July 15, 2025 • 46 mins
And we're back! Host Jimmy Moreland returns with MHW’s Brigid McCabe and Cassidy Poe to welcome returning guest Melanie Gbowu, Founder of The Victoria Gabriel Agency. The team discusses ideas and strategies for newer brands aiming to enter new markets, whether domestically or internationally. This episode is a great primer for brands who are looking to expand from their initial home market, and all the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Find out more about The Victoria Gabriel Agency: Website
Hear our previous episode with Melanie: Episode 15
More info about MHW at https://www.mhwltd.com/
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome to the MHW Mark podcast, where we take deep
dives into various aspects ofthe alcohol industry.
My name is Jimmy Moreland.
Mhw is a US and EU beveragealcohol importer, distributor
and service provider, joining meonce again to host welcoming
back Bridget McCabe and CassidyPoe.
We've got the dream team backtogether.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Finally, thanks, timmy.
And we have a special marketingguest as well, who's also MHW
marketing, so really getting thetrio together.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
That's right.
It's a full-on reunion here.
We're really excited abouttoday's episode.
It's a good one.
It's been a little bit.
Folks may have missed us intheir feeds, but it's been a
busy time in the industry, a lotof things going on.
Can you break down for uswhat's been going on?
What's the news?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, absolutely so.
Specifically coming out ofBrandArc, we have some pretty
exciting launches yet, but whenI do I will share.
But one that we can share thathas received a lot of media and
just accolades within theindustry is Stitzel Weller
Distillery's debut of their rare24-year-old bourbon.
(01:14):
It's called Stitzel Reserve24-Year Bourbon and that was
basically orchestrated fromconcept to bottle by the
Brandark team.
So head of Brandark, ian Perez,and project coordinator and
manager, michelle Johnson, sovery excited about that.
They only launched about 191bottles.
(01:35):
They're selling at 1,600 each,so you can only get it from the
distillery and this is the firstlaunch from the distillery in
more than 30 years.
So very, very special.
And then, sort of on that tail,we had a presentation and an
opportunity to judge alongsideWomen of the Vine and Spirits,
(01:55):
diverse Powered Brands, rndc andmany other great co-sponsors
for the Barcom and BrooklynBrand Accelerator Pitch
Competition.
So Ian Perez was a judge forthat and of all the people and
the brands that entered, thefirst place winner was actually
an MHW client.
It was Amaretto Adriatico.
So very, very excited for themand they are winning a $51,000
(02:20):
prize package containing a lotof consulting.
Mhw donated a credit towardsour services, so really excited
that we saw one of our clientskind of come ahead.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Very cool.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
And beyond that at Barcom at Brooklyn.
In general we had a reallysuccessful show.
We had our first booth inhistory, I believe Bridget first
time we ever exhibited atBarcom in Brooklyn, which is in
our home market.
So that was really exciting.
We had a bunch of clients joinus in our booth for different
(02:55):
tasting time slots and it was areally awesome time it was.
We're excited to do it again.
We also had a client happy hourafterwards at a local bar in
Brooklyn, so it was really niceto connect with a bunch of our
clients and industry partnerswho showed up as well.
So hopefully do it all againnext year.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
And I highly recommend for listeners to keep
up not only with not just MHWspecific news but broader
industry news, like the RNDCthing that everybody's talking
about.
Just follow MHW on LinkedIn.
I'm not even in the industrytechnically and it's the best
follow for just broad industrynews to just have an idea of
(03:38):
what's going on For sure.
When can I expect to receive apromotional bottle of this
Stitzel Reserve?
Speaker 2 (03:46):
I think Ian might still be waiting for it.
We'll put you in line for itbut it's funny, as soon as we
announced it we had a lot offolks saying I got to plan my
next trip to the distillery.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Cool things happen with the BrandArc team.
I know a few weeks ago that Ian, the head of BrandArc, along
with Michelle Street, did apresentation like a seminar, and
that's another thing that ifyou follow MHW on LinkedIn, you
can sort of get the heads up onthese things so that you can
register and get these sort ofinteractive.
It's like a podcast, but youcan talk with the hosts.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Absolutely.
We actually have one coming upsoon here I guess August, so I
don't know how you consider howsoon that is, but August 4,
we're going to be partnering ourcompliance director, cheryl
Tittle, with Ian from BrandArcto discuss how creative and
compliance come together.
