McCauley
Market Brand Manager, Jack Daniel's
Atlanta, GA
My Job
I am the Market Brand Manager (MBM) for the Jack Daniel’s Family of Brands. As an MBM, I report directly to the state manager of Georgia, but I also work very closely with the Brand Business Manager for Jack Daniel’s for the Atlantic Division. With these two reporting roles, I get a great sense of both the sales and marketing sides of the industry and of Brown-Forman. I am in charge of all Jack Daniel’s Family of Brands events that come into Georgia, such as NASCAR, Studio No. 7, Tailgate, and our newest initiative, the African American Consumer Market initiative in Atlanta. I work closely with our distributor partners across the state in the On- and Off-premise, working out ways to have our brands at the forefront of a store or in a prime location on a backbar.
My Motivation
Brown-Forman has been around for nearly 140 years and has an incredible reputation for hard work, excellence and skilled employees across the industry and around the world. I feel a great sense of pride in going to work every day knowing that I’m not only just selling quality consumer goods, but also that I am part of a tradition and a family-owned company that will likely be around for another 140 years.
My Contribution
All Brown-Forman employees are brand builders, regardless of their title. I am in the market each day selling to owners or managers on the quality and history of Jack Daniel’s. I am also able to attend industry and consumer events in which I can speak directly to bartenders, wait staff or everyday people who are interested in learning a bit more about one of the most iconic brands in the world.
What I Enjoy About Brown-Forman
Brown-Forman is a very high-energy, fun-loving, hard-working, and supportive community of people. Our partners in the industry from distributors to retailers hold B-F in the highest regard. I feel it is part of my job to continue with that strong reputation by working my hardest and being there for my co-workers and partners. I have been fortunate to work in the industry since college and have seen that from Costa Rica to Texas, Brown-Forman employees work the hardest and are regarded as the best supplier partner and brand builders in the industry.
My Environment
Brown-Forman has a very accommodating and friendly work environment. All of the Brown-Forman employees I know work very hard and that work ethic is contagious. You want to do your best here. I get most of my energy from my colleagues in the Atlanta office, out in the market or with our distributor partners. It is also a team environment, which leads to success.
My Opportunities
Since joining Brown-Forman, I have been afforded the opportunity to work on one of the largest and most iconic brands in the world -- Jack Daniel’s. With that brand, I have the opportunity to spend my days in the market, teaching and training bartenders, wait staff and store clerks on the nuances and differences between Jack Daniel’s, Gentleman Jack, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, and what makes all three stand out in the crowd of hundreds of other whiskies. I also get to work on interesting projects such as NASCAR, Studio No. 7, and the Great American Tailgate. All are completely different programs and events that involve a lot of work on the front end to ensure success.
What the Brown-Forman Brand Means to Me
Brown-Forman is not just a beverage alcohol company; it is a family-run organization that dates back to 1870. The “Brown-Forman Brand” is its people, its brands, and the consumers it touches on a daily basis. I worked for a couple years, prior to my becoming a Brown-Forman employee, on the distributor side of the industry and was able to partner with several of our competing supplier companies. Each company, of course, has its own mission, vision and presence in the market. Brown-Forman stands out because it does not just consider itself an owner of valuable consumer goods. Rather, Brown-Forman stands out because while it has a leading brand in Jack Daniel’s, all brands are important and are a huge part of the make-up and diversity of the overall company. Brown-Forman employees go out each day, not just to sell one brand, but to sell the overall “Brown-Forman Brand.”