how to do marketing

This is a review of Tito’s Handmade vodka from the US. I sampled it in the US in 2011. It’s clear, 40% alcohol, and I thought it wasn’t as awesome as the marketing suggested.

If you’re like me and you just happen to look up the term “vodka” on the interwebs every once in a while, you’re bound to have seen some ads by this brand: Tito’s Handmade vodka. It’s from Texas, made from corn, and it seems to be almost as ubiquitous as Absolut or Smirnoff.

relatability

I remember looking up Tito’s Handmade vodka’s website in 2011. It said I LOVE TEXAS… AND I LOVE VODKA. There was a picture of the owner with his three dogs, each sporting a Tito’s kerchief. It looked like the brand was trying very hard to be relatable. I regret not taking any screenshots.

Now it’s 2021, and the website has changed a bit, but not too much. It definitely looks more slick than before:

But there still seems to be a great emphasis on relatability. It’s all about the story of one man (Bert Beveridge aka Tito) who started distilling vodka in a shack:

A lot of other brands try to give themselves an air of luxury, using elaborate designs and bottles made from frosted glass. Tito’s Handmade vodka is the exact opposite of that. They even say so on their website:

TITO MADE THIS LABEL HIMSELF IN 1994. The point that they are driving home is that his is an independent brand, made by Tito, a regular guy from Texas.

And it has worked. The brand Tito’s Handmade vodka is now worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and Tito is a very rich regular guy from Texas.

Tito’s Handmade vodka is alright

But how about we finally review this stuff? I had this with friends in Wichita, Kansas. We drank it neat and at room-temperature. And I gotta say Tito’s Handmade vodka tasted pretty good. It was smooth enough for a premium vodka. Sadly, though, I thought it was lacking a bit of character in the aftertaste.

I liked the retro bottle design, and the price of around 13€ for 700ml was good, too.

All in all, this is a quality brand that has found a niche and markets itself extremely well. I recommend it for mixed drinks.