Remember when making cocktails meant praying you didn’t mess up $20 worth of ingredients (and disappoint your friends in the process)? That all ended when Bartesian entered the chat.
(And yes, we’re about to make some magic happen, so kick back and grab a drink)
Fresh off a successful Kickstarter campaign, Bartesian came to us with a recipe for success:
- New leadership ready to scale
- A premium cocktail maker that deserved some serious buzz
The goal was to transform Bartesian from a crowdfunding success story into a D2C powerhouse that would make professional bartenders do a double-take.
Here’s what happened (get ready for your head to start spinning)…
We didn’t just crush it–we shook it, stirred it, and served it straight up:
- 4-13x ROAS on Facebook
- 7-22x ROAS on Google (we’re just getting started)
- 150% improvement in online conversion rates
- Seven-figure monthly sales on Shopify alone
- And the cherry on top? Oprah’s Favorite Things 2019
But wait, there’s more:
- 975% year-over-year revenue growth in 2020
- Over 5 million cocktails served
- 30x subscription base increase in just one year
- 2,700+ five-star reviews on Amazon
- $20 Million Series A raise
- Mila Kunis added as a board advisor (yes, that Mila Kunis)
From Viral Moment to Seven-Figure Sales
Here’s where things get really interesting…
Picture this: It’s a Saturday. A fan-made TikTok video of Bartesian starts going viral, with a caption “Keurig but make it alcoholic.”
Some agencies might have their Slack notification on snooze at 12pm on a Friday. Most would wait until Monday to have meetings about meetings. Rainfactory? We immediately started scaling budgets and launching new campaigns.
10 hours later, Bartesian was sold out on Amazon, with a 13x ROAS the very next day.
“In addition to selling through our Amazon stock, Bartesian started selling like hotcakes on Shopify thanks to a viral TikTok video made by a fan. Rainfactory jumped online on a Saturday to hit a high ROAS, and expanded budgets, launching new campaigns to further capitalize and reach new audiences.” —Ryan Close, CEO Bartesian
We can’t deny that it was exciting. Viral moments are amazing! But here’s where so many agencies go wrong when something starts stacking up views: they get lost in the high and don’t think long-term.
That’s why we had a plan in place.
How We Made It Rain
Step 1: Premium Positioning That Packed a Punch
Post-Kickstarter, Bartesian needed to establish itself as a premium brand in a completely new category. Through rigorous testing, we identified our top markets and crafted a premium branding strategy that positioned Bartesian not just as a gadget, but as a luxury appliance worth the investment.
We hit the market with messaging that made Bartesian irresistible because we didn’t just sell a machine – we sold the dream of having a professional bartender at your fingertips.
Just ask Oprah—she featured it in her coveted Favorite Things 2019 list with the quote: “I’m lucky to have my house manager Eddie mixing fresh cocktails for me, but this mechanical bartender is a great backup…you’ll be sipping pretty in no time.”
Step 2: The Perfect Multi-Channel Mix
We developed a comprehensive Shopify website that included subscription options. Then, we launched an aggressive cross-platform strategy:
- TikTok – Capitalized on organic viral moments with rapid response campaigns
- Pinterest – Created discovery-focused content for the holiday shopping season
- Facebook & Instagram – Achieved 4-13x ROAS through targeted campaigns
- YouTube – Part of our broader video strategy delivering 7-22x ROAS on Google
Each platform was optimized for its unique audience, leading to a 150% improvement in online conversion rates.
Step 3: Emails That Pop
Email marketing isn’t just about filling inboxes—it’s about creating moments worth sharing with your friends. When subscribers start treating your emails like must-read messages instead of spam, you’ve struck gold. And with Bartesian, we didn’t just strike gold, we built a vault.
We implemented sophisticated email marketing automations focused on two key areas:
- New flavor drops were filled with anticipation and drove immediate sales
- Strategic upsell campaigns kept customers coming back for more
The results? Bartesian achieved consistent seven-figure monthly sales on Shopify alone, all while maintaining strong subscription growth through the platform.
Step 4: Celebrity Endorsements That Raised the Bar
When Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis became fans, we made sure everyone knew about it. In fact, Mila Kunis believed in the brand so much she joined their board of advisors.
But here’s the thing – star power is only strong for a moment, and then it fades once everyone is onto the next thing. Rainfactory focused on the long game by building a community of real cocktail enthusiasts who became powerful advocates, leading to those 2,700+ five-star reviews on Amazon.
Our online success created momentum for offline growth, proving that Bartesian wasn’t just a social media sensation—it was a legitimate player in the premium appliance market.
The Secret Ingredients? Timing and Execution.
We turned the Oprah’s Favorite Things feature into a launchpad for holiday sales that broke records. We scaled that viral TikTok moment into sustained growth across all channels.
With humble beginnings on Kickstarter, Bartesian transformed from an innovative idea into a must-have luxury appliance. And along the way, they didn’t just gain customers – they built a community of cocktail enthusiasts who spread the word better than any ad ever could.
Ready to Drink to Your Success?
If we can turn a virtually unknown Kickstarter campaign into a seven-figure monthly revenue machine, imagine what we can do for your brand.
Want to:
- Own the market?
- Scale with precision?
- Turn viral moments into sustainable growth?
Let’s talk. Because at Rainfactory, we don’t just launch products. We make the kind of noise that even Oprah can’t ignore.
Cheers to that!