MAFFEO DRINKS: Brands Built Bottom-up – Details, episodes & analysis

In episode 071, I sit down with Morten Stengaard, Co-Founder and CEO of Bemakers, to discuss the challenges and strategies of expanding into international markets.

We delve into the complexities of distribution, the importance of local market engagement, and Bemakers' innovative approach to streamlining direct and indirect beverage distribution.

Morten shares valuable insights on brand building, consumer engagement, and navigating the drinks industry's intricate ecosystem.

N.B. If you are interested in Bemakers, mention the MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast to receive a 50% discount on the Setup fee.

https://bemakers.com/

Time Stamps

00:00 Introduction

00:54 Challenges in Local Distribution

03:08 Expanding to International Markets

04:28 Founding Beemakers: A New Approach

06:23 Building Demand in New Markets

07:57 The Importance of Local Market Engagement

10:22 Strategies for Effective Brand Building

13:56 Leveraging Direct-to-Consumer Channels

37:03 Final Thoughts and Contact Information

About The Host: Chris Maffeo

About The Guest: Morten Stengaard

In episode 070, I chat with Morten Stengaard, Co-founder of Andersen Winery. We discuss the intricacies of creating a new category in the beverage industry, focusing on premium fruit wines.

Morten shares insights on category vs. brand building, the importance of positioning, and the role of premium pricing.

We explore market strategies ranging from fine dining establishments to off-trade venues, highlighting the nuances of consumer education and creating demand.

Morten emphasizes the significance of seasonality and portfolio approach in keeping products relevant and appealing to customers.

Time Stamps

00:00 Introduction

01:02 Meet Morten Stengaard: Co-Founder of Andersen Winery

02:47 Building a New Beverage Category

08:14 Positioning Premium Fruit Wines

10:20 Targeting Specific Drinking Occasions

14:37 Expanding to Off-Trade Markets

26:44 Seasonality and Portfolio Approach

31:46 Conclusion

About The Host: Chris Maffeo

About The Guest: Morten Stengaard

In Ep. 61, I continued the conversation with Nick Gillett from Ep. 60. He’s the Managing Director of Mangrove Global. We spoke about all the aspects of bringing Drinks Brands to market from start to scale, including distributors, Wholesalers, and all the links in the Drinks Ecosystem. I hope you will enjoy our chat.

Time Stamps

0:00 Intro

0:25 Portfolio Selection

8:20 Creating Your Own Category

16:42 Micro Categories & National Cuisines

23:20 Traditional & Modern Serves

25:53 Geographic Centered Marketing

30:25 Building a Neighborhood Presence

32:33 Overcomplicating Cocktails

34:10 Value of Off-Trade

37:44 Transitioning to Chains

41:21 Where To Find Nick

42:23 Outro

About The Host: Chris Maffeo

About The Guest: Nick Gillett

In Ep. 60, I had an incredible chat with Nick Gillett, Managing Director of Mangrove Global. We spoke about all the aspects of bringing Drinks Brands to market from start to scale, including distributors, Wholesalers, and all the links in the Drinks Ecosystem. I hope you will enjoy our chat.

Time Stamps

0:00 Intro

1:20 Brand or Liquid Marketing Foundation

1:58 Nick Gillett Intro

6:58 Wholesalers & Importers Differences

12:50 The Game of Share of Mind

16:53 The Diversity of Wholesale

25:58 Has Wholesale Changed?

28:53 The Value of Relationships

32:10 Outro

About The Host: Chris Maffeo

About The Guest: Nick Gillett

In Episode 59, I continued the chat with Stephen Myers, from Ep. 58. He is the Founder of Dynamic Beverage Consultants. He is also one of the Originals at Ilegal Mezcal. We dived into the crucial aspects of launching a new brand in the (US) market and how to avoid expensive mistakes. I hope you will enjoy our chat.

