Skinnygirl story emphasizes importance of proprietary ownership

One of the most visible brands in spirits is the Skinnygirl margarita, a low-cal concoction of tequila and citrus that targets female drinkers. Famously, the label was founded by TV personality and entrepreneur Bethenny Frankel in 2011. When she sold the spirits portion of the company to Jim Beam in 2012, the Real Housewife of New York landed on the cover of Forbes Magazine. 

For the viewing public, the ascendency of Skinnygirl was cataloged on television. The original margarita was first formulated as a do-it-yourself mix, which was translated into mass production by a savvy team of business people. Since the launch of the first beverages, the brand has diversified into arenas as diverse as sparkling water, power bars, dietary supplements and even popcorn. Since Frankel still owns proprietary rights to the brand outside liquor production, other avenues have opened up other sources of revenue.

“It would be great for Beam to sell Skinnygirl shot glasses as a complement to the cocktail,” she told Forbes Magazine. “But they can’t. Only I can.”

From a labeling perspective, Frankel’s example demonstrates the importance of creating a brand that is, when necessary, independent from specific products. For beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages, merchandising and leveraging a label into a lifestyle entity is an attractive and lucrative possibility. One of the best ways enterprises can take control of their label strategy is to invest in an industrial label printer. This provides total flexibility and eliminates dependence on third parties for packaging. 

Contact DuraFast today to learn more about how a top-of-the-line printer can help take your marketing efforts to the next level. Whether your brand is the next Skinnygirl margarita or a creation all its own, good labeling boosts visibility.