You, Me & CPG by Haines – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Is 2026 The Year Alcohol Roars Back?

The headlines spell the end for booze: Executive departures, decline, doom.

The true story? It’s much more nuanced. 

In pockets, alc is flying. Gen Z participation is up. Spend is up. Dry Jan was the 'wettest' since 2014 according to The Times.

What’s clear - growth is up for grabs - if brands get it right.

Our latest pod challenges the doomsayers with a dose of confidence.

Last episode, we looked at the future of drinking through the no & low lens (thanks to Botivo’s Imme Ermgassen and Club Soda’s Laura Willoughby!)

This time, Booze fights back with an elite corner: MOTH Drink’s Rob Wallis, Paul Thomas, formerly of Diageo, Asahi and Suntory, and Tristram Coates of GHF.

This episode covers why:

• Alcohol brands need to get their fun back
• Premiumisation has become too prevalent
• ‘Share of entertainment’ is the new ‘share of throat’
• Brands are missing a trick by not supporting the on-trade enough

We hope you enjoy listening. 

Paul Thomas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-thomas-8b903025/

Tristram Coates: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tristram-coates-9014151a5/

Rob Wallis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8D%B8-rob-wallis-162801113/

Jamie Holtum: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-holtum-85b79634/

Haines: https://www.haines.partners/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hainespartners/

https://www.instagram.com/youmeandcpg/

What does it mean to ‘go for a drink’ in 2025, and what’s at stake for those vying for a place in everyone’s glass?

Gone are the days of the binary option. ‘Alcohol vs 0% beer’ has been replaced by functional beverages, ashwagandha, CBD and beyond.

Today’s episode of You, Me & CPG isn’t just about the future of drinking, but by proxy it’s the future of socialising, and we couldn’t be joined by three more important guests.

Laura Willoughby MBE (Club Soda Co-Founder), Imme Ergassen (Botivo Co-Founder) and Luis Osório (IWSR’s Head of Consumer Insights) see the glass half-full, but heed their warnings - there’s plenty for brands to reshape if they’re to fit the mould of the future…

This episode covers

• The new social perspective on drinking experiences 
• Functional beverages and blurred boundaries
• The real story behind rising moderation - less about abstinence, more about options
• Authenticity, storytelling, and brand craft as tools for market positioning
• Navigating the industry shift, and what the beverage sector must do to stay relevant 

Imme Ergassen

https://www.linkedin.com/in/immeermgassen/?originalSubdomain=uk

Luis Osório

https://www.linkedin.com/in/luismosorio/?originalSubdomain=uk

Laura Willoughby MBE

https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurawilloughby/?originalSubdomain=uk

Jamie Holtum: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-holtum-85b79634/

Haines: https://www.haines.partners/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hainespartners/

https://www.instagram.com/youmeandcpg/

The more that creativity makes people feel, the more that they’ll buy, give, vote and do.

That’s the sharp insight that can only be attributed to a powerhouse like John Kearon, a creative catalyst with a grip on the industry that few among us can comprehend.

He joins us on a fascinating episode of You, Me & CPG, as we look at how decisions follow emotions, what made the Dove ‘Real Beauty’ pitch such a work of genius, and the 80-20 rule which all the best innovative brands follow.

This episode covers

• Why election results are so predictable before campaigns even start
• The genius step that got Dove’s ‘Real Beauty’ campaign off the ground
• System 1 vs System 2 thinking
• What makes 80% familiarity and 20% novelty the perfect mix
• How emotions drive decision-making

John Kearon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-kearon-system1/
System1: https://system1group.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/system1group/

Jamie Holtum: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-holtum-85b79634/

Haines: https://www.haines.partners/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hainespartners/

https://www.instagram.com/youmeandcpg/

No industry is static, nor can it stand on its own - the coalescence of beauty with health proves just as much.

Jess Glover remains on the forefront of such a movement, an aspirational marketer with roles formerly in Reckitt, L’Oreal, Coty and Haleon.

Now continuing to forge her path with Biomel, she shares the key to why consumers want the best of every world, and just how to give it to them…

This episode covers

• Why, and how, the beauty and health categories are blending
• Generational shifts in demands from FMCG products
• Increasing awareness for the gut health movement
• Quick fixes vs long term solutions
• Why you should sell your story to a toddler
• Her optimistic perspective on the future of the CPG industry

Jess Glover: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaeglover/

Jamie Holtum: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-holtum-85b79634/

Haines: https://www.haines.partners/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hainespartners/

https://www.instagram.com/youmeandcpg/

There’s seldom a more admirable sight in FMCG than a relentless desire for the best; it’s a trait worth its weight in gold.

James Dashwood Chase is an entrepreneur with pedigree, and his CV speaks volumes - Co-Founding Chase Distillery, Willys Apple Cider Vinegar, and Founder now of men’s health brand Baz & Co.

Joining Jamie Holtum this week on You, Me & CPG, James explains what drove their family farm’s successful diversification, how they built a brand that caught Diageo’s eye, and how to capitalise on a market that’s never been more perfect for men’s wellness.

