GEMS: Selling 100,000 Units in Year One with Avec Drinks founder Denetrias Charlemagne
December 5, 2024
Key Takeaways
- The initial launch strategy pivoted from in-person events to a strong focus on website experience, branding, and product due to the pandemic, leveraging earned media and PR over paid advertising.
- Partnerships, particularly with brands in both the non-alcoholic and alcoholic spaces, as well as with companies appealing to a similar audience (e.g., clean beauty, expectant mothers), have been crucial for customer acquisition and scaling.
- The business is shifting towards a more wholesale-focused approach with increased emphasis on in-person sales, sampling, and driving trial through direct consumer interaction as the market opens up.
Segments
Earned Media and PR Strategy (00:01:32)
- Key Takeaway: Leveraging earned media and strategic PR, particularly through a connection in the food and beverage PR industry, was a deliberate strategy to build brand awareness and drive business in the absence of paid advertising during the initial months.
- Summary: The speaker explains their cautious approach to paid advertising, delaying it for six to seven months. Instead, they focused on generating earned media, highlighting the crucial role of a friend in restaurant PR who helped secure press coverage, which was instrumental in the business’s early growth.
Storytelling and Brand Values (00:01:54)
- Key Takeaway: Successful brand building in a new category requires compelling storytelling that goes beyond product functionality, emphasizing values, diverse founding teams, and the ‘why’ behind the launch to create consumer connection and buzz.
- Summary: The discussion delves into the importance of telling a story around the brand, moving beyond just explaining how to use the product. Key elements highlighted include its low sugar/calorie attributes, diverse founding team, company values, and the broader narrative of why the category and brand matter.
Evolving Customer Acquisition (00:03:10)
- Key Takeaway: While online channels are becoming more competitive, strategic partnerships and a return to in-person, boots-on-the-ground sales and sampling are proving effective for scalable customer acquisition and driving trial in the beverage industry.
- Summary: The conversation shifts to current customer acquisition strategies. The speaker notes that while online scaling is slowing, partnerships remain strong. There’s a renewed focus on wholesale, in-person activations, sampling, and getting the product into consumers’ hands (’liquid to lips’) as the market reopens.
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Prompts Used
Prompt 1: Context Setup
You are an expert data extractor tasked with analyzing a podcast transcript.
I will provide you with part 1 of 1 from a podcast transcript.
I will then ask you to extract different types of information from this content in subsequent messages. Please confirm you have received and understood the transcript content.
Transcript section:
[00:00:08.880 --> 00:00:16.480] Let's break down like how you actually, I think I actually read you did a hundred thousand units in your first year or something crazy like that.
[00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:21.760] Let's break down your kind of launch plan and your marketing strategy.
[00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:27.680] Yeah, I wish I could say, I feel like everyone comes on these shows, but like so organized about exactly how it went down.
[00:00:28.160 --> 00:00:32.960] But it was like, all right, we can't, like our plan was really to be more like Red Bull, right?
[00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:44.400] Like more in the streets at different festivals, partnering with cooler events, like not like Coachella, but like the level below, like MoMA PS1 and like the groups that are organizing parties, like, you know, big DJs.
[00:00:44.400 --> 00:00:45.520] And COVID happened.
[00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:48.960] It was like, okay, well, now we need a really cool website.
[00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:57.840] So we spent most of like our, I mean, even small, but like launch dollars on a really cool website, making sure the experience felt interesting and different.
[00:00:58.800 --> 00:01:01.440] And then really working on kind of like the branding and the product.
[00:01:01.440 --> 00:01:03.680] Like that's where most of our focus went.
[00:01:03.680 --> 00:01:17.600] I knew from having worked in media, so I worked in media for many years, but worked for Vice primarily and then was trying to start a female founded media company called Dam Joan and like kind of saw the world of media blow up with Facebook blowing up.
[00:01:17.600 --> 00:01:25.600] And so I was very, as a marketer, very like, not anti-Facebook, but wary of just like launching on Facebook and being like, now we're a DDC brand, just launch on Facebook.
[00:01:25.600 --> 00:01:32.160] So we didn't actually spend any money on like paid advertising until like six to seven months in.