So two departments that youordinarily wouldn't see come
(04:42):
together and that's really sortof the blood of what MHW is.
It's, you know, brandarc beingable to develop these great
packaging and label designs, butensuring that they are
compliant and that you can getcertificate of label approval
both federally and by state.
So we are a very unique companywhere you know they say never
(05:03):
the twain shall meet and we sayalways the twain shall meet.
So getting those two expertstogether to talk about how
brands can compliantly maketweaks or changes to their
labeling packaging point of sale, depending on the state.
So you don't want to miss that.
Stay tuned on LinkedIn.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
That is very interesting because our
discussion today with our guestdoes kind of touch a little bit
on those kinds of issues, thosesort of the tensions that might
arise if your ducks are not allin a row.
And it's a really gooddiscussion.
Bridget, can you tell us alittle bit more about our guest,
who is a familiar face in someways, but she's got a really
(05:43):
cool background.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Yes, she does so.
Melanie Gabot is one of theunique industry folks who's
worked across various sectors ofthe industry, so not only as
marketing director for serviceimporter and distributor MHW,
but also as consultant forspirits brands such as Spirit
Hive Hotel, chocolat CreamLaCourse, funk Harbor Rum,
edelheiss Wines and DrunkenFruit, chocolat Cream Liqueurs,
(06:06):
funk Harbor Rum, edelheiss Winesand Drunken Fruit, and also
recently as Interim BusinessDevelopment Director for Wine
and Spirits Wholesalers, accessLive Conference and the Sales
Consultant for the BeverageAlcohol Retailer Conference.
So really, because of hercomplex experience across all of
the different trade marketingaspects, we recommend her to
brands who need an extra hand toreally shepherd them through
entry into the US three-tiersystem, choose their markets,
(06:29):
choose their pricing and preparefor starting with an importer
and distributor.
Today we've asked her tocombine some of this knowledge
and expertise from all sides togive brands really practical and
drilled down tips on how to bepoised and ready for market.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
And I think that expertise really does shine
through in this discussion.
So, without further ado, let'sjump into it.
All right, today's guest is thefounder of the Victoria Gabriel
Agency, a boutique firmproviding go-to-market and trade
marketing consulting servicesto the beverage alcohol industry
.
Welcome back to the show,melanie Gabbeau.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
Thank you, jimmy, and the MHW team Glad to be back.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
It's so good to have you back.
It's not very frequent that wehave returning guests, but we
like you so much that we had tohave you back Now.
For folks who haven't listenedall the way back, I invite you
to do so.
It's episode 15.
But for folks who don't havetime maybe they're commuting
right now, they're driving, canyou give us a little background
(07:32):
on your agency, on yourself,just refresh us.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
Sure, so I'm Melanie Gabot.
I've been in the industry forover 19 years.
I actually started my careerwith MHW for those of you who
don't know and had the privilegeof working with John Bodette,
marianne Pisani and Scott Saul,and I started right out of
college working in theadministrative part of the
business operations, logisticsand learning a lot about the
(07:55):
core back office services andthen transitioned and built out
the marketing department focusedon trade activation, and
business development departmentfocused on trade activation and
business development.
Right before COVID, about 2018,I started an agency which is a
boutique advisory agency focusedon go-to-market strategies and
(08:16):
marketing consultancy forbeverage alcohol suppliers.
I work with everything in termsof educating suppliers on
importing operations,distributor marketing, brand
strategy, connecting them to mynetwork in terms of helping them
grow and scale their business.
I work with mid-size andstartup companies, especially on
market entry opportunities,collaboration, sponsorship,
(08:38):
trade activations.
That's typically my sweet spot.
I really enjoy the industry andconnecting with brands and
suppliers and understandingproducts that they're looking to
bring to the market, but alsohelping them simplify the
nuances of the industry as well.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
So today's episode we kind of want to focus on the
go-to-market part of yourservices.
I know this is going to bereally helpful for our brands
who are listening to get a sneakpeek into the advice that you
would typically give to yourclients.
So can you start by telling usat what stage should a brand
bring in a consultant like youduring their go-to-market
(09:16):
planning and what exactly do youdo to help them?
Speaker 4 (09:20):
Sure, you know it's very important to have a team of
advisors or consultants fromearlier on.
I think before you get into anyindustry or if you are looking
to, you know, further grow abusiness, you take on advice
from people who have done itbefore, and so I always
(09:40):
recommend starting on.
