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COVER STORY “The packag- ing alone will help move this product.” Within a matter of days, he had sold 20 cases to customers who ranged from 21-year-old women to 62-year-old men. He says the large KRÜ 82 billboard in the middle of Times Square was especially helpful. “Think about the exposure of the people going through Times Square every day. That kind of exposure is how you make brands,” Costanzo says. Green Marketing Power For Boulder Liquormart in Colorado, the marketing power of KRÜ 82 was strong. But what really sold buyer Tiffany Lough was the brand’s reusable packaging. Now it’s among Boulder Liquormart’s 500 vodka SKUs. “My biggest factor was the reus- able container it comes in because we have such an outdoorsy client base,” Lough says. “The packaging alone will help move this product, as hikers and runners will be attracted to it.” She thinks it will especially appeal to her so-called green crowd. The stainless steel bottle is shatterproof and is 100 percent free of Bisphenol A (BPA), a common organic compound often used in packaging that the FDA has deemed dangerous to infants and young children. It’s also refreshing for new vodka to be different, according to the buyer. “How many raspberry vodkas can you have? A new vodka product has to lend itself to a niche market to stand out,” Lough says. “If a new vodka is not different, a customer is not going to buy it. With this outdoorsy clientele, KRÜ 82 will do great!” Ron Vaughn of Denver’s Argonaut Wine & Liquor. Martinis on the Slopes Ron Vaughn, co-owner of Denver’s largest liquor store, Argonaut Wine & Liquor, believes his customers will buy KRÜ 82 based on its price. According to a recent Markets and Research study, premium vodka drink- ers have been trading down to mid- range price points. Vaughn says he’s also seen customers buy smaller bottles and that KRÜ 82 will benefit from these economic shifts. But what will keep the customers coming back is KRÜ 82’s packaging, he says. “People will be making their own Martinis on the slopes, packing KRÜ 82, vermouth and Martini glasses in their backpacks.” march 201 1 / the tasting panel / 51 PHOTO: KEVIN MOLONEY