A Masterclass In Brand Building: The Importance Of Immersive, Owned Content

Forbes

3 days ago

Andrew Faridani, President and CEO at BreezeMaxWeb.
There's no denying that tequila is having a moment. The celebrity playbook has been followed to the letter: Launch a premium bottle, wrap it in a sleek label and let personal brand equity drive initial sales. Clooney did it with Casamigos, Jordan followed with Cincoro and The Rock pushed Teremana to impressive numbers in record time. But the category is getting crowded, and smart marketers know that being "celebrity-backed" is no longer a differentiator.
That's where Naked Diablo comes in. This isn't just another tequila brand with a famous face. It's a company taking one of the boldest and most unconventional steps ever seen in spirits marketing: launching a reality TV series to tell its origin story. This move is sure to intrigue and inspire marketers and business professionals alike.
The show is a strategic bet that blends entertainment, branding and business in a way few others have attempted, certainly not in the spirits space. Rather than just a vanity project or passive PR stunt, it's an owned content asset designed to drive long-term equity and cultural relevance. From a marketing standpoint, it's brilliant. While Naked Diablo may be the first tequila brand to take this route, it's worth noting that other brands have found success with similar immersive approaches. Red Bull, for instance, launched its own media house and produced everything from extreme sports documentaries to the Stratos space jump. Or consider Dove's Real Beauty Sketches campaign, which felt more like a short documentary exploring women's self-perceptions than an ad. Even in spirits, Hennessy's "Never Stop. Never Settle." docuseries highlighted real-life changemakers to connect with audiences on a deeper level. These examples demonstrate how immersive content strategies can create brand worlds that extend far beyond traditional advertisements.
Most brands primarily rely on social media, influencer marketing and e-commerce funnels to connect with consumers. Those work, but only to a point. The problem is attention. Everyone's fighting for the same impressions across the same platforms, with diminishing returns. What Naked Diablo is doing—and what the other brands I've mentioned (and others) have done—is flipping the script. They're not advertising "around" content. They're becoming the content. Think about the leverage. Streaming a show means global distribution. It creates a visual and emotional story arc that positions the brand not just as a premium spirit but as a movement built on grit, ambition and international reach. You're not being sold to, you're being invited to watch a company grow in real time. That's more than marketing. That's immersion.
From a performance standpoint, an immersive content approach gives a brand an incredibly rich ecosystem for engagement wherein you can control the messaging, the visuals and the narrative pacing. More importantly, in some cases, this strategy allows the brand to own the first-party data that comes with viewership: geography, age ranges, episode drop-offs, rewatch rates and share metrics. That's data that most brands pay platforms to rent.
There are also psychological benefits. Consumable, behind-the-scenes content gets people emotionally invested. In Naked Diablo's case, the reality TV approach shows the human side of the founders, making them relatable and easier to trust. It lets viewers see the struggles and hard work behind the brand, building a story of resilience and drive. When people buy a bottle after watching the show, they're not just buying tequila—they're buying into a story, a journey and a mindset. That creates loyalists, not just customers.
If you're building a brand in a competitive category, ask yourself this: Would I rather be another ad in the feed or the brand everyone's talking about?
What Does This Mean For Other Brands?
Not every brand needs to launch a full-scale reality TV show, but every brand can think about how to "become the content" in its own way. For instance, you could build a mini-documentary series about your founding story featuring team members and real customer experiences to create emotional connection and trust. Another approach is to host a regular live show or podcast where you (and, in turn, your brand) share honest insights about the industry, talk openly about challenges and discuss market trends. Doing this positions your brand as a trusted source of knowledge rather than just another company trying to sell something.
Brands can also create interactive video experiences where viewers make choices within the story. While Netflix pioneered this with "Bandersnatch" in entertainment, similar interactive formats can be adapted for product education or customer onboarding to increase engagement. Additionally, some brands develop their own media platforms or newsletters that become essential reading within their niche, similar to how Morning Brew became a $75 million brand by focusing purely on content value first.
The key takeaway is that brands moving beyond interruptive ads to become the content people seek out will build deeper loyalty, stronger data streams and long-term brand equity.
Forbes Business Development Council is an invitation-only community for sales and biz dev executives. Do I qualify?