Delivering Exceptional ROI hrough strategic media relations
CASE STUDY: The Drinks Bureau
Brave PR was challenged to deliver high-impact quality media relations results for this female-founded ready-to-drink cocktail client. There was a challenging budget which had to cover comprehensive PR support including trade and consumer coverage, influencer partnerships, and founder positioning.

The challenge
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Reduced budget while maintaining ambitious KPIs
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Original target: 7 million monthly audience reach
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Comprehensive deliverables spanning PR, social strategy, and business development
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Competitive beverage market requiring innovative approaches
Our Strategic Approach: We developed a targeted, efficient strategy focusing on high-impact placements and proactive campaign development, maximizing every media opportunity to deliver exceptional value.
What we did
Strategic Foundation:
✓ Annual PR and social media strategy developed
✓ Comprehensive trade and consumer media database created
✓ Online press kit delivered
✓ Ongoing press office function established
Campaign Execution: ✓ Successful 'Lychee cocktail' launch across trade and consumer media
✓ Hero national PR coverage secured (Closer, Stylist, Fabulous, Good Housekeeping, Heat, The Sun)
✓ New product and distribution announcements managed
✓ Bi-weekly strategy meetings maintained
Influencer & Digital:
✓ Christmas influencer campaign: 10 partnerships delivered (target: 3 annually)
✓ 32 media and influencer sample requests fulfilled
✓ TV drop campaign executed
✓ Affiliate partnership established (Tradedoubler)
Founder Positioning:
✓ Co-founder Frankie strategy developed and activated
✓ Ongoing strategic business support provided


The results
Coverage Performance:
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73 pieces of coverage achieved across 12 months
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332 million total audience reach
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27.6 million average monthly reach - almost 4x the original KPI
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394% over-performance against target metric
The Impact:
Despite working with 50% reduced resources, we exceeded all performance targets while delivering comprehensive strategic support. The campaign established The Drinks Bureau as a recognised industry player and provided a strong foundation for continued growth.
ROI Achievement:
Delivered 394% over-performance against reach targets while working with reduced retainer, demonstrating exceptional value and strategic efficiency.
Example of some of the coverage generated:
Results at a glance
Coverage links
https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/35124760/morrisons-pound1-50-cocktails-summer-bbq/
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/food/a64825278/morrisons-boxed-cocktails/
https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/36219226/morrisons-dubai-choc-cocktail-can/
https://heatworld.com/entertainment/trending/best-canned-cocktails/
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/wine/g35980707/best-cocktails-can/
https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/35485580/shoppers-warned-substantial-wine-shortages/
https://thesaucemag.com/christmas-gift-guide-2024/food-and-drink/
https://t8ke.com/the-drinks-bureau-teams-up-with-freemans-event-partners-for-cocktail-partnership/
https://glassofbubbly.com/luxury-christmas-gift-guide/
https://www.distilled.malthound.co.uk/pages/the-drinks-bureau-secures-deal-with-freemans-events.php
https://www.consommemag.co.uk/gift-guide/spice-lovers-gift-guide-2024
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/gravesend/sport/gremlins-gather-pace-316527/
https://www.irishnews.com/life/food-drink/moreish-mocktails-and-cheeky-
cocktails-for-eurovision-parties-2GVLAJAXNZLJTI37KOORXEPPFI/
https://www.kamcity.com/namnews/products-promotions/morrisons-to-offer-cocktail-party-boxes/
https://www.gbnews.com/lifestyle/food/morrisons-cocktails-new-product
https://www.womentalking.co.uk/may-food-and-drink-news/
https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dubai-chocolate-style-espresso-martini
https://www.mostlyfood.co.uk/index.php/tag/the-drinks-bureau/
https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2024/11/spirit-master-spicy-margarita-the-drinks-bureau/
https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2023/11/the-pre-mixed-rtd-masters-2023-results/
https://www.foodieexplorers.co.uk/lychee-martini-now-available-in-can-and-on-tap/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelking/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelking/2024/09/22/the-rise-of-asian-inspired-cocktails/
https://lifestylelinked.com/celebrate-national-vodka-day-2024-with-these-top-tipples/
https://www.intouchrugby.com/magazine/the-drinks-bureau/
https://sltn.co.uk/2024/08/14/greene-king-embraces-bag-in-box-cocktails-from-the-drinks-bureau/