Time Stamps

0:00 Intro

0:34 Your First 1,000 Pounds

4:00 Building Presence In The Trade

8:22 Being Relevant

14:35 Portfolio Strategies, One Bar

17:11 Portfolio Strategies, Many Bars

20:51 Independent Vs Chains

24:17 Be Careful What You Wish For

29:26 Last Thoughts On Entrepreneurship

34:15 Last Thoughts

About The Host: Chris Maffeo

About The Guest: Stephen Myers

In Episode 58, I chatted with Stephen Myers, Founder of Dynamic Beverage Consultants. He is also one of the Originals at Ilegal Mezcal. We dived into the crucial aspects of launching a new brand in the (US) market and how to avoid expensive mistakes. I hope you will enjoy our chat.

Time Stamps

0:00 Intro

0:51 About Steve

4:26 Brand Or Liquid Lead

6:34 Brand Story & Differentiation

12:28 Target Occasion

14:06 Creating Demand

16:57 Great Marketing, Bad Commercials

21:20 Beyond Categories

22:36 Breaking Into New Markets (Relationship Chaining)

28:07 Drinks Relationship Ecosystem

33:50 Outro

About The Host: Chris Maffeo

About The Guest: Stephen Myers

In episode 57, we've created a cross-episode with the Park Street University Insider Podcast.

I spoke to Emmett Strack, and we dived into the latest 2024 trends in the drinks industry.

We compared the US and Europe, talking about the cross-pollination of trends in the cocktail scene,

and in the overall bottom-up trade.

I hope you will enjoy our chat.

Time Stamps

0:00 Intro

2:16 Role of Convenience & Occasion

8:51 Ascension of Flavor

15:38 Pressurization

18:35 On-Trade In Europe

23:05 Euro Cocktail Trends

30:51 Gen Z & Drinking Occasion

36:42 Euro Drinking Categories

41:41 American Drinking Trends

46:14 Outro

About The Host: Chris Maffeo

About The Guest: Emmett Strack

In Episode 56, I continued the conversation with Georgie Bell, The Heart Cut's co-founder from Ep.55. She has extensive industry experience, having previously worked at Diageo, Bacardi, and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

We discussed how to explain a product, starting from a liquid, going into taste profile, storytelling, and target occasions. We closed with a dive into the life of a start-up with learnings and course correction to build bottom-up. I hope you will enjoy our chat.

Time Stamps

0:00 Intro

0:24 Where Do You Start

4:46 Importance Of Follow Up

7:41 Importance Of Normal Bars

13:05 Importance Of Off-Trade

15:18 When To Wholesale?

17:09 One Bottle, One Case, One Pallet

23:40 Building Demand With Partners

30:56 The Drinks Ecosystem

34:20 Start Up Challenges

47:34 Contact Details

49:19 Outro

About The Host: Chris Maffeo

About The Guest: Georgie Bell

In Episode 55, I enjoyed chatting with The Heart Cut's co-founder Georgie Bell. She has extensive industry experience, having previously worked at Diageo, Bacardi, and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

We discussed how to explain a product, starting from a liquid, going into taste profile, storytelling, and target occasions. We closed with a dive into the life of a start-up with learnings and course correction to build bottom-up. I hope you will enjoy our chat.

Time Stamps

0:00 Intro

2:03 Brand or Liquid?

6:43 Social Currency

12:43 Story Telling

23:22 Taste Profile

25:39 Target Consumer Vs Target Occasion

36:35 Women In Whisk(e)y

36:24 Outro

About The Host: Chris Maffeo

About The Guest: Georgie Bell

In Episode 054 I had the pleasure of speaking with Vani Gupta Dandia. I was a guest in her Marketing with Vani Podcast were she interviews marketing people from various industries. We dived into the Drinks Industry, looking at it from outside. I hope you will enjoy our chat Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 0:26 Background 2:00 What Differentiates Alcohol 3:05 Target Occasions 7:35 Bridging Categories 9:22 Gender Stereotypes 11:12 Tracking What You Can Track 13:47 Educating Consumers 18:11 Role Of Storytelling 20:24: Bottom Up Trade 24:17 Being Everything To Everyone 26:40 Playing with Variations 31:39 Cross Generational Appeal 36:36 Functional VS Recreational 39:54 Building Brands Bottom Up 46:17 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Vani Gupta Dandia