, beauty and food.
How can alcohol entrepreneurs use influencer marketing while ensuring compliance with advertising laws and guidelines?
Paid partnerships and collaborating on the content is the key to success. You want to work with influencers that authentically are fans of your brands and align with your brand values. Brands should allow the influencers to come up with the creative concepts for the content. With an agreement in place, the brand has control over the messaging, setting deadlines on deliverables, etc.
Ask a content creator for their community’s metrics so you can see the demographics of their followers to ensure they are of drinking age and where they are based geographically to see how it aligns with your target and sales markets.
You specialize in purpose-driven campaigns. How can alcohol entrepreneurs align their brands with community values and cultural relevance to stand out in a competitive market?
Brands in general, no matter the size, should not try and be all things to all people. Having a target audience in mind or a north star is always our recommendation to clients. When you are an entrepreneur and have limited marketing dollars, you want to make sure that every dollar counts and that you are laser focused on your target. Build a strong base of loyal consumers and then you can expand. That initial strong base can also become unofficial brand ambassadors for you and help spread the word, introduce the brand to friends and help with brand growth.
What role does DE&I (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) play in alcohol branding, and how can small-to-mid-size companies integrate it authentically into their campaigns?
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is certainly a hot topic these days but one of the core values at Culturewise Collective is grounded in inclusive communications and marketing. We are a minority owned, female led company. Our team is largely bilingual and bicultural so we understand firsthand the power that culture plays into purchasing decisions and driving brand loyalty. We live in a diverse community, diversity is the fabric of America and therefore brands should market in a way that mirrors the community that they serve.
Let’s Stay in Touch!
Crème de Mint’s Socials –
Starting your product business? Crème de Mint, our CPG branding agency knows how to create compelling, craveworthy designs that can help your brand stand out! Book a call today to chat with us about your packaging design.
Check out our blog or join our newsletter for more resources.