TALISKER TASTING IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE
Collaboration with Diageo to create an innovative voice tasting experience for their premium Talisker whiskey range. As Head of Product, I designed and built the conversational flow that guided consumers through professional tastings of Talisker 10, Talisker Skye, and Talisker Storm - bringing the distillery experience directly into their homes via Alexa-enabled packaging.
Head of Product | Producer
Diageo
Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whiskey
Smartspeakers / Alexa
Year
2024
Challenge
Premium whiskey tasting is traditionally an in-person, guided experience - one that's difficult to replicate at home. Diageo wanted to elevate the at-home drinking occasion for Talisker enthusiasts while educating new consumers about the distinct characteristics of each whiskey range.
The challenge was creating a voice experience sophisticated enough for whiskey connoisseurs yet accessible enough for newcomers, all while maintaining the premium brand positioning of Talisker.
The experience needed to work seamlessly with on-pack Alexa stickers that would activate the tasting journey.
Results
Successfully launched an innovative voice-activated packaging experience that transformed how consumers engage with premium whisky at home. The Alexa tasting experience elevated the unboxing moment and provided ongoing value beyond the initial purchase.
The campaign demonstrated how voice technology can enhance physical products, creating a connected experience that bridges packaging, product, and brand storytelling. Consumers gained access to distillery-level expertise in their own homes, deepening their appreciation for Talisker's craft and heritage.
The on-pack Alexa stickers created a seamless path from shelf to smart speaker, proving that voice experiences can be successfully activated through physical product touchpoints rather than solely digital advertising.
Process
Conversational Tasting Design: Designed the conversational architecture for a guided tasting experience that walked users through each Talisker expression. The flow included nosing techniques, flavour profiles, tasting notes, and the story behind each whiskey - from Talisker 10's rugged maritime character to Storm's intense peaty finish and Skye's smooth sweetness.
On-Pack Integration: Working with Diageo's packaging team, I ensured the Alexa voice tasting stickers on bottles clearly communicated how to activate the experience. The voice flow needed to accommodate consumers discovering it through packaging rather than traditional digital advertising.
Multi-expression journey: Created branching conversational paths for each Talisker variant, allowing users to explore the expression they had purchased or learn about the full range. Each tasting guide adapted to whether users were new to whisky or experienced enthusiasts.
Technical build: Working with Diageo and Amazon, I oversaw the development of the Experience, ensuring smooth activation from the packaging prompt, clear audio guidance through each tasting stage, and the ability to pause and resume the experience as users moved through tasting and savouring.
Analytics & Optimisation: I implemented tracking dashboards to monitor tasting completion rates, expression preferences, and user engagement patterns. Analysing campaign data week by week allowed me to identify which tasting elements resonated most strongly and optimise the conversational flow. I worked with Diageo's marketing team to understand which expressions drove highest engagement and inform future product positioning and media strategies.
Conclusion
The Talisker Voice Tasting experience proved that luxury brands can leverage voice technology to deliver premium experiences that enhance rather than diminish their positioning. By bringing expert whiskey tasting guidance into consumers' homes through simple voice activation, we created value that persisted long after the initial purchase.
The campaign showed how voice-activated packaging can transform physical products into connected experiences, creating deeper brand engagement and product education without requiring apps or screens. This approach created a scalable model for how premium spirits brands can use voice to elevate the at-home consumption occasion.
