Consumers may change what they drink, where they socialize and which cultural moments matter to them, but the desire to connect with other people remains remarkably consistent.
For heritage brands, that creates both an opportunity and a challenge: evolve the experience without losing the identity behind it.
This episode of The Speed of Culture Podcast welcomes Allison Varone, head of marketing at Campari America. The conversation explores how heritage brands can evolve with changing consumer behavior without losing the emotional connections that made them distinctive.
They discuss how the company brings decades of brand history into modern social rituals, from spritz culture and non-alcoholic options to festivals, neighborhood experiences, bartender education, and AI.
She breaks down the growth of the spritz category, the rise of mindful drinking, the role of experiential marketing, and bartender education, and why curiosity and commercial awareness are becoming essential skills for modern marketers.
About the guest:
Allison Varone is the head of marketing at Campari America, where she leads marketing across a portfolio that includes Aperol, Campari, and a growing range of aperitivo brands. She has spent more than two decades building lifestyle brands across publishing, luxury, fashion and spirits, with previous leadership experience at LVMH and Martha Stewart Living.
Her career has shaped an approach to marketing centered on emotional connection, cultural relevance, brand heritage, and understanding how products become part of the experiences consumers value.
Key Takeaways:
[01:28] When Products Become Part of People’s Lives — Allison argues that brands transcend their category when consumers form an emotional connection with the experience surrounding them. Across her work from Martha Stewart Living to Campari, she has seen that lasting brands become woven into the moments people remember, giving marketers something more durable to build around than product features alone.
[04:01] Mindful Drinking Without Missing the Moment — Consumers are becoming more intentional about alcohol, but Allison does not see that as a rejection of social occasions. Products such as Crodino allow people to move between alcoholic and non-alcoholic options while still enjoying the same ritual, color, refreshment, and connection. The shift is less about abandoning the occasion and more about giving consumers greater control over how they participate.
[06:21] Build the Brand World Around the Consumer Experience — At festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza, Campari America looks beyond simple visibility and creates environments built around the emotion of the brand. Aperol’s color, joyfulness, sociability, and conviviality become part of the experience itself. Allison explains that the same thinking applies to smaller moments such as the Aperol Day Club, where a cultural platform can extend into the everyday life surrounding a major event.
