From their ad campaigns to sponsorships, the Jack Daniel’s brand has become synonymous with all things cool and exciting—especially as they relate to men. But Jack Daniel’s realizes the importance of the female consumer and while she has always been an important part of the marketing conversation, she will soon find her own connection to the Jack Daniel’s brand and legacy. Jennifer Powell, brand manager for Jack Daniel Distillery, recently spoke with M2W® E-ssentials about the plans the company has to better connect with women while never alienating their male consumers.

Patti Minglin: How long have women been a consumer target for Jack Daniel’s?   

Jennifer Powell: Women have long been drinking and enjoying Jack Daniel’s. The female consumer currently represents 21% of Jack Daniel’s volume in the United States totaling about 200 million drinks. Just this past year, we activated an initiative to further diversify the Jack Daniel’s consumer franchise by identifying and successfully communicating the relevant attributes of the brand to female consumers while staying true to the values and equity of the Jack Daniel’s.

Minglin: Toward that goal, are you planning on launching any new products targeting women or just changing the marketing message?

Powell: With ginger, ginger ale and ginger beer becoming more prevalent in upscale restaurants as an ingredient in upscale cocktail recipes, we are launching a campaign around Jack & Ginger (Editor Note: Campaign set to be launched in Spring 2010) to drive female trial and adoption of the drink in a fun and relevant way. Jack & Ginger is light & refreshing drink that we think will create a relationship with females and expand the drink repertoire with males.

Minglin: How is marketing to women different than marketing to men when it comes to your specific industry?

Powell: For Jack Daniel’s, traditional marketing has been specifically targeted to men. This includes messaging around the production, heritage and lore of Jack Daniel’s as well as the people and aura of Lynchburg, TN. Advertising has been delivered via male-targeted vehicles, and the same is true for sponsorships and promotions such as NASCAR racing, rodeo events and tailgate parties. As a result, Jack Daniel’s marketing activities to women have been limited to those females who participate in these lifestyle events. What is important, is that when marketing to women, we develop advertising, programs and drink strategies that are not only relevant to women and true to the brand’s core values, but do not alienate our male consumer franchise.

Minglin: Sounds like you will have lots of exciting things to share with us over the next several months. We just finished a long holiday weekend and will be enjoying several more weeks of summer, what is your favorite Jack Daniel’s summer cocktail?

Powell: Jack & Ginger is a light, refreshing drink for a hot days of summer. Of course, Jack & Coke is a true American cocktail … And if you’re entertaining a crowd, Lynchburg Lemonade is always a summer favorite.

Minglin: I will be sure to have a Jack & Ginger in your honor! Thanks, Jennifer—I look forward to circling back with you as you get closer to the launch of your Jack & Ginger campaign!

Patti Minglin is the editor of M2W® E-ssentials, www.m2w.biz.  Based in Chicago, Minglin can be reached at 630.209.2524 or pminglin@comcast.net.