DIAGEO Bar Academy
Raise the Bar
In spirits, brands are built behind the bar. We turned a global education platform into the place American bartenders actually come back to.
- +156%total users
- +138%new members
- +215%newsletter sign-ups
The challenge
Diageo's portfolio lives or dies on the front lines of consumer choice — bar owners, distributors and bartenders deciding what goes on a menu and what gets recommended. Bar Academy was a global education and engagement platform that needed to be optimized for the U.S. market, with engagement deep enough to move share of backbar, menu and recommendation.
What we did
We adapted the global framework for the U.S. and built on it. The site navigation and labels were rebuilt around what members actually said they came for, with new features, functionality and content. An email program launched with a clear value proposition and a real cadence to turn hand-raisers into regulars. Underneath it, we tagged and databased the existing content library by theme so every send could be relevant and no investment sat unused.
The consequence
Year over year from F23 to F24: total users up 156%, sessions up 112%, new member sign-ups up 138% and newsletter subscriptions up 215%.
The work itself.
Scored on the
consequential triangle.
- Talkability
- Bartenders recommending a platform to each other is the channel.
- Defensibility
- An education franchise built on trade trust cannot be bought late.
- Indispensability
- A tool the trade uses weekly becomes part of the job.
Your turn.
We take a small number of engagements at a time. Tell us what's at stake.