[00:01:32.160 --> 00:01:35.360] Like all of it was like, how could we get a bunch of earned media?
[00:01:35.360 --> 00:01:40.880] I was lucky to have a close girlfriend who was in restaurant PR, food and beverage PR.
[00:01:40.880 --> 00:01:44.240] COVID happened and, you know, she had a little bit of excess time.
[00:01:44.240 --> 00:01:47.200] And I was like, why don't you like let us be your first client?
[00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:49.120] And she's just been crushing it ever since.
[00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:53.120] So, like, all the press accolade goes to her 100%.
[00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:54.560] But I think it was important.
[00:01:54.560 --> 00:01:58.400] Like, the strategy we did have is that we knew we would have to kind of tell a story around Eve.
[00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:03.000] It wouldn't be like, you know, okay, yeah, we're a new tequila and people get it, right?
[00:02:03.000 --> 00:02:05.960] Like, it's like we're a new mixer, you can mix it with alcohol.
[00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:06.760] Here's how you mix it.
[00:02:06.920 --> 00:02:10.280] It's low sugar, it's low calorie, it's founded by this diverse team.
[00:02:10.280 --> 00:02:12.360] We have values, it's launching on the internet.
[00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:14.760] Like, there are so many different stories to tell.
[00:02:14.760 --> 00:02:20.840] So, we knew that, like, PR, we didn't know how powerful PR could be to drive your whole business basically the first year.
[00:02:20.840 --> 00:02:23.400] But we knew that we needed to tell a story, right?
[00:02:23.400 --> 00:02:31.080] Like, around not just how to use it, but like why we were launching, why to care about this category and create some buzz and excitement around it.
[00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:43.320] So, even in the pandemic, we launched with like the six feet apart bar, which I don't know if you saw, but we built a six feet apart table and did like a little launch event in New York.
[00:02:43.320 --> 00:02:50.680] And, like, when it was safe, we would do smaller kind of like activation things because, like, you get into the drinks business because you want to hang out with people, right?
[00:02:50.680 --> 00:02:53.720] You don't really get into the drinks business again to like sit behind your computer.
[00:02:53.720 --> 00:03:00.120] So, like, as much as we could, we were trying to get in front with real people and do real things.
[00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:01.960] Oh, my gosh, that is so cool.
[00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:02.600] I love that.
[00:03:02.600 --> 00:03:04.840] That's creative thinking right there.
[00:03:04.840 --> 00:03:06.360] Skills and advertising.
[00:03:06.680 --> 00:03:08.200] It was fun.
[00:03:08.200 --> 00:03:09.400] That sounds so fun.
[00:03:09.400 --> 00:03:10.680] And what about like now?
[00:03:10.680 --> 00:03:15.160] Obviously, you said you didn't start spending on paid media until six or seven months in.
[00:03:15.160 --> 00:03:25.960] But when you look at your marketing mix and the kinds of initiatives you're doing, where are you finding that you're kind of able to acquire customers at scale for a reasonable cost?
[00:03:25.960 --> 00:03:29.640] Yeah, I mean, that's a golden question we'll have before seed.
[00:03:29.640 --> 00:03:33.800] But I would say, honestly, like partnerships have been really successful.
[00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:41.320] So, like, we pair well both in the non-alcoholic space and the alcoholic space with those, you know, like the spirits of both of those worlds.
[00:03:41.960 --> 00:03:45.360] But then also partnering with, like, we did something with a makeup company, right?
[00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:50.320] Like, if you care about clean ingredients that you put in on your skin, you likely care about clean ingredients in your drink.
[00:03:50.320 --> 00:03:57.360] We've partnered with like moms who are like, I'm pregnant, and for the first time, I have to like re-look at what I'm drinking today, right?
[00:03:57.360 --> 00:04:04.560] So, I think it's a, for us, the first year was really figuring out like getting tighter on who our core audience was, what occasion we were in.
[00:04:04.560 --> 00:04:07.920] And now I think we're like really double-downing on partnerships.
[00:04:07.920 --> 00:04:15.120] I would say online as the world opens up is slowing down a bit in terms of like how easy it is to scale that channel.
[00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:18.480] Like, people are going out into bars and restaurants and supermarkets more.
