Brian Barry’s Post

I lived in Nashville before the days rooftop bars and musician-branded restaurants. And while I may be one of the Barbara Mandrells of my generation, artists like Lainey Wilson, Morgan Wallen, and most recently, Beyonce have brought country music to mainstream audiences, blending traditional sounds with modern influences. And it's not just the tunes that are booming. Specialty retailers like Boot Barn are riding this wave, transforming from regional stores into national lifestyle brands. As the demand for western wear skyrockets, these niche retailers are expanding faster than you can say "Yeehaw!" But with great growth comes great responsibility—especially when it comes to security. With more stores and more customers, keeping everything safe and sound is a big deal. In my latest blog post, I dive into how these trends intersect and why modern security measures are a must for niche retailers. https://lnkd.in/e4qmiFwr #retailstrategy #retailsecurity #growthstrategy

A New Holiday: St.Patrick's Eve! Remember the year St. Patrick's Day fell on a Tuesday? Jameson does, and they're not letting it happen again! Enter St. Patrick's Eve, a brand-new holiday invented by the whiskey giant to ensure the party doesn't suffer just because the calendar says "Sunday." This isn't just a random date change. It's a bold marketing move fuelled by consumer insights. By offering a "work-friendly" alternative on the Saturday before (March 16th), Jameson aims to: Boost sales that might be dampened by the Sunday holiday. Create a unique and engaging campaign that captures attention. How are they doing it? Buckle up, it's a multi-city, celebrity-filled extravaganza! 1. Times Square Ball Drop, Jameson Style: Forget New Year's Eve, this year the ball drops for St. Patrick's Eve! Hosted by SNL's comedy power duo Jost & Che, this first-of-its-kind activation is sure to grab headlines (and Instagrammers). 2. Party Across the States: The fun doesn't stop in New York. Jameson is bringing the St. Patrick's Eve spirit to Las Vegas, Chicago, and Los Angeles, ensuring nationwide celebration and diverse audience engagement. 3. Laughter is the Best Medicine (and Marketing): Forget the "work-free Monday" blues! Hilarious digital videos starring Jost & Che bring the campaign to life with relatable scenarios and infectious humor, perfectly capturing Jameson's lighthearted brand personality. 4. More Than Just a Party: From limited-edition St. Patrick's Eve jackets to partnerships with entertainment venues, Jameson is creating tangible experiences that extend the reach and encourage participation. All proceeds from the jacket benefit the Restaurant Workers' Community Fund, adding a positive social impact to the mix. Marketing Masterstroke or Risky Gamble? Only time will tell how successful Jameson's St. Patrick's Eve will be. But one thing's for sure: they've started a conversation and pushed the boundaries of what a brand can do to drive engagement. #marketinginnovation #StPatricksEve #brandbuilding #causemarketing #TimesSquareBallDrop #FirstOfItsKind  #JostandChe #disruptivemarketing #DigitalMarketing

Sure, let's go ahead and roll back those DEI and cultural competency programs in marketing functions and creative organizations. 🙄 /s Listen, no brand or individual is going to get it 100% right 100% of the time. The past two weeks alone we've seen several big brands make mistakes. Always consider how to expand the diversity of voices invited into the process, and how you enable those voices to have an equal share of 'airtime' in feedback sessions and decisions.

Whether you want to explore the city's bustling Christmas markets or have a high-kicking holiday with the Rockettes, here's your ultimate guide to spending Christmas in New York City.

Last weekend, a Nashville coffee shop closed its doors after 25 years in business. Portland Brew was a staple in the 12 South neighborhood. ☕ A friend sent me this picture of a 'thank you' sign, filled with well-wishes and gratitude from customers. Take a look at a few of my favorites 🥹 : ▪️"Thank you for helping me through nursing school and being the place where I fell in love with my husband." ▪️"Came here every day when I was sad my freshman year." ▪️"Grateful for this place to gather. We are all better for its existence." ▪️"You helped us find friends when we were new here 2 years ago, and fall in love with our neighborhood" ▪️"You've fueled many long work days and sleepless nights with our first baby, and provided us a bright start to almost every day. We will miss all of your friendly faces." ▪️"So many of my best memories happened here. Thank you PB crew for creating a space for us to feel welcomed and at home!" ▪️"I love this place but it has always been the staff that brings me back every day." Did you notice that the word 'coffee' wasn't mentioned once in any of those notes? In fact, it's hardly mentioned on that board at all. Regardless of the industry you're in, you are in the EXPERIENCE business. The making-someone's-day-brighter-business. It's not about the products or services you're selling; it's about how you make your customers feel. ☀️ What do you want YOUR legacy to be with your customers? #cx #customerexperience

