"Why ‘Liquid-to-Lips’ Campaigns Need a Digital Upgrade"

Ah, the classic "chicken or the egg" dilemma—except in the alcohol industry, it’s more like "sales or marketing?" Many brand teams sit on the fence, hesitant to invest in digital advertising without first seeing eCommerce sales. But here’s the sobering truth: without marketing, those sales won’t hatch.

The days of relying solely on distributors to build your brand are over. The future is digital, and if you’re waiting for organic traffic to magically appear on your site, you might as well be aging whiskey in a plastic jug.

The Cold Hard Truth About Selling Alcohol Online

Selling alcohol online isn’t just about having a sleek website with age verification pop-ups. It’s about visibility—and visibility costs money.

Think of digital ads as the yeast in your fermentation process. You wouldn’t expect a beer to brew without it, so why expect your eCommerce store to succeed without investing in digital marketing? SEO, paid social ads, influencer partnerships, and retargeting campaigns are the modern-day equivalent of a prime retail shelf spot. Without them, you’re just another bottle gathering dust in the back of the store.

“Liquid-to-Lips” is still the name of the game, but...

I’ve been in the trenches, managing up to 350 part-time promotional specialists and 50+ events per weekend, and I’ve seen firsthand the headaches that come with traditional alcohol marketing. Trying to collect receipts, receiving demo/geo/sales recaps, and dealing with promotional specialists who either fail to show up or do a poor job can create a massive burden.

Retailers don’t forget a bad experience. Brands work incredibly hard to secure shelf space, and a single botched tasting can damage that relationship. However, on the rare occasion that you find a highly motivated specialist, you might move 5 or 6 cases of product—but that often comes at an additional cost in the form of incentive bonuses.

I speak to brands all the time who are interested and see the value of selling online—leveraging data and analytics to enhance their retail conversations. But many are nervous about spending money on a channel they’ve never used before. They’re still stuck in traditional tactics like "liquid-to-lips" campaigns and "ride withs" with distributors, believing that face-to-face interaction is the only way to build a brand.

What they don’t realize is that eCommerce can be a liquid-to-lips play. Brands can offer online discounts, drive trial, and ship nationally—extending their reach far beyond a single-store tasting. Plus, eCommerce operates 24/7, while event activations last just a few hours at a local liquor store.

Those event activations? They cost at least $150 and come with the risk of a promotional specialist simply saying, "Here, try this, please buy it," rather than passionately explaining the brand story like an owner would. Digital marketing, on the other hand, allows brands to show and tell why customers should make a purchase—driving awareness, engagement, and conversions, even in markets where the product isn’t locally available.

Spending Smart: How Far a $5,000 Budget Can Go

A $5,000-a-month digital advertising budget can go a long way in increasing brand visibility and driving sales. Here’s how it can be allocated effectively:

Social Media & Google Ads ($2,000/month) – Targeted campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, and Google can generate thousands of impressions and drive traffic to your eCommerce store.
Influencer Marketing ($1,000/month) – Partnering with micro-influencers in the alcohol space can amplify brand awareness and create authentic product endorsements.
Retargeting Campaigns ($500/month) – Re-engage visitors who previously interacted with your website but didn’t make a purchase, increasing conversion rates.
Email & SMS Marketing ($500/month) – Keep customers engaged with exclusive offers, personalized content, and timely reminders to drive repeat purchases.
Geo-Targeted Ads ($1,000/month) – Use data-driven insights to focus efforts on regions where your product is available, driving both online and retail sales.

By strategically stretching a $5,000 budget across these digital channels, brands can achieve measurable increases in visibility, drive direct-to-consumer sales, and create leverage for traditional retail expansion.

The Domino Effect: Digital Sales Drive Traditional Retail

Here’s where it gets even better. Once your eCommerce game is strong, you have the data to walk into a retail pitch like a pro.

Distributors and retail buyers love data. If you can show them that your online sales are thriving in a specific market, they’re far more likely to say, "Sure, let’s put you on the shelf."

It’s the ultimate proof of demand.

Data-Driven Retail Pitches – Show retailers your online sales velocity and customer demographics.
Geo-Targeted Advertising – Drive foot traffic to local liquor stores that carry your brand.
Omnichannel Expansion – Build a brand presence online, then use that momentum to land in bars, restaurants, and major retail chains.

If you don't land a POD the first time, go back in and continue to demonstrate your success. Half the battle is showing up (and merchandising).

Bottom Line: Pay to Play, or Stay Invisible

For the last 100 years, brands have been paying for prime retail shelf space, in-store promotions, and distributor incentives to ensure visibility and sales. The digital world operates the same way—except now, the shelf space is on search engines and social media feeds.

Ignoring digital advertising today is like refusing to pay for end-cap placements in a liquor store 10 years ago.

Instead, take control. Invest in smart, strategic digital marketing. Use your online success as leverage for retail expansion. And most importantly—don’t be afraid to crack the egg.

The future of alcohol brands is online. The only question is—will yours be part of it?

Let’s Talk Strategy

Ready to take your alcohol brand’s digital presence to the next level? Visit Rogue and Rye Consulting and book a meeting today to dig in further. Let’s turn your brand into an eCommerce powerhouse!