The "Distribution Expansion" Cheat-Sheet

4 Rules to Avoid Collecting Dust on The Shelf (and Why 1 Case in 1 Bar is Better Than 6 Bottles in 6 Bars)

The MAFFEO DRINKS Guides is a bi-weekly email newsletter. With a systematized approach, it helps drink builders grow their brand from 10 to 10k cases. Each edition solves one clear challenge for subscribers. Some editions are free, and others are paid. Sign up here:

Dear Drinks Builder,

In one of my hundreds of meetings overseas, visiting an importer, a big poster on the wall of a board room caught my eye. It said: "Distribution Sells."

In a second, I understood what kind of meeting I was going into. It was a disaster. It was like taking a trip back to the 1980s.

Why? Because driving distribution to reach targets is the recipe for another dusty bottle on the shelf.

I may be biased because my early experience comes from Beer. There's an expiry date, so you immediately understand that you must drive rotation. If not, the product goes off, and no bar owner would repurchase it. Beer also requires refrigeration; fridges are usually small and easy to fill up.

In Spirits, it's different. With products virtually without expiry date, salespeople focus on the first sale. Also, a back bar is much bigger than a fridge. It's much easier to convince someone to bring it on, even if hidden in a corner behind two lines of bottles. 👇🏻

Pushing brands is not sustainable.

My four reflections:👇🏻