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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/61309
and don't generally force the issue, operators too need to strive for balance. Cooke, for example, monitors all her specs by brands as well as percentage carried by distributor, and aims for a balance in both. "I do this by off ering some proven winners of big brands that are most popular with guests, as well as providing smaller boutique brands," Cooke outlines. "I feel this gives the 'little guy' exposure, while off ering guests other options that we can introduce to them to broaden their experience." THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX To Cooke, brand ambassadors are particularly useful when they can provide unusual, "outside of the box" promotion ideas. "In this business, I can get my blinders on," she admits. "I want ideas for how I can market myself, but I don't always have time to research that. I want brand ambassadors to say: this is what's coming down the pike, this is what's hot and new and this is how you can use it." Among the ideas proposed by brands that Cooke considers most successful: a cotton candy-themed happy hour proposed by Pinnacle Vodka to showcase their cotton candy vodka fl avor, including cotton candy machines and Pinnacle Cotton Candy Martinis. Th e event was so successful; she plans to repeat the event in the Spring of this year. Meanwhile, for the Washington D.C. location, which tends toward a heavily professional male clientele and has strong Cognac sales, Rémy Martin's brand reps are organizing a "business man's happy hour," complete with a speakeasy theme, jazz, shoe shining stations and "cigarillo girls." But it's not all about spirits. Another winner was a mini beer Phillips Seafood has hosted a number of successful events with brand ambassadors, notes Jennifer Cooke (pictured above left, on the right). festival proposed by Evolution Beer Company, a local Maryland brand. Th e event included beer tasting stations, live music and casino wheels that awarded beer-related prizes. "It was like a little Rock-toberfest." It worked, Cooke says, because the brand ambassador focused on what could be brought to the bar. "Th ey said not only how can we be a better brand ourselves, but how can be make things more exciting for your guests?" Like the Pinnacle event, Cooke says the mini beer festival was successful enough to repeat it in 2012. "We found that some of the guests that participated were not our normal repeat diners," she explains. "Experiencing an event like this brings them back through our doors, as it created a memorable experience and a wow factor. Th ey had a good time and they tasted new brands and fl avors they didn't realize we had." Further, the event showcased Phillips' ability to host a dynamic group event—opening the door for future group business from customers, an important segment for the operator. After that success, Cooke found it easy to open to door to a monthly beer "hoppy hour" across several locations, a project www.cheersonline.com proposed by several beer ambassadors. Each month, "beer geeks and bloggers" will be welcomed to taste local microbrew beers and blog about the experience, building momentum toward the annual Baltimore Beer Festival in October. In the end, operators say, it's not about understanding what a brand ambassador does—rather, it's about understanding what that brand ambassador can do for you and your restaurant or bar. Food: From Commodities Markets to Supermarkets coming this fall from Columbia University Press. Kara Newman is the author of Th e Secret Financial Life of APRIL 2012 | 41