Recent years have seen a surge in drinks brands involvement in CSR activity, with the current trend seeing hyper-local, community focused activity. This blog came to mind after I spotted the Barrelman’s Homecoming competition, which gives bartenders the chance to partner with Jameson and receive up to €20,000 in funding for a local project.
This year, the competition’s theme is ‘from farm to glass’ and aims to challenge bartenders to go out to their local communities, partner up and use materials that can be found in the area to create a signature cocktail. The activity gives Jameson a chance to engage with bartenders while broadening the reach and appeal of the competition to local communities and projects in need of funding – what’s not to love?
Another great example came from the Ardnamurchan Distillery in Scotland, who partnered with the Ardnamurchan Trust in a scheme aiming to help fund tertiary education, including college or university as well as alternative career training for everyone between 10 and 17 years of age in the area. In order to achieve the goal, the Trust purchased ageing barrels, which the trustees will then be able to sell back to the distillery upon turning 18 to receive funding. A great example of empowering young people in the local community to make their own decisions and give them a helping hand with their career paths!
And then, of course, we have the brands who take it one step further, deciding that their entire existence will be dedicated to helping others while allowing consumers to enjoy the drinks they love. Some fantastic examples come from Brewgooder, founded for World Water Day in 2016 and still going strong (the liquid is brewed at zero margin by the guys at BrewDog) – so far, they have managed to help fund over 60 projects for over 33,000 in Malawi!
Another brand with a similar approach is American brand Four Leaf Spirits, whose motto is literally “You Drink, We Give”. They create unique tea-infused liquors and rums and donate a portion of their proceeds to fund cancer research, ensuring each purchase you make benefits others as well.
I couldn’t do a post without mentioning dogs, obviously, so here come Chateau Le Paws wines. An American brand as well, each of their labels features a shelter dog who has happily found a forever home or is still looking for one. Their mission is to raise awareness of shelter dogs in need, and they also donate money to no-kill shelters across the US!
Oh, and don’t be mistaken, the community approach to life is not limited to alcohol drinks brands. Major soft drinks player, Britvic, started their community support initiatives back in 2016 with partnerships with two amazing organisations: The Wildlife Trusts and Sported foundation, both of which saw the brand support a wide variety of causes, from protecting wildlife to delivering sporting opportunities for disadvantaged youth across the country.
Here at Hatch, we love working in the drinks sector, and thoroughly enjoy getting involved in such projects, giving us the chance to make a real impact in the communities involved. A most recent example includes our work with Diageo’s Roe & Co whiskey, where we got involved in the Roe & Collective campaign. Working closely with London-based Make Your Own, we offered locals a chance to join interesting DIY workshops, bringing old and forgotten practices back to life and giving the local community a space to meet and develop.
As we continue to work with an amazing array of drinks brands, I’m sure we’ll be bringing you more and more examples from our own back yard. Watch this space!
