The future of brand advocacy

I recently had the opportunity to visit The Cairn Distillery with Steph Buckley and Paul McKernan, where we spent time with the Gordon & MacPhail team.

I came away with one simple thought. Great businesses create advocates.

Some do it by design. Others do it through the everyday decisions that shape how people experience the organisation.

From the scale of the investment to the engineering, visitor experience and obvious pride of the people behind it, every part of The Cairn reflects a business thinking carefully about the impression it leaves. You notice it in the welcome. You notice it in the detail. You notice it in the confidence of the people who work there.

 

 

That feels particularly relevant because our next Denholm Whisky & Spirits Roundtable is exploring, The future of brand advocacy. It's a phrase that's prompted a lot of conversations over the last few weeks.

Brand advocacy has become one of those terms that means different things to different people. For some, it's about marketing. For others, it's about education, partnerships or customer loyalty.

The businesses I spend time with tend to look at it through a wider lens.

Leadership teams are thinking carefully about how their businesses are experienced, both inside and outside the organisation. The businesses attracting attention are creating experiences that feel consistent from the shop floor to the boardroom, from the distillery tour to international markets.

That consistency doesn't happen by chance.

It comes from leadership, culture and from people who understand that every interaction contributes to the reputation of the business. Working in executive search gives you the opportunity to see those patterns emerge.

•    How do we build the capabilities we'll need five years from now?
•    How do we create a culture that attracts exceptional people?
•    How do we strengthen our reputation while continuing to grow?

Increasingly, those conversations arrive at the same place.

People. People create experiences. Experiences shape reputation. Reputation influences growth.

That's why the theme of this year's Roundtable feels so relevant.

Questions worth exploring…

Why is brand advocacy becoming a bigger conversation in Scotch whisky?
Given the challenges in the market and seeing a number of major brands cutting costs, including ambassador and advocacy teams, are businesses still recognising the importance of this key area. Recommendations, visitor experiences, employee advocacy and trusted relationships all contribute to sustainable growth so need to be nurtured.

How do distillery experiences influence brand advocacy?
Distillery visits create lasting impressions. They bring together craftsmanship, hospitality, engineering and storytelling in a way that helps people connect with a brand and share that experience with others.

What role does leadership play in brand advocacy?
Leadership shapes culture, investment and customer experience. Those decisions influence the stories people tell about a business, whether they're employees, visitors, suppliers or customers.

Why are whisky businesses investing in visitor experience but seem to be the first areas for cost cutting when the market dips?
Visitor experiences strengthen brand reputation, support tourism and create direct connections with consumers. They also showcase the people, expertise and ambition behind the business.

What will define successful whisky businesses over the next decade?
The conversations I'm part of increasingly centre on leadership, operational excellence, engineering capability, sustainability and reputation. Together, they create businesses that people trust, recommend and want to be part of.