When Bill Samuels founded Maker’s Mark in 1958, all of the customers lived in or around Kentucky, where the distillery was located. The founder managed to get to know personally most of his customers and by doing so, keep his little distillery afloat for over 20 years. Little did he knew back then, that he laid the foundation for what would grow out to become one of the best ambassador programs ever.

1. SocialSeeder.com
AmbassadorshipTRANSFORMED MAKER’S MARK
HOW

2. WHEN BILL SAMUELS FOUNDED MAKER’S MARK IN
1958, ALL OF THE CUSTOMERS LIVED IN OR AROUND
KENTUCKY, WHERE THE DISTILLERY WAS LOCATED.
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Kentucky

3. THE LOYAL GROUP OF BUYERS HAD LEARNED
ABOUT THE NEW BOURBON FROM THEIR FRIENDS
AND THAT WAS THE WAY THEY LIKED IT.
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Friends

4. THE FOUNDER MANAGED TO GET TO
KNOW PERSONALLY MOST OF HIS CUSTOMERS
AND BY DOING SO, KEEP HIS LITTLE
DISTILLERY AFLOAT FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
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Marketing
MINIMUM

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Business
Problems
BUT AS
GREW
THE
BECAME BIGGERSocialSeeder.com

6. Kennedy BubbleTHE
BURSTED
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UNLIKE IN KENTUCKY WHERE THEY KNEW JUST ABOUT EVERY ONE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS BY
NAME, THE BOURBON DISTILLER THEN HAD CUSTOMERS IN SUCH FARAWAY LANDS AS
CHICAGO, LOS ANGELES AND MIAMI - AND DIDN’T KNOW A SINGLE SOUL OUT THERE.

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WHILE HAVING COCKTAILS WITH A FRIEND ONE EVENING, SAMUELS’ SON WAS
VENTING ABOUT HOW GREAT IT WAS TO HAVE ALL THIS NEW BUSINESS BUT THAT
SOMEHOW THE “IDEA” OF GETTING TO KNOW THEIR CUSTOMERS WAS GETTING LOST.

8. The Embassy
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HIS FRIEND ADVISED TO CREATE AN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM. USING AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY, MAKER’S MARK
COULD ALLOW FAR-OFF BRAND FRIENDS TO CONNECT WITH THE PEOPLE AND THE PLACE WHO MAKE THEIR WHISKY.
THE COMPANY TOOK HIS ADVICE, AND A FEW YEARS LATER THE EMBASSY WAS LAUNCHED.

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WHY SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON ADVERTISING
IF YOU COULD LET PEOPLE DO THE TALK FOR YOU?

10. AND SO THEY PUT THE CUSTOMER IN THE CENTRE OF
THEIR ORGANIZATION, TRYING TO CONVERT EVERY
SINGLE BUYER INTO AN AMBASSADOR AND PLANNING
THE ENTIRE MARKETING STRATEGY FROM THIS
AMBASSADOR PERSPECTIVE.SocialSeeder.com
THEY DIDN’T SEE AN AMBASSADOR AS AN ADD-ON
TO THE MARKETING STRATEGY, THEY SAW THE
AMBASSADOR AS THE STARTING POINT.

11. . Digital .
Transformation
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OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS, THE BOURBON DISTILLERY HASN’T CHANGED ITS STRATEGY. ON THE CONTRARY, DIGITAL
TRANSFORMATION MADE THE COMPANY SWITCH GEARS AND ENABLED THEM TO CONNECT WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS EVEN MORE.

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TODAY, PEOPLE CAN JOIN “THE OFFICIAL MAKER’S MARK’S EMBASSY” AND BECOME A TRUE BRAND AMBASSADOR BY SIGNING
IN ON THEIR WEBSITE. WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT THE SIGN IN, IS THE WAY IN WHICH THE COMPANY IS CREATING A CURIOUS AND
PROUD FEELING. WHO WOULDN’T WANT TO HOLD A HIGHFALUTIN TITLE?
The Official Maker’s Mark’s Embassy

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The Official Maker’s Mark’s Embassy
BEING A MAKER’S MARK AMBASSADOR GIVES YOU BOTH
ONLINE AND OFFLINE PRIVILEGES. ONCE YOU REGISTERED, AN
AMBASSADOR’S KIT WITH A PERSONALIZED NOTE CARD AND A
STACK OF BUSINESS CARDS WITH YOUR NAME ON THEM IS
BEING SENT TO YOUR HOME BY MAIL TO REMIND YOU OF YOUR
AMBASSADORSHIP. THE NOTE IS SIGNED BY BILL SAMUELS JR.
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Personalization