If you're starting the project,bring on people from earlier on
.
It will help mitigate a lot ofmistakes.
It will help you untanglethings that you might have done,
that you aren't sure on how tomove forward with.
A lot of what the consultantdoes is educating right, and a
part of it, I like to say, isthat I put together a crash
(10:02):
course and a study guide forclients to be able to
consistently either have accessto my guidance or the network
and to find solutions andworkarounds.
You know I focus on a lot ofhousekeeping items when I'm
dealing with clients, which Ithink people tend to bypass, I
look at whether or not they'redomestic or imported, because
(10:23):
that can impact how they go tomarket what they need to do.
The biggest thing for me isalways just being a fellow
alumni of MHW's back officesetup.
Do you have all of the thingsthat you need in place so that
you can execute and sell intothe market and sell into the
(10:47):
market, and I focus a lot onmaking sure that they have the
right process in place, becauseas you scale you can't kind of
revert and look to build that up.
So back office is a huge plusthat I really dive into.
I make sure that they have theright legal counsel as well,
because you need to understandyour contracts with the
distributors and anyarrangements that you have.
I do focus a lot on salesmanagement connections because
(11:11):
you need to be connected topeople in the markets that
you're looking at selling into.
It's not just, oh, I have theserelationships, but you need
someone who has dealt withretailers, distributors, that
talk their language and that canhelp you make inroads there.
I focus a lot on price modelingand auditing because that's a
(11:31):
big.
That can also potentially be abig hurdle for brands because
they're not capturing a lot ofthe expenses or earmarking
certain things and giving themenough cushion.
And we have so many options interms of selling
self-distribution, which iswonderful.
Then there's selling to thetraditional wholesaler and then
there's DTC and you kind of haveto understand all of the
(11:56):
nuances, pricing changes, taxesetc.
And how that's going to affectyour price going forward.
I look at a lot of placementopportunities going to affect
your price going forward.
I look at a lot of placementopportunities.
Everything with us in theindustry is like liquid to lips
and how to get that with thebest ROI.
And what do you need to do whenyou're showing up at a trade
(12:19):
show or a consumer event andhave the best?
Speaker 2 (12:20):
impact.
That's incredible, melanie.
I honestly you're such a secretweapon for so many of our
brands because there is thatstrategic part which you counsel
them through.
But then, to your point, a lotof it is like the tactical
paperwork of like, okay, what doI need ready, how is my
licensing structure going towork and to be able to work with
(12:40):
you and expedite a lot of thatwhere they can have it ready, I
think is so important.
So that's really exciting.
And I just wanted to ask you,because you know you work with a
lot of international brands,how do you explain the complex
US three-tier system, sort ofwhat's your fundamentals that
you put out for them?
And then what are the stepsthat you recommend a brand
(13:02):
follow to ensure they're fullyprepared to engage with an
importer or exporter?
Speaker 4 (13:06):
So, in terms of explaining a complex three-tier
system to brands, whether it'sinternational or even domestic
clients, I try to make thingsvery simple.
I tell them it's like dealingwith the IRS, especially for
those who are familiar with theUS government.
Or if you're international, youhave a set of rules that you
have to deal with when dealingwith your government, and so
(13:28):
it's federal and state.
And then there's miscellaneous,because there are nuances within
certain counties, withincertain states, and so I explain
that from the federal side, youhave to do certain compliance,
but then, once you get into thestate that you're looking at
entering, they have a certainset of rules and we have to
balance that, and having someonewho has the expertise, such as
(13:50):
MHW, is very pivotal andimportant to you know moving
forward.
And then I say you know eachstate, it's its own country.
I mean this is probably hasbeen on repeat for some time,
but it's like dealing with over50 different agencies, and how
are you able to boil that downif you don't have the
consultants or the companies inplace to help you navigate some
(14:14):
of those issues?
So for me it's very simple wejust keep it federal and state
and we have to get the advice ofMHW and our compliance staff to
understand what we can andcannot do in the market.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
I feel like the next step, obviously after you
explain the three-tier system toyour clients, would be to help
them decipher which distributionmodel they should go with, what
markets they should be instrategy beyond that.
So, from that point on, how doyou go about helping them figure
(14:48):
out those three things?
Speaker 4 (14:51):
A lot of that is determined by budget.
I think there are a lot ofthings to consider whether it's
a service model, the market andstrategy is what budget do you
really have allocated for it?