For the brown bear It happened last year same time. We were accidentally privileged to dine at a 100+ year old restaurant in Basel. It was accidental because we didn’t search for it. We barged into a random restaurant and it turned out to be historical in every sense. While establishing it in 1915 the founders named it, ‘Zum Braunen Mutz’, in German. Zum means ‘to’ as well as ‘for’. When you raise a wine glass you say something (only for the first two rounds, though). You dedicate your happiness to something. To something or for something. That’s Zum. Braunen means brown colored. Mutz means bear, a waitress at the restaurant explained. What’s the connection with a bear and the restaurant? It takes us to understand the local tradition of music bands in Basel city, the medieval history, the origin of carnivals and their symbolism. Though it is a story worth telling I don’t intend to change my profession as a history professor. The restaurant is traditionally associated with a band which had a bear as their symbol. After the dinner we attended a performance by a music band at the city center. The theme was - “Für Vielfalt. Gegen diskriminierung.” It means - “For diversity. Against discrimination”. It was a celebration of diversity. There’s a connection between the context of the two events I described above. Of course, you will not understand the connection unless I explain it. What if I don’t want to explain it? What if I don’t have the ability to explain it? What if I think any explanation may spoil the tingle? There could be several reasons why someone thinks in the way he/she thinks, behaves, speaks, walks…and lives. One can express many things as I did above and there’s no reason to explain everything. A bear is a bear. PS - Let's celebrate diversity and embrace the complexities of the world we live in. #celebratecomplexity #celebratediversity

Embracing the Holiday Spirit: How Marketing Shapes Our Traditions! 🍀🎉 As we gear up to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, it’s interesting to observe how marketing influences our holiday traditions! 🌈✨ From festive parades to the iconic green beer, these traditions have been shaped by clever marketing strategies over the years. 💡 Did you know that the modern-day celebration of St. Patrick's Day traces back to as early as 1631 when the Church established a Feast Day honoring St. Patrick? 🍀 This Patron Saint of Ireland, who passed away in the fifth century, laid the foundation for the festivities we know today, albeit centuries later! According to a fascinating article from The New York Times, the evolution of St. Patrick's Day traditions is a testament to the power of marketing. 📈 The tradition of drinking green beer, while now synonymous with St. Patrick's Day festivities, is actually a relatively recent addition. After a clever marketing push from Budweiser in the 1980s, this vibrant libation became a staple of celebrations worldwide 🍺✨ Whether it's through parades, themed merchandise, or iconic beverages, marketing continues to add a splash of excitement to our festivities! 🎉💚 #StPatricksDay #HolidayTraditions #MarketingMagic Read more about The True History Behind St. Patrick’s Day by Ashley Ross at Time

☺️Do you Personally Brand Yourself? No matter where you are, it is important to take the time to appreciate your surroundings. Whether it be a mountain range stretching towards the horizon, or a bustling downtown street lined with unique stores and restaurants, there is beauty to be found in different places. Taking a moment to enjoy what nature and humanity have to offer can help bring life into perspective. When you take the time to appreciate the things around you, it can lead to increased happiness and well being. https://lnkd.in/gThw7FWg

I had the immense pleasure of travelling to Napa last week with my fiancé and his company for “Live in the Vineyard Goes Country”. It was a whirlwind few days of incredible performances, great food, unique wine, and networking. But wait, this isn’t my industry! It goes without saying that the music industry is entirely different from the world of nutraceuticals. But over the past few years, I’ve learned that there are parallels. Considering that everyone is contributing to an end product for some benefit of consumers, we can find plenty of common ground. Personally, I love connecting with people and learning what they do, why they do it, and what really makes them ‘tick’. This past week, for example, I had the opportunity to speak with radio personalities, digital content creators, managers, the artists themselves, marketing gurus, and more, and greatly expanded my knowledge of the music industry (as is the trend when I’m fortunate enough to accompany my fiancé to these events). When then asked what I do, it became increasingly clear that people are curious and concerned about their health and well-being, wanting to add life to their years instead of just adding years to their life. Everyone was eager to learn more. And that’s what makes me tick. So there we were, exchanging details of songs and supplements, of Nashville and nutrition. Despite coming from two totally different industries, we found our common ground and walked away with a unique new perspective (and I think, a smidge wiser in one way or another). The location? Idyllic. The conversations? Priceless...regardless of industry. #LiveInTheVineyard #Networking

Representation I had a moment… and it’s worth talking about. If I am honest, the representation of people of colour in the workplace is not something I have always been conscious of, even as a British South Asian. Call me lucky, privileged, or naïve, but I hadn’t given much thought to my race or acknowledged the prejudiced experiences I had buried deep in my subconscious, until the Black Lives Matter movement. Now, like many of us, I can’t help but notice representation, or the lack of it, all the time. So a couple of weeks ago, at our Cocktails In The City activation in London, where we worked with the wonderful team at Thin White Duke to create “Asian-inspired” cocktails, it really hit me when myself, Rico Grewal, Varun Sarna and Sherwin Acebuche were all standing together in our corner of  Bedford Park promoting our authentically Asian brands... We were doing it! Creating the representation that is needed in the drinks industry. (📸 Kodak moment). Not only through the brands themselves, but the people behind them too. Kudos to Andrew Scutts for supporting us to bring this to life. Thanks to the team at Thin White Duke and Dav Eames for their mixology magic and creating some truly remarkable cocktails (I’m still not over the pickled pineapple garnish!). With most of us having worked in the UK drinks industry for a while, this sparked a great conversation about the lack of people of colour in the drinks industry, in our personal experience. Especially in hospitality, creative roles, and leading brands, and why that might be? It just so happens to be South Asian Heritage Month, I would love to connect with other South Asians working in the drinks industry to keep the conversation about representation alive. I don’t have any answers, but maybe we can work something out together. Drop me a DM if you fancy a conversation over a cocktail. Saicho Sparkling Tea Tarsier Southeast Asian Spirit Kaveri Drinks #hospitality #southasians #drinksindustry #community #beverage