479 - Public Relations: The Not So Hidden Side of Bourbon with Dave Karraker of Raptor PR

Bourbon Pursuit

One thing I love about what we do in this show is that we continue to explore new and interesting angles of the bourbon world. And one that always gets overlooked is the role of public relations. All major corporations have contracts with PR firms where it's their responsibility to get eyeballs on every new release, get butts in seats at events, and make some kind of commotion about their whiskey. To explore this topic, I've invited Dave Karrakur on the show. He's an industry veteran who has done PR his entire career at places like Sega and Campari but has now ventured off on his own with Raptor Communications. We talk about the stress that PR feels when it comes time to put out a new release, how to get it in front of the right audience and get words in articles like Forbes, and how do you response to a client when something just completely flops.
Show Notes:

• 00:00-Introduction and the Role of PR in the Bourbon Industry
• 06:28-Exploring a New Angle: Public Relations in the Bourbon World
• 10:26-Guest's Background in PR and the Drinks Business
• 18:55-The Need for PR and Creating a Compelling Narrative
• 25:25-Navigating the Changing Media Landscape
• 31:39-Rising Above the Clutter: Detail and Engagement
• 32:35-Building Whiskey Brands through PR
• 34:02-Measuring the Impact of PR
• 35:00-The Value of Third-Party Endorsements
• 37:16-Building Relationships with Journalists and Influencers
• 39:32-Navigating Social Media Platforms for Whiskey Marketing
• 44:11-Distribution Challenges and On-Shelf Presence
• 46:04-Strategies for Sending Samples to Reviewers
• 48:55-Maintaining a Cadence of PR Activities
• 50:17-Dealing with Negative Reviews
• 55:03-The Complex and Stressful Nature of Whiskey PR
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