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The Official Maker’s Mark’s Embassy
BEING A MAKER’S MARK AMBASSADOR GIVES YOU BOTH
ONLINE AND OFFLINE PRIVILEGES. ONCE YOU REGISTERED, AN
AMBASSADOR’S KIT WITH A PERSONALIZED NOTE CARD AND A
STACK OF BUSINESS CARDS WITH YOUR NAME ON THEM IS
BEING SENT TO YOUR HOME BY MAIL TO REMIND YOU OF YOUR
AMBASSADORSHIP. THE NOTE IS SIGNED BY BILL SAMUELS JR.
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BUT THE DISTILLERY IS DOING SO MUCH MORE TO KEEP THEIR AMBASSADORS WARM.
-
WHEN SIGNING UP TO THE EMBASSY, NEW AMBASSADORS HAVE TO TYPE DOWN THEIR NAME, WHICH MAKER’S
MARK THEN ENGRAVES ON A METAL PLATE AND ATTACHES TO THEIR ‘OWN’ BARREL. THE COMPANY EVEN TAKES A
PICTURE OF THE ACTUAL BARREL AND UPLOADS IT ONTO THE AMBASSADOR’S MEMBER PAGE. DURING THE YEARS OF
THE AGING PROCESS, THE AMBASSADORS CAN CHECK IN ON THE PROGRESS OF THEIR ‘OWN’ BOURBON.
-
WHEN YOUR BARREL REACHES MATURITY, YOU GET INFORMED AND INVITED OVER TO THE BREWERY TO PICK UP A
BOTTLE OF YOUR OWN, PERSONALIZED BOURBON WITH YOUR NAME ON IT.
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Ownership

15. TO MAKE SURE THE AMBASSADORS DON’T FORGET ABOUT MAKER’S MARK DURING
THE YEARS OF WAITING, THE DISTILLERY COMMUNICATES WITH THE AMBASSADORS
THROUGH A MOBILE APP.
THE ‘AMBASSADORS IN CHIEF’ SEND TEXTS MESSAGES TO THE AMBASSADORS,
INVITE THEM TO SECRET EVENTS, GIVE THEM DISCOUNTS ON PRODUCTS OR GIVE
THEM 101 LESSONS IN THE DISTILLING AND TASTING OF BOURBON. THE COMPANY
EVEN SENDS A CHRISTMAS GIFT WITH A NOTE INCLUDED TO THEIR ADVOCATES
EVERY YEAR. THE ONLY THING BILL ASKS FOR IN THE NOTE IS TO TAKE A PICTURE
OF/WITH THE PRESENT AND POST IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
Mobile
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AND THAT’S THE ONLY THING BILL SAMUELS AND HIS SONS ASK FROM YOU. YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR THE
ENGRAVED METAL PLATE NOR FOR YOUR PERSONALIZED BOTTLES OF FINE BOURBON. YOU DON’T HAVE TO LIKE
THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE OR RETWEET THE COMPANY’S TWEETS.
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Give Give Give

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MAKER’S MARK SOLELY RELIES ON THE POWER OF WORD OF MOUTH
AND WHEN YOU GIVE MORE THAN YOU ASK, PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS
TALK ABOUT YOU IN A POSITIVE WAY. EVEN PEOPLE WHO NEVER HAVE
PURCHASED A MAKER’S MARK BOURBON BEFORE ARE BECOMING
AMBASSADORS. IF IT ISN’T FOR THE SECRET EVENTS OR TO LEARN
ABOUT THE AGING PROCESS OF BOURBON, IT’S BECAUSE OF THE
CHRISTMAS GIFTS OR THE FREE PERSONALIZED BOURBON.
BUT GUESS WHAT BRAND POPS UP, TOP OF MIND, WHEN THIS NON-
CUSTOMER EVER THINKS ABOUT GETTING HIMSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE A
NEAT BOTTLE OF BOURBON?
AND THINK ABOUT THE THOUSANDS OF TRUE AMBASSADORS WHO
ARE CONVINCING THEIR BOURBON LOVING FRIENDS TO DRINK MAKER’S
MARK.

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AmbassadorshipTRANSFORMED MAKER’S MARK
HOW