🤩 Does Celebrity Star Power = Spirits Success?

Brewbound Insiders are doing some spirits-based stargazing with a close look into the connection between celebrity and retail sales from BevNET spirits editor Ferron Salniker. With so many celebrities and influencers starting and investing in both spirits and RTD brands, how much difference does star power make?

Insiders are also reading these newsletter exclusives:

• Learning which brewery is now the official craft beer of the Iowa Hawkeyes;
• Getting a fuller picture of July 4 weekly scan data from Circana;
• Checking out BeatBox’s latest accomplishment.

Insiders also have access to the Brewbound Newsletter Archive, including previous newsletter-exclusive Insider content.

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The HAAS Brewing Solutions team presents new and expanded opportunities for brewers to learn and enhance their hop and brewing knowledge. Hands-on classroom experiences, a hop field visit and a beer pairing dinner — visit Yakima in September and learn, connect, create! Learn more

There’s been a race to the shelf from celebrity-backed brands ever since Diageo’s acquisition of Casamigos made George Clooney an overnight billionaire. But with the wider spirits downturn, how have these business models evolved and where do they have an edge, if at all?

Attaching a celebrity to a brand might promise instant notoriety, but that’s not always the case. About 80% of shoppers cannot match celebrities to the brands they own, according to a recent report from data provider Numerator. Still, the celebrity factor helps get to market, as the percentage likely looks different among retail buyers. That’s the case at Total Wine & More.

Insiders can dive deeper into what is and isn’t working for celebrity-backed brands, including growing momentum for RTDs and the influence of influencers.

Following a long July 4 holiday weekend, the Brewbound team shares how they celebrated Independence Day. 

Jess provides a Jersey Shore report, including whether there was enough Surfside supply. 

Zoe shares the results from her July 4 darty on how newer beverages such as Surfside, Sun Cruiser, The Beast Unleashed, and Happy Thursday performed with the under 30 crowd. She also notes the prevalence of High Noon in Boston’s party districts. 

Then the conversation turns to social media platform TikTok opening its platform to beverage-alcohol advertisements. Jess explains why now and what bev-alc companies should consider. 

The team also discusses non-alcoholic beer maker Athletic Brewing’s $50 million equity financing round and rumored valuation. 

Listen here or on your preferred podcast platform. And please like, rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and hit the notification bell to make sure fresh episodes keep hitting your feeds.

It’s time to book your room for Brewbound Live! Our two-day event for beer and beverage-alcohol professionals heads to Marina del Rey, California, on December 11 + 12. Register now to stay just steps from the action and save on your stay at the Marina del Rey Marriott Hotel (4100 Admiralty Way, Marina Del Rey, CA).

The Brewbound Live room block always sells out, so we encourage you to register today to secure your place among brewers, retailers, investors, distributors, beer leaders, and industry partners. Once registered, you will receive an email with the link to the discounted room block. Plus, right now you can take advantage of early registration pricing and save $100 per registration. Plan ahead to save and take advantage of both the room block and early registration discounts.

Attendees can look forward to expert presentations from brewery leaders, retailers, beverage-alcohol suppliers, wholesalers, and data providers, business conversations during scheduled networking breaks, the Brewbound Live Pitch Slam, samples of the latest innovations in the industry and the Brewbound Live Official Party, all set against the backdrop of sunny Southern California.

Register for Brewbound Live Winter 2024.