To say Luxco’s Sales Enablement Team has been busy in 2024 would be an understatement. The three-person team, led by Managing Director Matt Ward, is responsible for implementing a nationwide on- and off-premise tasting-program strategy for Luxco® focus brands. In addition, they are working tirelessly to incorporate measurement and actionable insights into all endeavors with the goal of capturing more mindshare and sales.

It’s a big job, but not entirely unfamiliar. Grounded in the power of tastings that Penelope® Bourbon co-founders Michael Paladini and Daniel Polise leveraged to launch the brand, Ward’s team has been building Penelope’s ever-growing fanbase. Since MGP purchased Penelope in 2023, the Sales Enablement Team has been applying their best practices in consumer engagement and data-gathering across the award-winning Luxco branded spirits portfolio.

“The consumer is overwhelmed with choices and experiences,” said Ward. “That’s why it’s so important to give them the best experience possible in the shortest time possible and glean all the information and actionable brand insights we can while we have their attention – whether it’s during a guided tasting, at a retail activation, a market launch, dinner or any other kind of special event.”

Regardless of the event, activation or brand, the team ensures data is collected and reported in a consistent manner. Often this means providing specific direction to and coordination with a variety of internal and external partners. Reports produced from the various activations are captured in an internal portal that provides the Luxco sales and marketing teams with a holistic view of a brand’s efforts and performance.

“The data gathered is invaluable – it gives us a quick determination of what’s working, where pivots are needed and how best to look at spend,” said Ward. “This type of insight is critical to the brand as well as industry partners.”

And when it comes to industry partners, the Sales Enablement Team is working to ensure their success too. During the past year, Ward and his team have enhanced Luxco’s experience portal – an online platform where vendors and tasting experts can easily access the information and training needed to effectively promote and sell Luxco brands in different markets across a wide variety of activations.

“We’re putting our measurement efforts on steroids by developing and implementing a smart city-centric system utilizing QR codes that can help gather consumer feedback at specific events, generate incentives and link consumer actions and sales at nearby stores in the days and weeks following an activation,” said Ward. “And then we can further showcase the effectiveness of our activations to our sales and marketing teams, as well as to our retail partners.”

Recently Ward’s team supported the launch of a $5 rebate via a QR code that can be activated at consumer tasting events and experiences, and redeemed almost instantly through Venmo following a purchase. As the team awaits the findings gleaned from this latest effort, they remain focused on working hand-in-hand with the marketing and the sales teams to implement successful tasting programs and materials, and to offer greater insight into consumer behavior.

“Managing the new rebate program, along with the ongoing data insights and tasting-program support provided by our team, is a responsibility we don’t take lightly,” said Ward. “As the eyes and ears of the brands, we look forward to continuing our efforts and serving as a bridge point across teams as we utilize innovation, technology and insight to keep the Luxco portfolio top of mind for consumers.”