When consumers are enjoying a glass of cucumber water after a massage, purchasing a pint of their favorite Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, or ordering a cocktail at the bar, they’re typically not thinking about how these everyday decisions could be affecting the spirits they find at retail. Nevertheless, Deerfield, Ill.-based Beam Inc. is paying close attention to these actions and using them to create new flavors and line extensions for some of their core brands. Skinnygirl Cucumber Vodka, Red Stag by Jim Beam, EFFEN Cucumber vodka and new ready-to-serve offerings all were inspired by consumer behavior, says Bill Newlands, president of Beam North America.
“If you go out to get a massage, what do they give you afterward? Cucumber water,” Newlands says. “We looked at that and we said, ‘It’s refreshing, it’s light,’ and we now have cucumber vodka in Skinnygirl as a low-calorie option and we have it in EFFEN.”