Zouk drops its own branded bottle cocktail line to drive eCommerce biz

Singapore's iconic nightclub Zouk has unveiled a new line of bottled cocktails inspired by nostalgic and local flavours. Crafted by Zouk’s mixologists, each cocktail aims to pay tribute to Singaporean favourites, with flavours such as Milo Gao, Asam Guava and Teh Peng harking back to integral childhood memories and idyllic days of drinking and ordering fruits at local coffeeshops.

In a statement to Marketing, Andrew Li, CEO of Zouk Group said the cocktail line is part of the shift in the business towards eCommerce. The iconic Zouk nightclub was required to close its venue temporarily after the government imposed circuit breaker measures, and moved a portion of the business onto eCommerce platform Lazada for the line of cocktails, and also recently launched its own eCommerce platform selling merchandise, bottled cocktails, alcohol and food from RedTail’s kitchen.

According to Li, as a homegrown brand, it was fitting for Zouk to pay tribute to distinctive local flavours for its freshly brewed cocktail line. The products will be marketed through Zouk’s social media channels and EDM database, as well as through media and influencer outreach. Li added that Zouk also plans to run ads on social media, and host a livestream event on Lazada on 17 June as part of its “Mid Year Festival” campaign to engage shoppers and share more about the new line of cocktails. At the same time, Zouk will also unveil several smaller activations through its online parties starting with its Mambo Jambo live DJ set on 20 June.

For Zouk, its eCommerce business is here to stay, and Li added that this complements the business and is part of the company’s overall strategy to develop revenue streams that would not be disrupted even if its offline businesses are closed. “It can definitely still continue even after the club is open, much like how our signature premixed Sour Plum, Chrysanthemum and Apple shooters are also sold in bottled forms. Canned cocktails with a longer shelf life are also in the pipeline allowing us to showcase in supermarkets and convenience stores. The scalability of this initiative would have a lot of potential,” he explained.

Zouk has been spicing up virtual party collaborations over the past two months. In March, Zouk partnered with esports company Razer and streaming app Bigo Live to launch a cloud clubbing livestream, and curated a series of closed-door sets that will be streamed to viewers on Razer’s Bigo Live channel. CEO of Zouk Group Li said then that with many countries on lockdown, the company was hoping to reach out to people through music, technology and social interaction on the virtual sphere.

Shortly after that, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) partnered with Zouk to organise a series of virtual parties around the world named “Zouk Phuturescapes”, aimed at promoting Singapore's offerings across the world. To add an interactive element to the parties, STB and Zouk worked with VICE to create AR filters on Instagram. One of these AR filters will feature an avatar of American DJ Diplo against a 3D virtual background of Gardens by the Bay. 

In addition, Zouk has also continued with its digital initiatives, such as weekly DJ set live streams hosted on its Facebook and YouTube channels, along with lifestyle content that it has been putting out over the past three months to keep its followers engaged over this period of time.

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