[00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:21.280] So, we always knew that our business would move more wholesale.
[00:04:21.280 --> 00:04:22.720] Like, that was the original plan.
[00:04:22.720 --> 00:04:28.000] So, spending more time again with real people in real life, doing like mixing with real things.
[00:04:29.440 --> 00:04:38.640] So, yeah, so I think it's like, you know, more boots on the ground, sales, sampling, cans in hands, you know, liquid to lips, all the fun sayings people say in beverage.
[00:04:38.640 --> 00:04:39.520] Oh, I haven't heard that.
[00:04:39.520 --> 00:04:40.560] That's so cool.
[00:04:41.760 --> 00:04:43.520] So, yeah, just getting more trial.
[00:04:43.520 --> 00:04:49.920] And last year, I would say it was a lot of press, a lot of PR and partnerships that like made our business scalable.
[00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:56.240] Hey, it's Dune here.
[00:04:56.240 --> 00:05:01.040] Thanks for listening to this amazing episode of the Female Startup Club podcast.
[00:05:01.040 --> 00:05:10.400] If you're a fan of the show and want even more of the good stuff, I'd recommend checking out femalestartupclub.com, where you can subscribe to our free newsletter.
[00:05:10.400 --> 00:05:18.640] We send it out weekly covering female founder business news, insights and learnings in D2C, and interesting business resources.
[00:05:18.640 --> 00:05:29.360] And if you're a founder building an e-commerce brand, you can join our private network of entrepreneurs called Hype Club at femalestartupclub.com forward slash hypeclub.
[00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:41.080] We have guests from the show joining us for intimate ask-me-anythings, expert workshops, and a group of totally amazing, like-minded women building the future of D2C brands.
[00:05:41.080 --> 00:05:47.240] As always, please do subscribe, rate, and review the show, and post your favorite episodes to Instagram stories.
[00:05:47.240 --> 00:05:50.440] I am beyond grateful when you do that.
Prompt 2: Key Takeaways
Now please extract the key takeaways from the transcript content I provided.
Extract the most important key takeaways from this part of the conversation. Use a single sentence statement (the key takeaway) rather than milquetoast descriptions like "the hosts discuss...".
Limit the key takeaways to a maximum of 3. The key takeaways should be insightful and knowledge-additive.
IMPORTANT: Return ONLY valid JSON, no explanations or markdown. Ensure:
- All strings are properly quoted and escaped
- No trailing commas
- All braces and brackets are balanced
Format: {"key_takeaways": ["takeaway 1", "takeaway 2"]}
Prompt 3: Segments
Now identify 2-4 distinct topical segments from this part of the conversation.
For each segment, identify:
- Descriptive title (3-6 words)
- START timestamp when this topic begins (HH:MM:SS format)
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Most important Key takeaway from that segment. Key takeaway must be specific and knowledge-additive.
- Brief summary of the discussion
IMPORTANT: The timestamp should mark when the topic/segment STARTS, not a range. Look for topic transitions and conversation shifts.
Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted, no trailing commas:
{
"segments": [
{
"segment_title": "Topic Discussion",
"timestamp": "01:15:30",
"key_takeaway": "main point from this segment",
"segment_summary": "brief description of what was discussed"
}
]
}
Timestamp format: HH:MM:SS (e.g., 00:05:30, 01:22:45) marking the START of each segment.
Prompt 4: Media Mentions
Now scan the transcript content I provided for ACTUAL mentions of specific media titles:
Find explicit mentions of:
- Books (with specific titles)
- Movies (with specific titles)
- TV Shows (with specific titles)
- Music/Songs (with specific titles)
DO NOT include:
- Websites, URLs, or web services
- Other podcasts or podcast names
IMPORTANT:
- Only include items explicitly mentioned by name. Do not invent titles.
- Valid categories are: "Book", "Movie", "TV Show", "Music"
- Include the exact phrase where each item was mentioned
- Find the nearest proximate timestamp where it appears in the conversation
- THE TIMESTAMP OF THE MEDIA MENTION IS IMPORTANT - DO NOT INVENT TIMESTAMPS AND DO NOT MISATTRIBUTE TIMESTAMPS
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Timestamps are given as ranges, e.g. 01:13:42.520 --> 01:13:46.720. Use the EARLIER of the 2 timestamps in the range.
Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted and escaped, no trailing commas:
{
"media_mentions": [
{
"title": "Exact Title as Mentioned",
"category": "Book",
"author_artist": "N/A",
"context": "Brief context of why it was mentioned",
"context_phrase": "The exact sentence or phrase where it was mentioned",
"timestamp": "estimated time like 01:15:30"
}
]
}
If no media is mentioned, return: {"media_mentions": []}
Full Transcript
[00:00:08.880 --> 00:00:16.480] Let's break down like how you actually, I think I actually read you did a hundred thousand units in your first year or something crazy like that.
[00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:21.760] Let's break down your kind of launch plan and your marketing strategy.
[00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:27.680] Yeah, I wish I could say, I feel like everyone comes on these shows, but like so organized about exactly how it went down.
[00:00:28.160 --> 00:00:32.960] But it was like, all right, we can't, like our plan was really to be more like Red Bull, right?
[00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:44.400] Like more in the streets at different festivals, partnering with cooler events, like not like Coachella, but like the level below, like MoMA PS1 and like the groups that are organizing parties, like, you know, big DJs.
[00:00:44.400 --> 00:00:45.520] And COVID happened.
[00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:48.960] It was like, okay, well, now we need a really cool website.
[00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:57.840] So we spent most of like our, I mean, even small, but like launch dollars on a really cool website, making sure the experience felt interesting and different.
[00:00:58.800 --> 00:01:01.440] And then really working on kind of like the branding and the product.
[00:01:01.440 --> 00:01:03.680] Like that's where most of our focus went.
[00:01:03.680 --> 00:01:17.600] I knew from having worked in media, so I worked in media for many years, but worked for Vice primarily and then was trying to start a female founded media company called Dam Joan and like kind of saw the world of media blow up with Facebook blowing up.
[00:01:17.600 --> 00:01:25.600] And so I was very, as a marketer, very like, not anti-Facebook, but wary of just like launching on Facebook and being like, now we're a DDC brand, just launch on Facebook.
[00:01:25.600 --> 00:01:32.160] So we didn't actually spend any money on like paid advertising until like six to seven months in.
[00:01:32.160 --> 00:01:35.360] Like all of it was like, how could we get a bunch of earned media?
[00:01:35.360 --> 00:01:40.880] I was lucky to have a close girlfriend who was in restaurant PR, food and beverage PR.
[00:01:40.880 --> 00:01:44.240] COVID happened and, you know, she had a little bit of excess time.
[00:01:44.240 --> 00:01:47.200] And I was like, why don't you like let us be your first client?
[00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:49.120] And she's just been crushing it ever since.
[00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:53.120] So, like, all the press accolade goes to her 100%.
[00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:54.560] But I think it was important.
[00:01:54.560 --> 00:01:58.400] Like, the strategy we did have is that we knew we would have to kind of tell a story around Eve.
[00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:03.000] It wouldn't be like, you know, okay, yeah, we're a new tequila and people get it, right?
[00:02:03.000 --> 00:02:05.960] Like, it's like we're a new mixer, you can mix it with alcohol.
[00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:06.760] Here's how you mix it.
[00:02:06.920 --> 00:02:10.280] It's low sugar, it's low calorie, it's founded by this diverse team.
[00:02:10.280 --> 00:02:12.360] We have values, it's launching on the internet.
[00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:14.760] Like, there are so many different stories to tell.
[00:02:14.760 --> 00:02:20.840] So, we knew that, like, PR, we didn't know how powerful PR could be to drive your whole business basically the first year.
[00:02:20.840 --> 00:02:23.400] But we knew that we needed to tell a story, right?
[00:02:23.400 --> 00:02:31.080] Like, around not just how to use it, but like why we were launching, why to care about this category and create some buzz and excitement around it.
[00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:43.320] So, even in the pandemic, we launched with like the six feet apart bar, which I don't know if you saw, but we built a six feet apart table and did like a little launch event in New York.
[00:02:43.320 --> 00:02:50.680] And, like, when it was safe, we would do smaller kind of like activation things because, like, you get into the drinks business because you want to hang out with people, right?
