Stories of conviction: The Glenlivet

When heritage becomes a commodity, not a differentiator.

Behind every enduring brand is a moment of decision - when belief had to become action. I thought I’d revisit and assemble a few I’ve had the privilege of contributing to. If only for my own entertainment. They’re not about best practice - but about what it takes (in the immortal words of Dolly Parton) to find out who you are and do it on purpose, when the easier path might have been to compromise.

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Like what do you do when being a single malt whisky with a deeply authentic, hundred-plus-year-old story of craft and tradition isn’t enough of a reason to buy in an ocean of whisky with deeply authentic, hundred-plus-year-old stories of craft and tradition?

That was the challenge facing The Glenlivet.

You identify that there is one thing, one word, that you alone have - “The”. You recognise that we all yearn and treasure those truly quintessential, transcendent moments in life. You identify that the brand’s superpower wasn’t heritage, it was transmission - a vessel for the experiencing the essential, the quintessential - passed down through time, and poured into the present. And ship a creative platform you and you alone could own.

Sometimes the answer is on the label.

Need help finding your brand’s superpower and manifesting it in the world with intent, conviction, and authenticity?

Let’s talk.

martin@emdub.co