Chicken Cock Whiskey
Turning Paid Media Into a Customer Acquisition Engine (and 3X’ing Revenue Without Killing ROAS)
Backround
Founded in 1856, Chicken Cock Whiskey is a heritage brand with a strong story and positioning, but its eCommerce growth wasn’t fully matching its potential. Heading into Q1 (one of the slowest seasons for spirits), paid media was active but fragmented, operating more as ongoing campaigns than a true growth engine. The opportunity wasn’t awareness. It was converting demand more efficiently without cheapening a premium brand.
Result
The engagement delivered a breakout quarter, with eCommerce revenue increasing by approximately 300% year-over-year while maintaining efficient performance metrics and brand integrity. Rather than a short-term spike, the account developed more consistent, scalable momentum driven by improved campaign structure and clearer messaging.
Kyle Harder | Chief Marketing Officer | Grain and Barrel Spirits
“Working with John has been incredible. We have seen a 300% increase in our eComm sales for Q1 YoY. January through March is challenging time of the year for spirits sales but John has been able to find active buyers with smart media targeting. John has contributed his sophisticated digital ad execution to our business as well as an overall strategy that has been second to none."
Process
The strategy focused on turning paid media into a unified growth engine rather than a set of disconnected campaigns. Efforts centered on higher-intent audiences, sharper messaging, and more distinctive creative that could drive action while maintaining premium brand positioning, supported by ongoing testing and strategic campaign moments to scale what worked.
Rebuilt full-funnel paid media strategy around high-intent audience segments
Refreshed creative and copy to balance performance with premium brand positioning
Leveraged partnerships and campaign moments to drive incremental reach
Implemented continuous testing across creative, audiences, and structure
Aligned messaging, timing, and media buying into a cohesive growth framework rather than isolated tactics