[00:02:50.680 --> 00:02:53.720] You don't really get into the drinks business again to like sit behind your computer.
[00:02:53.720 --> 00:03:00.120] So, like, as much as we could, we were trying to get in front with real people and do real things.
[00:03:00.120 --> 00:03:01.960] Oh, my gosh, that is so cool.
[00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:02.600] I love that.
[00:03:02.600 --> 00:03:04.840] That's creative thinking right there.
[00:03:04.840 --> 00:03:06.360] Skills and advertising.
[00:03:06.680 --> 00:03:08.200] It was fun.
[00:03:08.200 --> 00:03:09.400] That sounds so fun.
[00:03:09.400 --> 00:03:10.680] And what about like now?
[00:03:10.680 --> 00:03:15.160] Obviously, you said you didn't start spending on paid media until six or seven months in.
[00:03:15.160 --> 00:03:25.960] But when you look at your marketing mix and the kinds of initiatives you're doing, where are you finding that you're kind of able to acquire customers at scale for a reasonable cost?
[00:03:25.960 --> 00:03:29.640] Yeah, I mean, that's a golden question we'll have before seed.
[00:03:29.640 --> 00:03:33.800] But I would say, honestly, like partnerships have been really successful.
[00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:41.320] So, like, we pair well both in the non-alcoholic space and the alcoholic space with those, you know, like the spirits of both of those worlds.
[00:03:41.960 --> 00:03:45.360] But then also partnering with, like, we did something with a makeup company, right?
[00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:50.320] Like, if you care about clean ingredients that you put in on your skin, you likely care about clean ingredients in your drink.
[00:03:50.320 --> 00:03:57.360] We've partnered with like moms who are like, I'm pregnant, and for the first time, I have to like re-look at what I'm drinking today, right?
[00:03:57.360 --> 00:04:04.560] So, I think it's a, for us, the first year was really figuring out like getting tighter on who our core audience was, what occasion we were in.
[00:04:04.560 --> 00:04:07.920] And now I think we're like really double-downing on partnerships.
[00:04:07.920 --> 00:04:15.120] I would say online as the world opens up is slowing down a bit in terms of like how easy it is to scale that channel.
[00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:18.480] Like, people are going out into bars and restaurants and supermarkets more.
[00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:21.280] So, we always knew that our business would move more wholesale.
[00:04:21.280 --> 00:04:22.720] Like, that was the original plan.
[00:04:22.720 --> 00:04:28.000] So, spending more time again with real people in real life, doing like mixing with real things.
[00:04:29.440 --> 00:04:38.640] So, yeah, so I think it's like, you know, more boots on the ground, sales, sampling, cans in hands, you know, liquid to lips, all the fun sayings people say in beverage.
[00:04:38.640 --> 00:04:39.520] Oh, I haven't heard that.
[00:04:39.520 --> 00:04:40.560] That's so cool.
[00:04:41.760 --> 00:04:43.520] So, yeah, just getting more trial.
[00:04:43.520 --> 00:04:49.920] And last year, I would say it was a lot of press, a lot of PR and partnerships that like made our business scalable.
[00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:56.240] Hey, it's Dune here.
[00:04:56.240 --> 00:05:01.040] Thanks for listening to this amazing episode of the Female Startup Club podcast.
[00:05:01.040 --> 00:05:10.400] If you're a fan of the show and want even more of the good stuff, I'd recommend checking out femalestartupclub.com, where you can subscribe to our free newsletter.
[00:05:10.400 --> 00:05:18.640] We send it out weekly covering female founder business news, insights and learnings in D2C, and interesting business resources.
[00:05:18.640 --> 00:05:29.360] And if you're a founder building an e-commerce brand, you can join our private network of entrepreneurs called Hype Club at femalestartupclub.com forward slash hypeclub.
[00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:41.080] We have guests from the show joining us for intimate ask-me-anythings, expert workshops, and a group of totally amazing, like-minded women building the future of D2C brands.
[00:05:41.080 --> 00:05:47.240] As always, please do subscribe, rate, and review the show, and post your favorite episodes to Instagram stories.
[00:05:47.240 --> 00:05:50.440] I am beyond grateful when you do that.