Brand Activations & Guest Shifts
Turn your portfolio into real drinks bartenders actually serve and sell.
We combine simple, effective signature serves with practical training and on-shift support, so bartenders know how to make your drinks, when to recommend them and how to tell the story in their own words.
We focus on real accounts, real serves and real shift conditions – not just slide decks.
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Format: trade masterclasses, menu features and guest shifts
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Scope: key accounts, launches and focus SKUs in your priority markets
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Where: Kuala Lumpur and Southeast Asia
This is for you if…
• You are launching a brand or key SKU and want more than a one-off event with no follow-up. • Your brand has visibility in accounts, but by-the-glass movement is lower than expected. • Bartenders know your label, but are unsure how to serve it or how to talk about it to guests. • You want signature serves that are fast, costed and realistic for busy services. • You need a trainer/guest bartender who can speak both “brand language” and “bar reality”.
Key outcomes
• A small, focused set of signature serves tailored to your brand, target consumer and accounts. • Bartenders who are trained, engaged and confident to recommend your serves to guests. • Clear, memorable brand stories translated into simple talking points for the trade. • Menu and serve visibility in target accounts during and after the activation period. • Practical feedback from the bar on what works, what doesn’t and where to push next.
What’s included
• Pre-brief call with your brand or marketing team to understand priorities, SKUs, target consumer and global guidelines. • Review of existing serves and brand education materials, so we build on what you already have. • Development or refinement of a short “serve list” for the activation (e.g. 2–4 signatures, 1 hero long drink / highball). • Costing of each serve with agreed measures and recommended pricing for the account. • Creation of a simple trade training flow: key brand messages, tasting, serve walk-through and Q&A. • On-site trade masterclass / staff training in each key account, tailored to their team and shift reality. • Guest shift or “brand night” with live service support, focusing on your hero serves and guest engagement. • Optional menu copy suggestions and basic POS ideas (tent cards, inserts, social captions) aligned with your brand tone of voice. • Post-activation debrief with your team: what moved, trade feedback, and suggestions for next steps.
Faqs
How the Brand Activations & Guest Shifts programme works
The focus is trade-first. We work primarily with bartenders, floor staff and managers in your key accounts, so they can serve, recommend and talk about your portfolio with confidence. Consumer-facing guest shifts and brand nights are built on top of that trade foundation, not instead of it.
Typical formats include trade masterclasses and portfolio trainings, menu takeovers with 2–4 signature serves, highball or spritz focuses, and guest shifts where I work the bar using your serves. We decide together what mix of training and live activation best fits your objectives and budget.
The hero serves are always built around your portfolio and your priority SKUs. Where needed, we combine them with the venue’s existing house ingredients and syrups, so the drinks remain practical for the bar to run after the activation.
Yes. If you already have approved global or regional serves, we start there and adapt them to local palate, glassware and service reality. If you prefer, we can also develop new serves within your guidelines and have them approved before activation.
To keep things sharp and memorable for bartenders and guests, a typical activation focuses on 2–4 key serves. For broader portfolios we can plan multiple waves or split the focus by SKU, rather than trying to push too many drinks at once.
Success metrics are agreed at the start, but usually include: number of staff trained per account, number of serves listed on menu or as recommendations, volume of key SKUs poured during the activation period, and qualitative feedback from the bar team and guests.
Before confirming dates we ask for your brand deck and guidelines, target SKUs, a list of key accounts, any existing serves you want to use, and an idea of expected KPIs (e.g. menu listings, volume targets). You provide stock for trainings and activations, plus any POS or branded materials you wish to use.
Most projects are built around a small group of priority bars, restaurants or hotels that matter most for your brand. Trade trainings and guest shifts are hosted in those accounts, so learning and execution are immediately linked to their real station and guest profile.
To secure dates and allow time for serve development, approvals and coordination with venues, it is best to plan at least 4–6 weeks ahead. For larger campaigns or multiple markets, longer lead time is recommended.
I am based in Kuala Lumpur and work regularly across Southeast Asia. On-site activations outside KL are possible and simply add travel and accommodation to the project fee. Some initial planning and briefings can be handled online with your regional or global team.
Investment depends on the number of markets and accounts involved, the length of the activation period, how many serves we develop and how many training / guest shift days are required. After a short briefing call you receive a clear proposal with scope, KPIs, timeline and a total project fee, so you know exactly what you are committing to.
Ready to talk?
If you are a spirits brand or distributor and want trade activations that live beyond a single night – with real serves, trained bartenders and clear feedback from the market – we can start with a quick call and a simple activation brief. From there I will send you 1–2 concrete options for a Brand Activations & Guest Shifts programme based on your portfolio, key accounts and objectives.