A Smarter Approach to On-Trade Activations

The on-trade is one of the most exciting and difficult channels to get right in drinks marketing. It is also a key growth area for drinks brands – in short, it’s a must win.

The challenge is it’s fast-moving, fragmented, and full of nuance. We know that getting cut-through in on-trade activations isn’t about bigger budgets, mountains of POS or flash terrace takeovers.

It’s about smarter thinking.

That’s why we use the 3x Win Activation Model – a practical framework that helps drinks brands create winning activations that work in the real world.

Not just for the brand, but for the venue and the guest too.

Because here’s the honest truth: too many on-trade activations fail by focusing on the brand alone. A slick bar takeover or getting your signature serves on the menu might be a great “win” to tell your colleagues in the weekly meeting, but if it doesn’t deliver value to the people running the venue or to the people spending at the bar, it’s just more noise and wasted budget.

The 3x Win Activation Model isn’t rocket science, but it reframes the activation process to keep on-trade activations laser-focused in the planning stages. It asks one simple question – does this campaign create a win for the venue, a win for the guest, and a win for the brand?

If the answer isn’t yes to all three, the concept needs work.

Here’s how it breaks down:

Win For The Venue

If your activation doesn’t serve the venue’s goals, it’s dead in the water.

Venues are under huge pressures—from staffing to margins to footfall. The UK on-trade lost over 13,000 licensed premises between March 2020 and December 2023, according to the CGA AlixPartners Market Recovery Monitor. For those still with us, every decision now looks at the numbers.

So what could this mean?

• Targeting quieter periods to help drive incremental sales.
• Delivering simple, staff-friendly mechanics that are easily adopted and don’t impact service.
• Offering support with training, stock, events or assets
• Showing how the activation helps their business, not just yours.

We’ve seen the difference this makes. When a brand approached us to develop a serve strategy aimed at multisite nationals, we didn’t just pitch a delicious set of drinks. We analysed trade patterns and designed the activity to land on midweek evenings, when footfall dipped. We looked at consumer trends and culture to understand how to best engage the target consumers. We focused on staff training, ease of serve and margin.

The result? A 31% uplift in cocktail sales during those hours. The venue was happy. The brand was front-of-mind. Everyone won.

Win For The Guest

No one comes to a bar to experience your brand. They come to relax, connect, enjoy and socialise.

So if you want to create impact, you need to add value to their experience – whether that’s through surprise, relevance, or generosity.

And the guest expectation is high: 78% of consumers expect brands to enhance their experience in physical spaces, not interrupt it (Kantar Global MONITOR, 2023). That’s a clear call for relevance and subtlety.

So, what do we actually mean?

A recent example is an activation by a tequila brand in hotel lobby bars that double as co-working spaces during the day. The brand analysed how best to support the venue, the customer and activated a Margarita Happy Hour timed to start as laptops closed. It caught people at the right moment, offered value, and gave them a reason to stay longer. Sales lifted. The guest felt rewarded. It was culturally in tune with how people were using the space.

Consumer-first thinking is what turns forgettable sampling into memorable moments. And it’s what drives repeat orders and real ROI.

Win for the Brand

Finally, yes – the brand does need to show up.

But not in a generic, background way. We’re talking real presence. Not just brand visibility, but stories. Not just menus, but meaning.

In the on-trade, only 1 in 3 drinkers recall which brand made their cocktail (CGA Mixed Drinks Report, 2023). That’s a visibility problem – and a missed opportunity.

We encourage brands to take ownership of every touchpoint:

• Is the drink clearly branded on the menu?
• Are bartenders trained to advocate for the brand
• Is there a visual moment guests can post or photograph?
• Can you build emotional recall, not just taste memory?

Because if guests walk away remembering a nice drink but not who made it happen, the activation hasn’t done its job.

We’ve helped brands sharpen their visibility through bartender advocacy, clever scripting, and content capture. The trick isn’t shouting louder – it’s embedding deeper.

But Why Does This Matter For On-Trade Activations?

The market is saturated. Consumers are bombarded. Venues are selective. And brand loyalty is harder to earn than ever.

Since the pandemic, on-trade drinking occasions are down 7.3% year on year, while at-home occasions have increased (Lumina Intelligence On-Trade Tracker, 2024). That means brands have to work even harder to justify their place in the on-trade – and deliver real value when they do show up.

That’s why we always focus on the 3X Win Activation Model.

It brings focus.

It creates shared value.

And most importantly, it works.

We’ve used this approach across spirits, beers, and no/low brands in hotels, pubs, rooftops, members’ clubs, and festivals.

So if you’re planning your next on-trade push, ask yourself:

• Does it add genuine value to the venue (often via revenue or improved margin)
• Does it make the guest’s experience better?
• Does it make the brand impossible to forget?

If the answer is no to any of the above, we urge you to dive back into your strategy.

Want to work with Wilde Toast? Then get in touch with our team.