Because you can have thewishlist of wanting to be in
certain markets, but you mightnot have the pocket to
substantiate it.
(15:11):
And so I definitely make themunderstand that there's a
magnitude of working in certainmarkets and do you have the
necessary resources to be ableto be successful there?
Because otherwise the industryis going to eat you alive.
And so, for me, mhw'sdistribution model has always
been a game changer for manybrands.
It definitely allows them theability to sell direct, which I
(15:36):
think is invaluable to suppliers, because coming into the market
I mean no distributor is goingto take a brand with zero case
sales I mean you either have tohave a really good proposition.
I mean no distributor is goingto take a brand with zero case
sales I mean you either have tohave a really good proposition,
I mean and there have been a fewcases, but that's an anomaly at
this point so being able tosell directly into the retail
(15:57):
markets that MHW hasrelationships with, I think is
invaluable.
Markets are determined by a fewthings.
Obviously, budget I mentioned,but then I look at top and
secondary markets for thecategory.
Is there some white space thatwe can capture?
Who's actually the targetaudience?
Does the brand cater to acertain demographic?
(16:17):
So we have to look at all thosethings in order to make a
decision in terms of where we'regoing to penetrate.
In terms of strategy, again,it's always been liquid to lips.
We look at referrals,connections and utilizing our
networks.
I'm very big on brokers andsales reps who are specific to
(16:39):
markets that have keyrelationships because they can
help make inroads, and sometimesit can be a hit or miss.
But if you work strategicallyand you don't have these lofty
KPIs and you're very strategicin terms of the type of accounts
that you want to get into andnot just a numbers game in terms
(17:00):
of getting into 50 accounts,but you can't manage those
relationships.
Starting off with the 25,making sure you have the
reorders and growing from theremakes it easy.
Plans are great in the industrybut, as we know, things change
in the blink of an eye and Ithink brands just have to learn
to be very nimble and be able topivot, and so I like to have
(17:22):
structure, but I also like tosay you got to be able to be
flexible and work past some ofthese things and move quickly,
adapting to whatever thecircumstances are at the
beginning.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
I kind of want to dig into what you were saying about
traditional versus like aself-pitched distribution such
as MHW.
What we're hearing, especiallywith some of the news like RNDC
closing in California, and justthe model that traditional
distributors are working towards, is actually a lot more similar
to the order fulfillment modelof MHW.
(17:55):
So now brands really need tohave that investment model to be
able to have sales managers inmarket to work and ride along
with the distributors and reallyto help them through incentives
, through education, regularlygetting in front of them.
So are you seeing that there'salmost like a blurring of the
lines happening there?
(18:15):
And then even just in terms oflike marketing dollars to put
against it, now the distributorsare asking for an annual
marketing plan or a quarterlymarketing plan and budget from
brands.
So the investment level isn'tjust that margin anymore, Now
it's.
You know they need to beproviding some digital marketing
or some sampling out of home,whatever it might look like for
(18:36):
this specific brand, you know.
Has that shifted how you'reworking with brands in any way
in terms of your recommendations?
Speaker 4 (18:44):
You know, I think the relationship with the
distributor has kind of alwaysbeen the same in the sense that
you, the supplier, really haveto put in the work.
They're there to give youaccess, but you have to drive
your direction and where youwant to go and you have to put
in the work.
And I think you know suppliersget caught up that they're going
(19:06):
to be with this largedistributor and that's going to
be the end all to it and theycould sit back and just, you
know, enjoy the ride.
When that's not the case, Ithink distributors are just
doubling down now on what hasbeen the unknown, you know, in
terms of working with them,meaning like you have to have
your sales reps.
Perhaps you're going to getride alongs, but the market
(19:30):
right now, I think, is justthere are a lot of uncertainties
, the movement is limited,everyone is cautious, sales are
low and a lot of brands are justtrying to hang on and also
fundraise.
I think honestly I don't seebrand distributors taking on new
brands right now and if theyare doing it, it's either favor
(19:52):
or relationship based, likewe'll put it on our shelves, but
you guys got to do all the workand I mean that has been the
case in most instances whenyou're working with the
distributors, but I thinkeveryone has pulled back.
It's really we're inunprecedented times right now,
for a number of reasons.
More now than ever, I thinkbrands need to show that they
(20:14):
have momentum, that they canscale and that they're out there
outworking.
