No Apologies, No Excuses

Bourbon brand story provides lessons for evolving news media industry (and others).

In 2016 I wrote about the overlap of two of my favorite things — storytelling and bourbon. I broke down why a seemingly well-known brand like Wild Turkey would want to reinvigorate marketing efforts with brand storytelling by partnering up with Matthew McConaughey.

It has been interesting to see the new Wild Turkey story evolve over time. At the core, the concept is to tell the brand story authentically. A through line has been the tag, “It’ll Find You,” and they have told a variety of stories teasing out the ways their bourbon making process and the experience fit into this.

In 2017 they released an ad which builds upon the story by returning to the basic concept Wild Turkey and McConaughey started out with in their original short film: “Real Bourbon, No Apologies.”

In 2018, Wild Turkey released a video telling the story behind the release of Longbranch: “part Kentucky, part Texas,” made with mesquite charred wood — “no ice cube required.”

They’re not trying to be overly fancy or flashy — they’re just “singing their song” about what they do best.

No Apologies

As I took in the latest Wild Turkey + McConaughey ad, I kept coming back to No Apologies.

News media companies often feel as if they are carrying a huge load of baggage related to their historical formats, as well as marketing efforts on both the consumer and B2B side of the house.

A big push for digital focus has been the predominant theme for news media marketing in the past decade, as everyone adapted to digital first. At times, this came across as almost apologetic for having a history rooted in more traditional formats (print, radio, television).

It’s time to stop avoiding our history, and start talking about real news, no apologies.

No Excuses

In a similar vein, when it comes to innovation, there can be a feeling of hesitancy due to wanting to manage risk.

However, given the unrelenting changes in the news media industry, there can be no apologies and no excuses about the need to innovate and change.

We cannot afford excuses that bar the industry from evolving. No industry can. Most industries are changing, and there should be no excuses for avoiding innovation.

Impossible is Nothing

Whenever I’m met with apologies or excuses in professional life, I think about the words related to an Adidas campaign featuring the Greatest of All Time, Muhammad Ali, who was also from my hometown of Louisville:

Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it.

Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion.

Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare.

Impossible is potential.

Impossible is temporary.

Impossible is nothing.

When faced with apologies for who we have been and who we are…

When excuses fly around about why we can’t afford to change A, B or C…

When someone says we can’t do X, Y or Z because it’s impossible…

…it’s important to remind ourselves that impossible is potential.

*This was originally published on the International News Media Alliance bottom-line marketing blog, to which I formerly contributed.