Focused on discovery. Always curious. Developing frameworks and ideas that allow for decision-makers to thrive in beer, spirits, wine, FMBs, cannabis, functional beverage, and beyond.
Hard MTN DEW, and in turn a distribution company to effectively act as its sole wholesaler, have been doomed for 18 months. Here’s why: In Nov 2022, Good Beer Hunting broke news about retail sales challenges for Hard MTN DEW and its inability to maintain month-to-month sales through Blue Cloud, that distributor specially created to sell the brand: https://lnkd.in/gN_2F7Fr - maybe it was a challenge of finding repeat buyers, maybe it was national attention for a brand that slowly opened in new markets. Sales didn’t stick. - Reallt great data and explanation in that story from Kate Bernot which included deeper dives for Sightlines subscribers. Then the legal problems. We again broke it down on The Gist podcast in December 2023, following a ruling in Virginia that was a final nail: https://lnkd.in/gJ37pbmt - Data and context of why Blue Cloud was set to fail in 2024 Per Beer Business Daily today: “PepsiCo will dismantle Blue Cloud and settle for a licensing model, to no one's surprise. It was a brash and bold experiment that ultimately pushed up against the immovable force of beer wholesalers.” Hard MTN DEW has sold a lot since its debut! But it now has to compete against tough sales performance and fitting into new wholesaler portfolios. All while Monster’s Beast Unleashed and Nasty Beast hard tea have expanded rapidly across the country. Not a great spot. Stay ahead of the curve with me and Kate: https://lnkd.in/dETMi3gr
