I was able to do something yesterday that was a first for me. Let me tell you about the amazing event I just went to!
I have been invited to several influencer focused events over the years, which all have been a lot of fun! I cover influencer marketing a ton in my social media and PR classes, and I have done some research in this area as well over the years. However, to be able to have the opportunity to walk the walk and see what brands are doing to embrace influencer marketing first hand is very cool.
Most of the brand related events I have done related to influencer marketing has been related to sports, nonprofits, and corporate brands. The event I participated in was a first I’ve had in the bourbon industry.
When I moved to Kentucky, I realized VERY quickly the impact bourbon had not just on our state identity, but culture. I knew of only a few bourbon brands when I first moved to Louisville, but I was quickly educated on what “real bourbon brands” are, and what makes bourbon different from anything else out there. Going on tours of various distilleries around the state has also been a lot of fun. You truly get a chance to learn the culture, history, and impact this particular industry has on the state’s economy, reputation, and culture.
You may be asking yourself – Karen, what does bourbon have to deal with influencer marketing? Well, like all of the other industries I have mentioned, the bourbon industry is embracing IM completely for their social and PR campaigns. Many of the distilleries are looking for individuals who have a strong social media presence, and who can share their experiences with their audiences online.
That’s where Jeptha Creed comes into play. I was invited to come to The Jeptha Games, which were going to b held at the Jeptha Creed distillery in Shelbyville, KY. This is just outside of Louisville, so a short drive for me. Emily (who is working with an agency and their client is JC), reached out to me and asked if I wanted to go. I said – YES! Not only was I able to go, I was able to bring one of my great former students as well, Lacee. Lacee is pretty much the most informed bourbon expert I know – she wrote about bourbon all the time for her class assignments and what bourbon brands were doing that was well received on social media. So, when this event came up – I wanted to make sure she got to experience this as well!
I arrived at Jeptha Creed and I was greeted very nicely by the information desk, and led outside to the games. I realized when they meant games, it was almost like being in the Highland Games. Why do I say this? We got to throw axes and do archery! How cool is that?!
Most bourbon tours you get to learn about the bourbon, history, and then you go for tastings. Not this experience! You to do more than just that – each person was able to get a bottle that was created by Jeptha Creed’s master distiller as a keepsake, which is pretty cool. The games came in three parts: Football Golf (you got to play golf, but with a soccer ball), throwing axes (it is harder than it appears!), and archery (I’m definitely not like Katniss Everdeen – I’ll stick with my day job!)
We had a lovely lunch outside near the well on the property. Not many people are able to go here, even on the tours, which was pretty cool! We enjoyed some great food (can I say the bread pudding was EPIC?!!), and the atmosphere was really tranquil. As we were enjoying the scenery, we were listening to Scottish music and chatting with the rest of the attendees.
The atmosphere was really amazing and there were so many trees around us, it made me wonder if Jeptha Creed would consider perhaps adding in a zipline course here as part of the bourbon experience. We have a winery out in California where you can go for a wine tasting and zipline over the winery. It’s pretty cool – and I think this could be a fun activity!
Overall, I felt my experience at Jeptha Creed was awesome – not just as being invited as a social media influencer – but as a resident of KY. I felt they did a tremendous job in organizing the event, making sure everything was going as planned, and everyone felt welcomed.
Here are some things I felt Jeptha Creed and their team did that was very well done when it comes to running an influencer focused event:
Encouraged social media documentation. We were encouraged to share updates, pictures, and use the hashtag designated for the event on social media. They wanted us to be able to create content that was authentic, real, and reflective with how we would approach things. I used IG stories pretty extensively, but I also shared my experience on Twitter. Lacee did a great IG story about her experience as well!
Engaging in real time with influencers on social. Loved how responsive Jeptha Creed was on social media! I did a post checking in at the site, and they immediately responded to my post. I feel this customer engagement and service component will help them definitely formulate a strong community here for their brand.
Providing a human face for the brand. I’ve been to distilleries and other places where you are not able to see the human side of the brand, but we got to here at this event. We got to meet the owners of the brand and farm (did you know they grow all of their own ingredients on their farm?!) and get a chance talk to them. These are the types of experiences we all remember!
Experiencing > Broadcasting . I think this is the biggest takeaway here. We are all craving for stories we can share about what we are experiencing with others. Most of the time, some events basically broadcast information about their product, and they want you go on your merry way. That’s so 20th century. Brands, who want to be successful in influencer marketing, have to create memorable experiences for people to not just document, but have to share since it was so memorable.I can tell you I am not only going to be remember this experience, but I am going to be talking about it for a long time. I had a blast – I was not only able to learn about the bourbon, but be able to participate in activities like axe throwing that I have never done! Many of the attendees said the same thing. What does this do? It makes an impact for us. So, I think Jeptha Creed has been very successful in achieving this goal for their IM campaign.
If you are in the area, definitely make sure to check out Jeptha Creed! I would like to thank Emily Gahafer and Q the Agency for inviting Lacee and I to be part of this great event! It was also so great to see Christine Vaughn (Event Marketing Manager) for Jeptha Creed as well! She’s done so much for the social media scene in Louisville! I had a great time and I’ll definitely be back!
Hope you all have a great day!
Best Wishes,
