Happy Hour: Lark Distillery, Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky
If you have a bottle at home or have ever tasted Lark, you know what all the fuss is about. With a myriad of awards acknowledging that over the last 30 years, they have created some of the best whisky in Australia, you know they are doing something right. Lark not only make whisky well, they know how to brand and market their products with an enticing social appeal. Here’s a bit about Lark in case you don’t know, as well as what we love about Lark’s digital marketing and why it works so well.
Who is Lark Distillery?
Lark Distillery is a small, family-owned distillery in Tasmania that produce a range of Tasmanian whiskies and other spirits, and we know what you’re thinking, “are they any good?” Without a doubt, Lark Whisky is some of the best whisky around. We recently grabbed a bottle of Lark Classic Cask Whisky for Christmas, and it did not disappoint with an outstanding balance of sweet, spicy and savoury notes.
Tasmanian Bill Lark founded Lark Distillery, and they have been crafting and distilling for over 30 using the same methods as their ancestors to produce their whisky, which is a traditional Scottish method called ‘malting’. This process takes around four weeks and involves soaking barley grains in water until they sprout, drying them out until they are ready to be milled into what we know as malt flour and then using this malt flour to make whiskey mash. Bill started distilling Tasmanian bush liqueur from the native pepper berry 30 years ago, and today, Lark is a publicly-traded company with close to 50 employees.
What Makes Lark Whiskey Unique?
Lark Whiskey is a Tasmanian whiskey that is distilled and matured in Tasmania. It is made from Tasmanian barley and pure water from the Lark River. The distillery was established in 1992, making them the first Australian distillery to produce single malt spirit in 154 years since it was outlawed in Tasmania in 1838.
Besides the incredible taste that makes Lark unique, one of the main things is their range of limited releases such as their Christmas Cask, Nola Whisky Bar Limited Release, and others. Each cask from Lark has its own rich story.
Image: Lark Distillery
Digital Marketing in Tasmania & Australia
Heritage
This one follows from the point above – but Lark instils their heritage and excellence across all the marketing. Whilst there is an uptick in people supporting heritage brands of late, they have the credibility of a well-established business that is constantly innovating. Even if a consumer hasn’t made a purchase from Lark, like most heritage or established brands, they have built trust and awareness of their brand and products not just in Australia but across the globe.
Pioneers of the Palate
Lark Distillery is known for its passion for producing the best Tasmanian whiskey via remaining creative and dynamic coupled with its pioneering attitude. Constantly pursuing excellence, they endeavour to deliver the best styles and flavours whilst pushing the boundaries of convention. Aligning their values to their target audience, they celebrate their intense passion and commitment for creating the most refined spirits whilst taking their customers along for the journey.
Front & Centre
Whilst their casks’ taste may be complex (like their Frogmore Creek Cuvée Cask tasting of orange oil, lemon drops, almonds and toast), their marketing and product photography puts their product front and centre with clean, minimalistic approaches. The quality of their photography translates the quality of the product and entices would-be purchasers to seek out more. This clean approach is deployed across all their marketing channels, from their user-friendly website to social media ads and email marketing.
Final thoughts
Lark Distillery found a gap in the market 30 years ago and successfully created a product range that not only entices and delights the community but continually evolves whilst retaining their known-for attribute of excellence. They’re in a league of their own amongst their competitors, and their persistent strong value-alignment with their target audience means they’ll always have a loyal consumer base. Whilst they may not fire on the latest digital marketing trends, they know how to implement the mainstays of a digital marketing strategy, and they implement them well.
So, what can your business learn from Lark Distillery? The main lesson is to understand who your target audience is and align your marketing strategy to your vision and goals. This is complemented with a digital marketing strategy that revolves around your target audience and tackling what you can with time/resource restraints and doing it well, compared to firing on all channels.
Easier said than done, right? But we can give you a hand, so get in touch!
Pink Lemonade is located on the traditional lands of the palawa people, the Traditional Owners of lutruwita (Tasmania). We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
Pink Lemonade Social is a proudly inclusive organisation and an ally of LGBTIQ+ community and the movement toward equality.
