Most of my adult life was spent marketing Alcohol Beverages…building Brands and most importantly getting them into distribution. So I was excited to read the other day that American producers of Alcohol Beverages, in particular distilled spirit producers, are credited by many for creating the term Brand Name.

Early American Distillers and Brewers branded their Names and Logos onto the Barrels and kegs before shipping them to market. They did this because they wanted to get the consumers to know whose product they were drinking. Also in many cases they did this simply to get their barrels and kegs back.

Abraham Lincoln is credited by many to have been the one to coin the moniker “Brand”. The story goes: when President Lincoln was informed that General Grant drank whiskey while leading his troop, President Lincoln was reported to have replied: “Find out the name of the Brand so I can give it to my other Generals”. He was talking about what name was burned onto the barrel, thus apparently assuming that the particular Brand made the difference and not just the drinking.

Today a Brand is much more an emotional relationship between a consumer and the product or service… it is a promise of earned trust. A Brand Name is a major motivator to many savvy consumers whether to buy or not buy the product. I love the idea that it all could have started with an adult beverage.