Fee Brothers

The Challenge

Despite their successes in almost 160 years in business, Fee Brothers have historically done very little marketing. However, as the brand grew globally, they acknowledged the need to review their positioning, reintroduce themselves to their audiences, and engage on digital platforms.

Fee Brothers had previously used a passive marketing strategy, fuelled by distributor relationships, user-generated content, word of mouth, and the exceptional recipes of their products to propel the brand forward.  

Through surveys and discussions with distributors initiated by the Fee Brothers team, the company learned the audience was seeking new flavor experiences. Furthermore, the new leadership, aware of the brand’s reach and intent on being responsive to fans, saw the potential in reaching wider-ranging audiences.  These audiences extend beyond North America and include the home mixologist culture fuelled by the pandemic.

The brand had existing profiles on Facebook and Instagram. However, their presence on these channels was fractured by accounts they no longer, if ever, had access to. 

Agency 29, the first marketing agency that Fee Brothers have ever hired, began by taking inventory of the visual brand, developing a marketing campaign for the launch of their new Turkish Tobacco Bitters variety, and creating a robust strategy to move forward in promoting the company and products.

How We Did It

Agency 29 worked with Fee Brothers to develop their brand research, creating a comprehensive Brand Strategy to guide the company forward in positioning, public relations, marketing, and brand identity.

We developed a Social Media Strategy to direct digital marketing tactics on Facebook and Instagram, outlining personality, tone, and messaging for each. 

The initial marketing campaign, created from the foundations of the Brand Strategy, launched the 20th flavor of Fee Brothers Bitters into the world resulting in selling the product out in 4 short weeks. A press release for Turkish Tobacco Bitters was distributed nationwide, a digital campaign teased and announced the new flavor, and Agency 29 compiled and managed a list of over 100 influencers who received a complimentary bottle in exchange for real opinions and user-generated content.

The Turkish Tobacco Bitters press release was picked up by 378 media outlets, including BevNet, Trend Hunter, and MarketWatch, reaching a potential audience of 245.9M. The social media channels were revitalized with the release, and user-generated content continued to roll in 3+ months after the launch.

Agency 29 continues to work with Fee Brothers on an ongoing basis, providing overall marketing services including social media management and packaging design, as well as sell sheets, website design, and continued public relations and influencer marketing support.