Weidong Wei is the founder of Dong-Ye, a whisky distillery in China’s Hunan province who will produce one of China’s first single malt whiskies. I had the pleasure of catching up with Weidong to hear more about his plans and inspiration. Part 1: You and your distillery / whisky / brand Andrew Stark: What inspired you …
Read more “The Discovery Sessions #1 – Dong Ye Distillery, China”
In wine-making the French term “terroir” is often used. Terroir is the basis of the French wine Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) system, which is a model for wine appellation and regulation in France, and around the world too. But what does it mean? According to WSET — Wine & Spirit Education Trust, terroir refers to “the natural environment where the …
When drinks brands talk about their sustainability credentials they often focus on just one or two elements of what they do – such as the use of recycled material compared to their previous iteration of the same product for example. This may be a great start, but it leaves so many stones unturned. Changing to …
Read more “Your sustainability message needs more thought than you may think.”
It’s staggering to think that a single person’s attitude can make or break your feelings towards a brand, but it’s so true. This summer, I spent a lot of time indulging in a passion of mine – visiting whisky distilleries. Although there’s many things which can influence my preference here – from taste, to branding, …
Not everyone is up to speed with the wisdom of the Chinese general, military strategist, writer, and philosopher who lived in the Eastern Zhou period of ancient China, Sun Tzu. He is traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War, a work of military strategy that has influenced and affected both Western and …
When you’re building a website you may start by thinking about engagement, your brand, messaging, links and content. But what about the website’s carbon footprint? Is environmental sustainability part of your brand ethos? Did you even appreciate your website has a carbon footprint?And do you consider how accessible the website is to your audience – …
There’s lots of recent efforts being made to reduce a company’s impact on the planet – and rightly so. From carbon neutral drinks, net-zero companies, carbon offsetting and waste reduction. This is of course fantastic news – consumers are starting to demand more positive action, and businesses are starting to listen. But at what point …
Many things are filling the headlines of late – from Covid to Brexit and Euro 2020 to Summer 2021. Brewdog can be added to the list.When former employees called out the founders for a ‘toxic workplace’, ears pricked up. The fact they did it very publicly made ears prick up even more. Added to this, …
I had a great call with small, growing business recently and they were concerned that their product and services were ‘no longer good enough’ – social media engagement is down, the website is barely registering any traffic, the visual identity was a mixed bag and sales figures resemble a rollercoaster. The thing is, what they do …
If some initial client/supplier calls are like this for you, do you run away or relish the challenge? Personally, I love it. Just because someone struggles to articulate their idea doesn’t make it a bad idea. I’ve found that when I play the role of interpreter and then architect, the relationship with the client is …