September 17, 2025

Blending Awards with Traditional Marketing – A Must in Today’s Playing Field

While your competitors are wondering if traditional marketing still works, smart beverage brands are quietly dominating the market by combining time-tested strategies with strategic industry recognition. The harsh truth? If you’re not leveraging both traditional marketing AND industry awards in 2025, you’re leaving serious money on the table.

The Traditional Marketing “Death” Myth That’s Costing You Sales

Here’s what the marketing gurus won’t tell you: traditional marketing methods aren’t dead: they’re just being ignored by brands that are too busy chasing the latest social media trend. While everyone’s fighting for attention in the noisy digital space, traditional channels offer something invaluable: credibility and trust.

Television and radio still reach 97% of US households. That’s not a dying medium: that’s a goldmine waiting to be tapped. Print advertising continues to convey premium perception that digital simply can’t match. When consumers see your craft whiskey featured in a respected publication, it carries weight that no influencer post ever will.

The beverage industry specifically benefits from traditional marketing because drinking is inherently social and experiential. A billboard showcasing your premium vodka catches the eye of potential buyers on their way to the liquor store. A radio spot during drive time plants your brand name in their mind right when they’re making purchasing decisions.

Why Beverage Brands Are Doubling Down on Traditional Methods

Smart beverage brands like The Macallan and Dom Pérignon aren’t abandoning traditional marketing: they’re revolutionizing it. They understand that premium spirits and wines need the gravitas that only established media can provide.

Here’s the kicker: while your competitors are cutting their traditional marketing budgets, you have an opportunity to dominate these less crowded channels. Television spots are more affordable than ever, and print publications are desperate for quality advertisers. This is your moment to shine where others fear to tread.

Traditional marketing also provides something digital can’t: permanence. A magazine ad sits on coffee tables for months. A billboard creates thousands of impressions daily. These touchpoints build the kind of brand recognition that translates directly to shelf velocity.

The Industry Awards Advantage: Your Secret Weapon

But here’s where most beverage brands make a critical mistake: they think marketing alone is enough. The most successful brands combine traditional marketing with strategic industry recognition. Awards aren’t just shiny trophies: they’re credibility multipliers that supercharge every other marketing effort.

When your bourbon wins a major industry award, suddenly every marketing channel becomes more powerful:

Your print ads can feature “Award-Winning” prominently
Your sales team has instant credibility with buyers
Your distributor relationships strengthen overnight
Premium pricing becomes justified and sustainable

Industry awards provide third-party validation that no amount of advertising dollars can buy. They transform your brand from just another bottle on the shelf to a recognized leader in the category.

The Buyer Connection That Changes Everything

Here’s what separates smart beverage brands from the rest: they understand that industry awards are only as valuable as the judges who award them. Most competitions feature panels of critics, writers, or industry “experts” who may never actually buy products for retail.

But what if the judges were the actual people making purchasing decisions? What if every judge was a beverage buyer from major retailers, distributors, and on-premise accounts across the United States?

This isn’t a hypothetical scenario: it’s exactly what happens at PR%F Awards.

Why PR%F Awards Is The Only Competition That Matters

If you’re going to enter just one spirits and wine competition this year (and honestly, you should be entering several), it absolutely must be PR%F Awards. Here’s why this isn’t just marketing hype: it’s strategic reality:

Every single judge is a beverage buyer. Not critics. Not writers. Not consultants. Actual buyers who make real purchasing decisions for real accounts. When you win at PR%F Awards, you’re not just getting recognition: you’re getting validated by the people who control shelf space and pour lists.

Think about what this means for your brand:

Direct access to decision-makers who can immediately impact your sales
Credibility with the exact people you need to convince
Networking opportunities with buyers you’ve been trying to reach for months
Awards that carry weight because they come from industry professionals, not just critics

The FOMO Factor: What You’re Missing Right Now

While you’re reading this, your competitors might already be preparing their PR%F Awards submissions. They understand that in a crowded beverage market, differentiation isn’t just helpful: it’s survival.

Here’s what happens when you don’t participate:

Your competitors gain credibility advantages you can’t match
Buyers develop relationships with other brands instead of yours
You miss opportunities to justify premium pricing
Your traditional marketing becomes less effective without awards to support claims

The beverage industry moves fast. Shelf space is limited. Buyer attention is precious. Every day you delay entering PR%F Awards is another day your competitors get ahead.

The Integration Strategy That Wins

The most successful beverage brands in 2025 aren’t choosing between traditional marketing and industry awards: they’re using them together strategically. They enter PR%F Awards, win recognition from actual buyers, then amplify those wins through traditional marketing channels.

This creates a powerful cycle:

Win awards from real buyers who matter
Feature those awards in traditional advertising
Build credibility that leads to more sales
Reinvest profits into more marketing and award opportunities
Repeat and dominate

Traditional marketing provides the reach. Industry awards provide the credibility. Together, they create unstoppable momentum.

Your Next Move

The beverage industry has never been more competitive. While others debate whether traditional marketing is dead or wonder if awards still matter, you have a clear path forward: combine both strategies with PR%F Awards as your credibility foundation.

Don’t let another year pass watching competitors gain advantages you could have secured. The next PR%F Awards submission deadline is approaching, and the buyers who judge this competition are waiting to discover their next favorite brand.

Will it be yours?

Cheers to making the smart choice that separates leaders from followers. Bottoms up to a marketing strategy that actually moves the needle. Your brand deserves recognition from the buyers who matter most: and they’re all judging at PR%F Awards.

The question isn’t whether traditional marketing or industry awards still work. The question is whether you’re ready to use both to dominate your category.