Stoli Elit Is Using Google Trends Data to Create Holiday Instagram Posts

After you search for martini recipes this year, try checking Stolichnaya Elit's Instagram page to see pictures of what the drinks look like.

In June, the brand's premium Elit vodka line started analyzing Google Trends data to zero in on online chatter and use it to crank out stylized posts of bottles, martini glasses and recipes. For the holidays this year when searches for martinis and vodka cocktails spike, the brand is enlisting such data to inform an Instagram campaign called Elit Live Social Lab. If a recipe for a chocolate martini is trending online, for instance, Elit's social team will whip up and post a picture of a chocolate drink within 24 hours.

Brand manager Lauren Ryan said that when it comes to which social platforms Elit prioritizes, "Instagram is first and second for me, and Facebook follows," because the visual platform is particularly conducive to targeting luxury consumers.

"If you take too much time, that conversation is over and you miss it," Ryan said. "When we saw this as a way to approach social, we knew that it would only work if we flagged these conversations and said, 'OK, we're going to tap into this today, but this is our only day.'"

Google search data has already been used to create holiday-themed content. In late October, the team noticed that two search trends overlapped: People started looking for holiday gifts, and folks were searching for "Friendsgiving," the made-up, Thanksgiving-like holiday that's popular with millennials. So, Elit's social team pulled together a couple of Instagram photos to promote the brand's service of engraving bottles with personalized messages.

 

Your gift can be the envy of spirits everywhere, with personalized, engraved bottles of elit. Add exceptional style to your holiday checklist. #elit #makeitelit #holidaygift #InElitCompany

A photo posted by elit by Stolichnaya (@elitbystoli) on Nov 25, 2016 at 3:56pm PST

 

Give the gift of exceptional style with an engraved bottle of elit vodka. They'll thank you in spades, and cocktails. #elit #makeitelit #holidaygift #InElitCompany

A photo posted by elit by Stolichnaya (@elitbystoli) on Nov 26, 2016 at 3:15pm PST

Style influencer Leo Chan also created a sponsored Friendsgiving-themed post for the brand.

 

Thankful for friends that became family! Hope you guys are having an awesome thanksgiving! – #LevitateStyle #Thanksgiving

A photo posted by Leo Chan NYC (@levitatestyle) on Nov 24, 2016 at 5:38pm PST

And with Instagram's algorithm fully in place during the holidays this year, Ryan expects to use more search data to create content with high engagement.

"We're all seeing that if we just push out content on our social streams, it just sits there unless it's promoted," she said. "So, we need to find smarter ways to engage with audiences now."

Ryan also relies on data from other social experiments to back up the holiday campaign.

For National Donut Day in June, the brand noticed that donuts and espresso martinis were trending at the same time, resulting in a post for a coffee cocktail with a donut in the corner.

 

An elit twist on your afternoon java. Espresso Martini: 2 PARTS elit™ by Stolichnaya® 1 PART GALLIANO RISTRETTO ½ PART FRESH COFFEE GOMME SYRUP (OPTIONAL) Shake all ingredients and double strain into a chilled martini glass. @doughnutplant #makeitelit #espressomartini #NationalDonutDay #donut #espresso #java #coffee #coffeebreak #vodka #martini #happyhour #tgif

A photo posted by elit by Stolichnaya (@elitbystoli) on Jun 3, 2016 at 12:02pm PDT

And when the house from the movie Father of the Bride went on sale for $2 million in August, the brand pushed a post featuring an engraved bottle next to two cocktails.

 

A gift that has #FatherOfTheBride written all over it. #makeitelit #weddingseason #martini #vodka #weddinggift #fordad

A photo posted by elit by Stolichnaya (@elitbystoli) on Jun 15, 2016 at 5:12pm PDT