Covid Innovation – Launching a Pure Gold Elixir during Lockdown

While the pandemic forced many businesses to halt product launches and the lockdowns dragged all of us inside to our bedrooms and the depths of isolation, Ema Cregeen was brewing over ideas to keep her business, Gold Emotion, relevant in Australia. 

As the onset of C-19 made it nearly impossible for Ema to receive her 24k Gold infused lifestyle products from France – where they were being manufactured – Ema knew that she had to get innovative and come up with a product that would not only slide into the Gold Emotion brand seamlessly, but be easily produced and accessible in Melbourne and the rest of the country. 

“I wanted a product that supported local production and Australian businesses,” said Ms Cregeen in a recent television interview. 

“And one that fits effortlessly into the Aussie lifestyle. So I decided on Gin, because you can’t go wrong with Gold and Gin in the same sentence!”

The response

In November 2020, just six weeks after beginning her ingenious brainstorming, Ema launched her latest and most eagerly anticipated product yet – Premium Botanical Pure Gold Gin with edible 24k Gold flakes that dance in the 44% liquid, distilled by an award-winning producer in Melbourne. 

Unsurprisingly, the product was quickly snatched up by consumers with the first two batches of bottles being shipped right around the country, and another round going into production to meet demand for boutique liquor retailers and select bars.

“The response was unbelievable. Everyone adores the uniqueness of the gold flakes and the timeless, memorability of the bottle,” says Ema. 

Using the downtime that lockdown enforced – when for once Ms Cregeen didn’t feel like she was missing out on anything because everyone else was at home too – to simply sit and think and create was exactly what Gold Emotion needed, as Ema can see now. 

“As small business owners, we often get so caught up in and attached to our brands that just the thought of stepping away for a minute is impossible. Frightening, even. Like we might lose control or let our motivation slip if we loosen the reigns,” says Ms Cregeen.

“But that’s exactly where creativity and imagination shines; where new ideas form.”

Stepping back and into creativity

Of course, there never really is the perfect time to step away from your business purely for the sake of carving out time for product innovation. However, while the pandemic has no doubt induced business owners with unprecedented stress, and though for some this may certainly not be the best time to step back and explore creativity, Ema believes that allowing yourself a moment to tap into your cutting-edge side is invaluable towards taking your business to the next level. 

“I was so invested in Gold Emotion that I eventually realised I wouldn’t lose my commitment towards it by taking a step back. So I trusted my instinct and let my mind explore new ideas for a little while, without solely focusing on the business,” says Ema. 

“This was honestly one of the best business decisions I have ever made.”

Gold Emotion’s Premium Botanical 24k Gold infused Pure Gold Gin featured as “Gin of the Month of December” by The Gin Boutique, the Australian hub for craft gin.

Gold Emotion is available online at www.goldemotion.com.au and at selected boutique liquor stores around the country.