This episode covers

• James’ family farm and their relentless desire for the best
• The unique dynamic of working with family
• Chase Distillery’s rise, and subsequent Diageo takeover
• Being in business for a good time, not a long time
• Sustainability’s value at the heart of brands

James Dashwood Chase: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jchasedistill/
Baz & Co.: https://bazandcoskincare.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/baz-co/

Jamie Holtum: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-holtum-85b79634/

Haines: https://www.haines.partners/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hainespartners/

https://www.instagram.com/youmeandcpg/

Tequila is among the fastest growing and most vibrant categories, with endorsements from famous faces pervading the space.

It takes a keen eye, love of the spirit, guts and an equally bold Co-Founder to find a gap in the market just as Jack Vereker has with El Rayo Tequila.

The brand has sprung into life to a stale space - Jack joins us to share just how he’s achieved this, how he’s learned to respect failure, and why he once thought marketing was ‘a joke’...

This episode covers

• Influencer marketing in the tequila space, and Jack’s dream celeb ambassador
• El Rayo’s focus on mixing as a differentiator
• How the brand grew from Jack and his Co-Founder’s humble beginnings as tequila lovers
• Jack’s respect for failure, and the value in it
• Managing the dynamic of childhood friendship with his Co-Founder

Jack Vereker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-vereker-7311b476/
El Rayo Tequila: https://elrayotequila.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/el-rayo-tequila/

Jamie Holtum: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-holtum-85b79634/

Haines: https://www.haines.partners/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hainespartners/

https://www.instagram.com/youmeandcpg/

Entering the Dragon’s Den is often a real sink or swim moment, and under the pressure and watchful eyes of the nation, we saw Jasmine Wicks-Stephens shine.

Exiting the infamous entrepreneurial amphitheatre with three Dragons’ backing, it’s their praise of Jasmine’s character that should draw your attention to the Founder of two fantastic brands, Faace and Known.

She joins us on You, Me & CPG to pull back the curtain on the Den experience, detail her staggering path to achieving such success, and her place in the future of the beauty industry.

This episode covers

• The true Dragon’s Den experience, warts and all
• What makes Faace such a compelling proposition for its investors
• The care and ethos behind Jasmine’s no-nonsense brand
• How Jasmine masterfully balances her leadership of two brands 
• The future of sustainability in the beauty industry

Faace https://wearefaace.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearefaace/people/
Jasmine Wicks-Stephens https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasmine-wicks-stephens-b912641b/

Jamie Holtum: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-holtum-85b79634/

Haines: https://www.haines.partners/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hainespartners/

https://www.instagram.com/youmeandcpg/

Since You, Me & CPG’s inception we’ve played host to some incredible guests with insights from the very top of the industry. Where better to collate the very best than in one very special episode…

Episode 11 looks back on the masterful approaches to branding, leadership and career progression coming from the sector’s most prolific figures, from Diageo titans to M&C Saatchi Founding Directors.

This episode covers

• Jonathan Stordy’s ‘elephants and mice’ method for productivity
• Ollie Palmer’s approach to breaking huge tasks into building blocks
• David Kershaw’s experience with ‘brutal simplicity of thought’
• Stephen Robertson’s remarkable answer to our regular section, ‘That’ll Never Work’
• Sian Davies’ ownership of her decisions, choosing the right voices to heed

Jamie Holtum: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-holtum-85b79634/

Haines: https://www.haines.partners/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hainespartners/

https://www.instagram.com/youmeandcpg/

Few names are more synonymous with an industry as M&C Saatchi is with the advertising industry, and the power of simple, effective advertising runs in David Kershaw’s DNA.

At the chaotic inception of the agency, ‘influence’ and ‘disruption’ were words that held gravitas, and David’s career to date shows just why M&C Saatchi has earned the right to use them.

Join us for David’s tales from the top, why the value of creativity isn’t what it once was, the power of being an ‘unreasonable creative’, and what current creative directors should learn from the greats.

This episode covers

• The chaotic background to M&C’s foundation
• Differences in the ad world between the 70s-90s and today
• The increased challenge of building creative trust
• M&C’s iconic brutal simplicity of thought
• The need for creatives to be unreasonable

Jamie Holtum: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-holtum-85b79634/

Haines: https://www.haines.partners/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hainespartners/

https://www.instagram.com/youmeandcpg/

The brands under Jeremy Lindley’s watch across many years are nothing short of iconic. So how do you balance the design legacy with a new age of ideas…

Diversity of thought and inclusive design are at the heart of Jeremy’s ethos and Diageo’s culture, but it’s exactly how this manifests in great design that makes his insights such a revelation to many.

Join us on You, Me & CPG as we share the unmissable benefits of inclusive design, how to cultivate an explosion of diverse thought, and the three word mantra that every design must live up to.

This episode covers

• Great examples of inclusive design on the web and beyond
• How to catch your subconscious biases
• Creating an environment for diverse thought to thrive
• The three words that form a central tenet to Diageo’s design
• How semiotics revolutionised Tesco’s design process
• The continuous premiumisation of the CPG industry

Jamie Holtum: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-holtum-85b79634/

Haines: https://www.haines.partners/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hainespartners/

https://www.instagram.com/youmeandcpg/