GSA x WHISTLER'S STORM
Project: Brand Experience
Research (group)
Duration: 6 weeks
February-March 2022
THE BRIEF
The task was to develop a proposition for an innovative brand experience for a live client. Taking an 'experience design' approach, we were to explore ways to build on the company’s brand values and strategic business goals to connect the brand with its audience.
WHO IS WHISTLER'S STORM?
Whistler’s Storm is a start-up company founded by Dom Richardson, that is based in Birmingham. The company’s USP is tea based liqueur in two flavours; Earl Grey and Assam Black.
Dom had a pre-exisiting love for innovative alcoholic drinks which began when he visited Kerala in Southern India in December 2019 to discover the tea fields. This led him to experimenting during lockdown with infusing tea and liqueur and gathering lots of research. After creating hundreds of recipes, the right one was found. The business was launched in summer 2020.
THE TEA LIQUEUR
“Expect a floral, aromatic and zesty flavour from this Earl Grey tea liqueur. Our delivery of the renowned flavour of this national favourite is devilishly moreish. That’s why it won the top medals of ‘Master’ and ‘Taste Master’ at the Spirits Business Liqueur Masters”
“Expect a malty, rich flavour from this Assam Black tea liqueur. It’s smoky, aromatic and full-bodied piquancy is partly why it was a winner of the top ‘Master’ medal at the Spirits Business Liqueur Masters 2021”
DISCOVER
The project began with group led research, in which we all focused on different categories. I was involved in customer research. We focused on understanding the brands current users and its potential users. To do this, we held expert interviews, surveys and created personas. Our key insights:
1. The brand can appear quite masculine, however the drink itself has a feminine feel to it.
2. There isn’t a specific market that is obvious to outside viewers on who Whistler’s Storm is targeting.
3. The brand has some trouble standing out from its competitors. It finds itself “Lost in the market” while its products are innovative.
4. Most respondents could possibly buy this bottle as a gift.
“So I thought it was very masculine brand but then tasting it I would say it’s a very nice drink for women”
- interview
DEFINE & DEVELOP
My aim for the project was to target the female market by making the branding, web design or experience a bit softer and approachable for females through a brand experience. As the brand is from England and made with tea, I was inspired to bring in the classic afternoon tea ritual into my concept. Tea brings people together within the UK, so I wanted to mix the ritual and the brand together with creating your own boozy afternoon tea at home.
WHISTLER'S STORM BAKING BOX
The final brand experience was a subscription for a monthly baking box for friendship groups to bake their own afternoon tea experience with the unique tea liqueur. The kit comes with a cake recipe, cocktail recipes, dry ingredients and a mini tea liqueur bottle.
HOW IT WORKS
Friendship groups sign-up through the website to subscribe. The host of the month will book a delivery day for the baking box to arrive. A digital bottle pop invite will be sent out to other members showing the dress code of the month and the date of the afternoon tea! The group share their creation and tag the brand to be part of our competition to win a free bottle of the unique liqueur.
