Scotch Whisky's Imagined Past #sed talks-Presentation

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Scotch Whisky’s imagined past …

Tales of the Cocktails, New Orleans, 15th July 2015

We all live in a world of false realities and imagined pasts …

Which can sometimes have unimagined consequences …

“Vikings lose their crown: Studies show Celts may have been the horn helmeted warriors”

But imagined pasts can create current ‘realities’

A fledgling industry with a big dilemma …

How to persuade consumers of your authenticity and integrity …

And how to bring that idea vividly to life …

Here’s what the academics say …

On the basis of this recent research, we argue that an

important means by which new ventures gain legitimacy is

by engaging in actions that convey associations with

reputed entities (see also Higgins and Gulati 2006). Such

actions affect stakeholder confidence in new ventures, in

particular in their ability to introduce products successfully.

By linking legitimacy to stakeholders’ perceptions of the

value of firms’ new products, we explain why some new

ventures gain more from their product introductions than

others.

The Fruits of Legitimacy :Why Some New Ventures Gain More from Innovation Than Others

Raghunath Singh Rao, Rajesh K. Chandy, & Jaideep C. Prabhu (Journal of Marketing, July 2008)

The ‘what is whisky’ case (1908-09) asked fundamental questions about this new category

And provoked a concerted response from Distillers …

Deploying some of the most sophisticated and creative advertising talent available

And a sustained campaign by blenders to win the trust of consumers

Rebuilding credibility and integrity for the category and their brands through an imagined past …

By the late 1940s Scotch steps out of the past towards the future …

But can Scotch ever escape the legacy of it’s imagined past?