Copalli Rum

Project Details

Copalli rum is the product of a social and environmental mission. In fact, the company’s mission came long before there was ever a rum.

The company was first conceived to offer the people of Punta Gorda, Southern Belize, rewarding and meaningful employment (paying double the Belizean average salary) that rendered deforestation of the rainforest and illegal fishing unnecessary. Both tragically disrupting the biodiversity of the fragile rain forest ecosystem.

Additionally, Copalli supports Hillside Health Care International, an NGO which brings free health care to Southern Belize, and Claver College Extension Program, an adult education program which aims to provide quality education to citizens of Toledo who need a second chance to finish their high school education. Copalli also is a member of The Rainforest Trust Conservation Circle which supports and protects endangered species, threatened rainforests, and other tropical ecosystems around the world.

And the rums are a far cry from the molasses-based rums many are used to drinking. Crafted from only three ingredients; fresh-pressed sugar cane juice from organic heirloom sugar cane sustainably grown and hand-harvested on the Copal Tree Farm, rainwater courtesy of the semi-tropical climate, collected without disturbing the habitat, and non-GMO yeast, used to initiate fermentation.

Creative Brief

We had two objectives:

  1. Convince the audience Copalli Rum is different from any other craft spirits experience they have ever had.
  2. Awe the target to build their desire to click “add to cart”.

It was clear we needed to position Copalli as a challenger brand. Not only challenging how rum was made, but how companies operate and their reason for being. Consumers buy challenger brands as much for their mission as their products and both are required to be exemplary. Which was certainly the case for Copalli and its rums.

We crafted the brief to reflect that mission and product were inseparable and combined they are the reason to buy Copalli rums over any other craft rum on the market. We summed it up with the tagline “Doing Good Tastes Delicious”.

Target Audiences: We identified two key target audience personas: the conscious consumer and the flavor explorer. Each have different triggers when deciding whether to purchase products.

Conscious Consumers are thoughtful and analytical shoppers. They research the companies behind the products as much as they do the products. They look for products, and the companies producing them, to not only “reduce the bad” but “create incredible good”.

Flavor Explorers are driven by the constant discovery of new tastes and flavors. They have curious palates and are culinary travelers, literally and metaphorically. These consumers have mor impulsive buying habits. If they see a product or recipe containing the product that sounds new, different, or exciting, they buy it!

UX

The navigation for the website was designed to give the mission and the product equal weight, with the rums, the crafting process, and the cocktails to the left of the centered logo and the ecosystem, the people (who work the farm and the distillery) and the press reviews on the right. Thus, allowing both the flavor explorer and the conscious consumer to easily find the information they needed to make the decision to purchase.

Custom Website Design

The site was designed to be a layered experience. Throughout the site there is movement and wherever possible copy is broken up with hand drawn custom illustrations. The movement, the visual layering and the illustrations all speak to the uniqueness of the Copalli brand, its mission, the products, and the experience.

In keeping with the navigation design and the creative strategy, the homepage was designed to give an overview of Copalli, both the rums and the mission – with read more buttons for the audience to delve deeper should they wish.

At each point of this immersive customer journey web site the consumer has easy access to the products and shop now buttons. Afterall, to continue to fulfill the mission Copalli needs to sell their rums!

Results
UX
Custom Website Design
Background

Rum, like other spirits segments, is enjoying renewed popularity due to the resurgence of cocktail culture and consumers looking for craft beverages to make their drinking occasions a special experience. This renewed popularity has resulted in an explosion of craft rum brands.

Challenges

Entering a crowded market with a new rum brand was a daunting task. Copalli needed a platform to tell their story and clearly position the brand and their products as unlike any other on the market.

Awards Won

2023 Marcom Awards
Gold Winner x2

2023 Muse Awards
Gold Winner

2023 W3 Awards
Silver Winner

2023 Mobile Web Awards
MobileWebAward Winner

2023 Omma Awards
Honorable Mention

Support Categories

Brand strategy

Creative brief

Target personas

UX

Copywriting

Hand drawn illustrations

Photography

Custom website design and build