It's like the survival of thefittest, you know, I know, with
the consolidation that happenedin California, I mean, you're
seeing other distributors havingto step in and help out, you
know, and take over.
So that's causing a strain tothe system, right, there's a
(20:37):
loss of large brands, you know,from one distributor to the next
.
So it's a huge industry shakeupright now.
I mean, we saw beerdistributors getting into the
industry, but I think it'ssomething worth keeping your eye
on, because they do have accessto a lot of accounts and I
don't think how can I say thisDistributors used to have, like,
(20:58):
different accounts, right?
Your wine sales rep versus yourspirit sales rep versus your
beer sales rep.
All of that has been blurred,so it's definitely a game
changer in terms ofconsolidation.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Now you have Reyes with Tito's and I mean it's just
the count goes up every week asshaking up like who's
merchandising what.
It's such a good point.
It almost reminds me a littlebit of like when UK went through
Brexit and all of a sudden youcouldn't work with your EU
distributors anymore todistribute in, like London and
the surrounding areas.
You had to work with a UK-baseddistributor, but there were
(21:35):
only you know there was alimited number of them to go
around.
So all these thousands ofbrands that were being
distributed in the UK all of asudden were, like you know,
fishes just trying to get in andinto the different UK
distributors.
And it was honestly, at the endof the day, a decision for the
brands like how much investmentlevel do we have in this market?
And you know, because thedistributors will pick you up if
(21:57):
you're really really focused onthat market and they see that
you're investing that money init.
So it's for California and someof the other markets.
I agree with you completely.
We're seeing that where it'slike you can find a home if you
really work and you put in theinvestment level.
But now brands are really likefocusing on quarterly plans
(22:17):
versus annual and everything hashad to pivot so quickly and
people are having a tougher timereally planning for the future.
So I agree with you completely.
It's just about kind ofreevaluating where you're at and
making sure you have thatinvestment level as a brand.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
And that's so important right now.
The investment piece.
I mean you hear all the brandsfundraising, fundraising,
fundraising, because it's goingto take a lot more effort, now
more than anything, to continueto survive, and it's only the
brands that are well-funded thatwe'll see.
After all, the dust has settled.
To be honest with you, yeah,absolutely.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Are there any other criteria that you're seeing in
terms of how distributors areevaluating new brands?
Over the past couple years, youknow?
Speaker 4 (23:06):
it's just uncertain for me in terms of what
distributors are looking for.
If you're too trendy, you'renot going to sustain right.
And so the long haul has alwaysbeen authentic story.
You know, everyone's veryhealth conscious right now about
what they're putting into theirbody.
Everyone's very healthconscious right now about what
(23:26):
they're putting into their bodyand I mean, I think those things
are always attractive.
I do see an uptick withinterest in some of the
celebrity brands that can helpcontinually get in front of an
audience, because it's alwaysabout viewership, about
consumers and being in front ofthem.
And how do you do that?
About consumers and being infront of them, and how do you do
(23:48):
that?
But again, it's hard to say tobe honest with you as to what's
really on the distributor's mindother than keeping the lights
on, and where are thoseopportunities and with what
brands.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
I think, some emerging categories that I've
seen and I would love to hearyour thoughts on this Mel, we
have clients like 420 CaskSpiced Rum and we have Lucky
Stash Tequila that have beenperforming really, really well.
I think hemp seed hemp seedoil-based and mature sterilized
hemp stalks and infusions inspirits is something that we've
(24:23):
seen a lot of distributors likelooking out for and taking on.
And actually, right as werecord this listener, you guys
will have a couple days delayhere, but the hemp beverage
conference is actually going onright now in Atlanta and so
there's a lot of media right nowaround this and curious to hear
your thoughts.
You know it's funny because Ithink about you know, when I was
(24:44):
in college and I would comehome and my mom would be using
hemp's body lotion and I'm likeyou're such a pothead mom, you
know.
But it's like hemp is notreally cannabis.
It has, you know, 0% to 0.3%THC in it, so it's not going to
get you high.
So really like what people don'tknow a lot with the hemp seed
(25:05):
and the hemp seed oils is it'sreally nutty, it's high in
antioxidants, has a lot of likeomega-3s, omega-6s in it, so it
actually imparts like a reallycool taste, but then it gives
the brand the opportunity tokind of like lean into what Gen
Z is really shopping for rightnow and sort of these more like
alternative ingredients thathave been big in skincare and
(25:25):
food for a while, that are sortof like now entering into BevAlc
.
