The core of what I do as a luxury consultant and curator is explore new worlds in the areas of lifestyle and culture. Positioning myself to be at the forefront of all things relevant to a sophisticated clientele positions me to add value in a multitude of ways. It allows me to find solutions for my clients in categories such as image consulting, exclusive events and brand consulting by leveraging 'the cool factor.' Being fluent in the the world of style, art, music along with fine spirits has given me the ability to offer the world what I call the 'Sainte James Experience' - the merging of luxury, culture and a high taste level.
Recently I've immersed myself into the world of fine spirits and learned to embrace the lifestyle that comes with it. So much more nuanced than what may perhaps resonate with one who indulges casually, the lifestyle I speak of is a deep dive into the abyss of whiskey, rum, tequila and cognac to name a few. Understanding why you enjoy something, where it's made and from what factors into your ability to enjoy the spirit along with the camaraderie from other enthusiasts globally.
It can be an expensive hobby as it's not hard to find bottles approaching $100 or more. As I begin to invest more time and money into the whiskey life I'm enjoying understanding where it comes from, what distillery produces it and how it compares to what I've had to this point. My most recent experience has been a bottle of the Michter's Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey. A small but trusted inner circle of friends that provide suggestions to me introduced me to Michter's and it did not disappoint. With tasting notes ranging from a light caramel, dried fruit flavor that was light and pleasant on the palate I was immediately happy with my purchase decision.
Michter's is one of the most established distilleries with a traditional heritage and made from American corn and charred in white oak barrels.
With such a storied reputation in the marketplace, their level of engagement was what actually prompted me to take note and share to my audience. Little did I know that my enjoyment of the spirit and it's refined flavor profile was only the beginning. It was after tagging the brand and sharing what I was currently enjoying on this whiskey journey that I began receiving a plethora of positive feedback from their social media team. Notes of thanks for supporting the label and for posting about it left an impression that could be a case study on customer engagement.
I shared with them how impressed I was that unlike many brands that received unsolicited endorsements from their very customers they actually more than gracious. In addition to a great product they actually pull you into the brand, which is a step many companies completely overlook. It spurred me to look into other product extensions that I can enjoy now that I was officially consuming not just the product but the experience.
It's my contention that 'The Michter's Experience' draws parallels to the effect I hope to have on clients and brands with what I have coined the 'Sainte James Experience'.
Creating an environment that far surpasses the basic functions of what is expected. There is an endless amount of whiskey labels available to consumers and quite a few that offer their own unique competitive advantage. Not enough of them tell a story and provide you a takeaway experience that is unique, lasting and customized to the individual. The brands that understand the significance of this will always set themselves apart and establish their value proposition upon first impression.