????與之相反，霍金的重點在于“精準打造品牌”，也就是通過人脈來瞄準某一專屬群體。DeLeón龍舌蘭酒的宣傳活動不多。有一次，霍金雇傭了一名《國家地理》（National Geographic）雜志攝影師來拍攝照片，結果這些照片在《紐約時報》（The New York Times）旗下的時尚雜志《T》上名噪一時?；艚疬€承認，自己在設計產品時以吸引女性為目標——他的邏輯是，如果女人想要，男人就會去買。就這樣，霍金把DeLeón龍舌蘭酒裝進了雅致的方瓶子里，看上去就像是香水。

????同時，DeLeón龍舌蘭酒正在積極開拓仍是一片空白的海外市場。雖然85%的龍舌蘭酒都進入了美國和墨西哥，但高端品牌正在香港等地設法鎖定闊綽的酒吧達人。（幾十年前率先開拓高端市場的龍舌蘭酒品牌Patrón正在和墨西哥政府一起勸說中國對龍舌蘭酒敞開大門。由于甲醇含量較高，大多數龍舌蘭酒都無法進入中國市場。）

????最初構想DeLeón龍舌蘭酒時，霍金希望它包含四種要素：“奢侈、性感、鋒芒”和一種難以言表的態度。一種傲氣?；艚鸱Q之為“混賬東西”。對于那些喝酒時要求服務周到而且鼻孔朝天的人，霍金對他們的浮夸和做作感到厭惡。人們經常把“呷飲龍舌蘭酒”和高端品牌聯系在一起，霍金則認為這種說法很荒謬：“這是龍舌蘭酒。我們知道自己為什么喝它。還是讓我們舉杯暢飲吧?！?/p>

????經過四年的努力，霍金的策略看來已經奏效：雖然DeLeón龍舌蘭酒銷量較少，但這個品牌的收入和銷量正以平均每年200%的速度增長。他也開始去爭奪那1%的高端飲酒者——和高端領域的競爭對手針鋒相對，而他的產品要更為豐富。去年12月，DeLeón推出了私藏品牌Leóna，售價為每瓶825美元（5057.25元人民幣）。

????今年夏末，這家公司將推出Café de León。這款產品由咖啡和DeLeón龍舌蘭酒混合而成，還含有2.5%的糖（這是香甜酒的最低含糖量）。Patrón和Avión都有這種產品。本月，DeLeón還將宣布兩個時尚色彩濃厚的合作項目：一是成為一位名廚旗下高檔連鎖餐廳的專用龍舌蘭酒，二是加入一部好萊塢巨制。分析師馬蘭德拉科斯認為DeLeón“正站在時尚的風頭浪尖上”，他覺得DeLeón就是大型烈性酒公司希望收購的那種超高端品牌。

????但這并不意味著DeLeón會成為市場龍頭。它的價格對大多數飲酒者來說都高不可攀：在酒吧里，一杯Leóna就要90美元（551.7元人民幣），讓人望而卻步。雖然DeLeón等高端品牌正在逐步奪取市場份額，但標準的老牌平民龍舌蘭酒Jose Cuervo仍處在領先位置自然有它的道理。（財富中文網）

????譯者：Charlie

????Instead, Hocking focused on "pinpoint branding," using connections to target certain exclusive populations. In one of the brand's only ad campaigns, Hocking hired a National Geographic photographer to take photographs that became a buzzed-about ad in The New York Times style? magazine T. He also admits designing his product to appeal to women -- if they order it, his logic goes, so will the men pursuing them -- and so DeLeón comes in an elegant, square bottle that looks like it might contain perfume.

????DeLeón is also making an aggressive move into untapped overseas markets. While 85% of tequila is sold in the U.S. and Mexico, premium brands are trying to lock up jet-set clubbing types in locales like Hong Kong. (Along with the Mexican government, Patrón, the tequila brand that pioneered the premium space decades ago, is lobbying China to allow tequila, most of which is banned in the country due to its higher methanol levels.)

????When Hocking conceived of DeLeón, he wanted the product to emanate four pillars: "luxe, sex, edge," and a certain je ne sais quoi attitude. A swagger. He calls it "motherfucker." He resents the pomp and pretension of those who approach alcohol with their snifters ready, noses upturned. He says the term "sipping tequila" -- a notion often associated with premium brands -- is ridiculous: "It's tequila. We know why we're drinking this. Let's get to it."

????Four years in, Hocking's strategy appears be working: Though DeLeón posts low volumes, the brand says that it is growing an average of 200% in revenue and volume every year. He's also started going after the 1% of alcohol drinkers -- and head to head with premium competitors -- with a wider array of products. In December DeLeón released its private reserve Leóna, which fetches $825 a bottle.

????Later this summer, the company will launch Café de León, a bottle that mixes coffee with DeLeón tequila, plus 2.5% sugar (the minimum to qualify as a liqueur). Patrón and Avión both have coffee-tequila blends. DeLeón will also announce two swanky new partnerships this month: It will be the exclusive tequila at a celebrity chef's chain of high-end restaurants, and the other is with a Hollywood big shot. Analyst Malandrakis posits that DeLeón is "exactly on trend" and that he suspects it is the sort of super-premium brand that larger spirits companies would want to acquire.

????That's not to say DeLeón will ever become a market leader. The pricing is prohibitive for most drinkers: A shot of the Leóna blend will set you back $90 at the bar. Though the premium brands like DeLeón are chipping away, there's a reason that the old spring break standard, Jose Cuervo is still #1.