And on the non-alc side we'reseeing that too, because we're
getting a ton of non-alcrequests for, you know, we're
seeing things like ashwagandhaand elderberry and all these
other sort of interestingingredients.
I'm curious do you think thisis something trendy that you
mentioned, you know might justhave its day for the next, like
(25:46):
year or two, or do you see thishaving long-term momentum?
Speaker 4 (25:51):
I think the health component is here to stay, just
because of what we allexperienced during COVID.
I think that put a lot ofeveryone's perspective
differently in terms of valuinglife, how quick it can change in
the blink of an eye, and thethings that you can control are
the things that you need tofocus on.
So I do think that there's alot of education that still
(26:15):
needs to take place in the CBDworld because of stereotypes as
to Woodstock and you know evenother cultures such as just like
being a pothead, but there aremedicinal purposes.
I just think the industryclashed in the beginning about
it.
Obviously, the beverage alcoholindustry has opened up to it
(26:40):
and realized that it's not goinganywhere.
It has been here and it'sre-emerging in a way that is
accepting to the public now.
So education is huge here but,like with anything, I'm always
cautious.
Everything in moderation, right.
Too much of anything is never agood thing.
I do see the infusion of CBDhemp et cetera in the market and
(27:03):
I was really surprised with theattendance last year of how the
hemp pavilion at Access Livewith WSWA had grown
significantly I think it doubledin terms of the size that was
offered from the year before andeven going around speaking to
some of the suppliers, there wasa mix you would think, okay,
(27:25):
cbd.
It would be a lot of youngerfounders that were starting, but
I had also seen some olderpeople who had been in the
industry, who were entering theindustry and had brands, and I
was, you know, very intrigued bythat.
And I did speak with a coupleof founders that were older and
it was surprising as to like,you know, I had asked like how
(27:47):
did you get into this industry?
And basically it was drinkingdoesn't sit the same with us
meaning that, you know, I don'twant a hangover or I'm allergic
to certain things.
As you get older, you know,your body changes.
And there was one woman inparticular that talked about,
you know, wanting to still drinkand have a vice, but something
(28:07):
that takes the edge off withoutgetting you too woozy or
inebriated, and she said youknow, it was just an opportunity
for me to create something inmy life that fits my lifestyle
now.
And it really struck with mebecause it's like I'm
experiencing that now, with myparents aging and they're not
(28:30):
drinking the same way that theyused to drink before, for
whatever reason.
But I think brands that areadapting to people's lifestyle.
Now, that's not trendy.
I mean, there are certainbrands that are going to hop on
the trend of making the drink,but those that really have an
understanding as to why they'recreating it, those are the
brands that actually will standthe test of time.
(28:52):
So I'm for it.
I also think there is amedicinal purpose, too, that a
lot of people need to.
You know, continue to educateand investigate as to why it's
needed in our industry, and theonly way we're going to grow as
an industry is if we continuewith the innovation.
You know, things can't stay thesame, otherwise we're going to
(29:14):
remain stagnant.
So I see a huge potential andupside with CBDA, it's just
going to take some time to geteverybody on board.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
You've mentioned a few times being a I quote MHW
alumni.
Can you talk a little bit aboutthe relationship with your
clients, Like typically do theycome to you as already being an
MHW client, or do you bring themto MHW, Like how does that work
and what services do you sortof still lean on MHW to provide
in those situations?
Speaker 4 (29:43):
I would say it's a 50-50 split between getting
referrals from MHW and helpingthe supplier understand how to
best utilize all of the servicesand what they need to do from a
customer service standpoint.
And then clients that I'mapproached by directly.
I would offer up MHW as anoption.
(30:03):
I have the responsibility totalk about all options in market
but I am close with MHW becauseI'm familiar with the process,
the people and it's somethingthat I definitely have helped
build.
So there is some partialness toit, but it has to make sense
for the client at the end of theday from a budget standpoint,
from a locality standpoint wherethey're based if they want to
(30:26):
meet with people and a pricingstandpoint, as I mentioned.
So it's important that I knowthat this client has a service
provider at hand, just becausecompliance, logistics and
accounting are probably the baseto the business.
That that needs to be ironedout from the get-go.
(30:47):
We have to make sure that ifwe're promising people that they
can get product or we'relooking to sell that we know
that we can do it because it'seither registered or price
posted.
