Former "Real Housewives of New York" star Bethenny Frankel knows a thing or two about launching a bombshell alcohol brand. Her first brand, Skinny Girl wine and cocktail mixers, sold for a whopping $100 million. The brand's strong following can be at least partially attributed to Frankel's celebrity status -- but according to Frankel, it takes more than fame to make a brand successful.
According to Frankel, the key to promoting any brand, but especially alcohol, is authenticity. And to prove her point, she responds to recent backlash against Jennifer Lopez and Blake Lively, both of whom recently launched alcohol brands -- despite being very public about not drinking alcohol.
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@bethennyfrankel What do you think? 🍸 #jlo #blakelively #bettybuzz #delola #celebrity #celebritybrands #branding #marketing #authentic #community
♬ original sound - Bethenny Frankel
"After my Skinnygirl cocktails deal, which was very public, celebrities and their representatives rushed into the cocktail space -- most failed. Some succeeded because of the authenticity of the connection to the brand, [like] George Clooney and Randy Gerber['s Casamigos Tequila.] You believe that they were really on those motorcycles in Mexico and that they really drink that tequila."
Frankel goes on the cite Sean "Diddy" Combs' brand deal with Cîroc as another example of an authentic connection. But as for JLo's House of Delola or Blake Lively's Betty Booze, both of which sell alcoholic spritzer drinks, Frankel says it's not just about whether the celebrities do or don't imbibe.
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"There's just a lack of believability [that] JLo and Blake Lively [are] they're really naturally connected to these brands. It feels to people like it's something that they just did to grab the bag -- because there is a bag to be had in the cocktail space." To Frankel, branding is more than just a cash grab.
"[It] brings up the conversation of authentic connections in branding[...] People are believing Lady Gaga is using her products. They're believing Selena Gomez and her connection to her fans and the products."
"And while JLo's products are good, for some reason people aren't connecting to them because they don't think it's [a] product that she actually uses."
"I guess the headline is that not everybody who promotes something authentically uses it. It's just that in 2023, it's entirely critical that people believe the story is authentic, that connection is authentic, and that there's transparency in marketing and branding when it comes to products -- particularly with celebrities."
