First few weeks
At Arbikie Distillers, employers instil creative freedom with every idea being considered and debated. This approach creates such a welcoming and friendly professional environment, one which I am excited to continue working for.
So far, I have started developing a Sales & Marketing plan for their Nàdar spirits with particular focus on sustainability and improving underutilised social media channels. Additionally, I have conducted brand & market research for their Highland Rye product by mapping the sales journey for online customers, looking for improvements and suggestions. In coming weeks, I will be working on marketing Arbikie’s ‘A Dram Good Whisky Festival’ held in Edinburgh at the start of August. My work so far has been consistently dynamic and interesting. As employers, Arbikie look for individuals with self-initiative, they want someone not only able to complete tasks but are consistently willing to look for projects to work on, which suits my pro-active mindset and drive.
Working with another intern has provided a sense of camaraderie I did not realise I was looking for. As a self-proclaimed people person, the collaborative atmosphere Arbikie exude makes working for them a delight. I am already developing many of my existing skills whilst simultaneously gaining new ones. I look forward to my progression with Arbikie throughout summer.
I have progressed well within my individual projects for Arbikie. With the sales & marketing for the Highland Rye Whisky brand, I have been tasked with organising a Whisky x Cigar event held at Arbikie Estate for the end of September. I’m delighted to be given such responsibility to design, organise and promote an event for influencers, journalists and other personnel within the industry to attend and network. I am currently in the early stages of the planning process however, as with everything at Arbikie, fast-paced progress is being made each day.
The sustainable focus of my sales & marketing role has taught me many new things about the logistics and practicalities of carrying out sustainable practices. Whilst focusing on exploring the estate, I discovered the origin story of the botanicals used in Arbikie’s Nàdar gin, Kirsty’s gin and AK’s gin. The botanics greenhouse is powered by east coast all-natural sun and fertilised soil produced on site. Hot-Bin compost waste caddys are containers found at Arbikie designed to quickly break down waste using sun energy. The black bins absorb sunlight, heating up the container to increase the speed of decomposition, resulting in organic, sustainable fertilised soil.