We know what we can do in themarket.
Do we have the right solicitor,permits and licenses.
It will be delivered, becauseMHW, you know, can help with the
logistics of either getting itfrom the domestic distillery or
(31:10):
winery or importing it into thecountry correctly, with the
right paperwork in place, thatthe collections of the funds are
going to be handled, because weneed to be able to repeat this
and if you don't have the moneyin the bank account to do that,
(31:31):
it's problematic.
So I definitely lean on MHW forall of the services that they
offer, because it is somethingthat will help the brand be able
to focus on what they need tofocus on, which is the sales and
marketing aspect of it.
Whether I'm doing a trade show,it's important to understand.
Does MHW have the licenses toship into the state to help with
finding a clearing wholesaler?
(31:51):
Most importantly, some of theinsurances that are required
that a brand might not have ontheir own.
Mhw kicks in with that.
So it allows the brand reallyto focus on market readiness and
, for me, the execution part.
And MHW helps us be preparedand I lean on them completely
for a lot of advisory andup-to-date market things that
(32:15):
are happening that I might notbe aware of, because they do get
.
They're at the front line ofthis.
I mean, they're involved in somuch in terms of the industry
from all of the regulatorystandpoints of, you know, discus
and Knobby and NABCA, so theyget a lot of information that
they disseminate to the clients,whereas, you know, we probably
(32:35):
wouldn't get it as quickly if weweren't with them.
So it's a much needed servicethat I rely and utilize a lot of
the different departments tohelp out.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
Mel, you've kind of alluded to this a little bit.
I know that for new brands thatare kind of at square one don't
really have much of a plan forwho they're going to work with
as an importer or distributor,and that is like the most
important decision, or one ofthe most important decisions
that they have to make.
(33:06):
So how do you advise thosebrands that are having some
indecision, deciding between twodifferent options for them,
like how do you help themdetermine which one will be the
best fit for them?
Speaker 4 (33:17):
I always tell my suppliers you have to go with
your gut feeling, understandingthat working with a distributor
is almost like dating.
You have to go with your gutfeeling, understanding that
working with a distributor isalmost like dating.
So you have to do your best toput forth and be honest and
realistic with what you're goingto do.
They have to like you just asmuch as you're going to like
them.
(33:37):
There's no point in workingwith someone that you have to
force them to take on theproduct and then just be left
out in the water to kind ofsurvive.
And, at the end of the day, youhave to have advocates and
allies within thisdistributorship, because there
are multiple products that arelike yours.
But you have to make sure thatthey're just as passionate about
(33:58):
what you're bringing to themarket and that they're going to
support you.
For me, it's really.
I think brands look at a numberof things the portfolio size of
the distributor, how many salesreps do they have?
What type of accounts do theycover?
Are they giving you a targetaccount list?
Are they giving you you knowvalid information?
(34:21):
Or are they, you know, givingyou, you know valid information?
Or are they, you know, justkind of like hands off, and a
lot of it is really havingmultiple conversations going on
site, meeting them, talking tosome of the accounts that they
service and even accounts thatmay not be on the distributor's
radar, seeing how open that thedistributor is to working with
some of the smaller restaurants.
(34:43):
There's so many things thatbrands have to consider when
looking at a distributor,because at the end of the day,
it's almost like signing thiscontract that can't be reversed
and it's always at the benefitof the distributor, never at the
brand, and there's a lot ofdecision-making that goes into
it.
But I do think it'srelationship-based too, right.
(35:03):
So it's how comfortable are youwith working with this team and
what do they have in theirportfolio that potentially is a
competitor, and are you helpingthem fill a white space?
And so there's a lot ofdecisions to be made, but it's
really a gut feeling and who'soffering you the best terms?
Speaker 3 (35:23):
I love that analogy you made about how it's like
dating.
That was such a good point, asyou both really have to be able
to communicate and like eachother equally.
That makes a lot of sense, so Ithink that was great advice.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
And in the state of Georgia it's a marriage.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
I'm picturing people swiping right on distributors.
Speaker 4 (35:43):
Yeah, no, and that's true.
It almost could be like aTinder or Bumble, like is there
a match?
There probably should be an appfor that.
Right, are you a fit for thisdistributor, or is the
distributor a fit for you so?
Speaker 3 (35:59):
it's a good point too , cause I feel like I mean all
distributors probablyexperienced this, but we have
people that approach us all thetime trying to move to MHW from
a different distributor, so thedating doesn't always work out.
You go through different stagesof your brand's lifecycle and
different things will work foryou at different times too, so
(36:21):
that's another thing to consider.
Different things will work foryou at different times too, so
that's another thing to consider.
Moving forward from that interms of when a brand needs to
pitch a distributor, kind of puttheir best foot forward, show
what they're all about.
What are the most importantelements of a compelling brand
story from a distributor'sperspective?
Speaker 4 (36:41):
I think right now, distributors are really focused
on a few key elements.
I think founder stories arealways great.
You know there's brands andI'll drop a few names, not
clients of mine but Sorrel is ahibiscus liqueur that Jackie
Summers founded and his story isamazing just in terms of what
(37:05):
he did to come into the marketand get his own distilling
license and make sure that hecould create this recipe based
upon the recipe that he waslooking to create.
And you know he basicallystarted his brand because he was
looking for something that hadgreat healing properties.
(37:26):
And the hibiscus plant, orknown as sorrel, is a drink that
in the Caribbean the familieswould make and it's a very
unique process to it.
And Jackie has done a great job.
He's been in the market forwell over 20 years, but he was a
cancer survivor and I thinkwith that it resonates with a
(37:49):
lot of people.
And you also have things that Ithink are visually,
aesthetically pleasing to theeye.
I'll use one of MHW's companies, humano.
I think that's a part of acompelling brand story or pitch.
What is it?
What does the product look like?
What does it offer?
You know, in addition to theclean ingredients and the method
(38:12):
of manufacturing and how it'sproduced.
Another key element I thinkthat's pivotal in brand story
and pitch is the impact.
There's a brand called EnalamaTequila.
It's women-owned farmers thatare used and there's a give back
to that story and I think thatresonates with consumers and
distributors as well.
And then you know I'm alwaysfor the health component, the
(38:35):
Better For you brand.
This is an MHW client too,spirited Hive.
Actually it started with MHW butthey invested in apiaries and
the whole focus with SpiritedHive was to have honey as the
sweetener instead of usingsugars and dyes etc.
So it was more natural and it'sbetter for you.
(38:55):
And then they expanded intoStrive, which is an energy drink
, now soda concept made withhoney.
So I think all these things interms of founder stories, what
the product looks like, how doesit sit on the shelf, you know
obviously the ingredients, theimpact and the health component
all add to is a good pitch fordistributors to want to take on
(39:19):
the brand.
Besides, what's in it for them,right, like, what are you
bringing to the table to maketheir job easier to sell this?
Speaker 2 (39:27):
I love Sorel by the way and I know every Caribbean
family makes it a little bitdifferently and Sorel is
delicious.
So let's talk timeline andfunding.
I think this was something youtouched on a little bit before
and we've talked investment,investment, investment being
critical, especially no matterwhat distributor really you go
(39:47):
with.
So what do you tell brands whoare new to the US market for how
to plan for their first threeto five years in market?
Speaker 4 (39:56):
I mean, everything revolves around, you know,
building awareness, establishingthe route to market strategy.
The first year it's sell, getin the market, get the feedback.
You have to make theadjustments.
You got to focus on certainKPIs like reorder rates, but you
have to tailor it and not beeverywhere, be specific in terms
(40:20):
of the consumer that you'regoing after and you have to
drown them in the noise of yourproduct and be where they are.
The brands, I tell them thefirst year is really all
education.
Year two and three, you got tosell some more.
You have to expand intoadditional markets.
(40:40):
Growth is a must, buteverything really revolves
around the budget and funding.
What can they do?
If you can only be in three orfour markets the first three
years, then that's what you haveto do and not look to compete
and be in 10 markets and not besuccessful.
I think it hasn't changed interms of what you need to do for
(41:04):
the first three to five years.
But you have to understand thatyou're not turning a profit
right, and so the brands who aregoing to survive understand
that and can stomach that.
The brands that don't, you knowyou have people or companies
that are coming in thinking thatthey're going to turn a profit
in year two or three and it'sjust, it's not feasible.
So the first few years it'sreally learning, growing,
(41:27):
getting the feedback, makingsome of those changes, looking
to scale and understand who yourconsumer is and where are they
and how can you get in front ofthem to gain that loyalty.
And how can you get in front ofthem to gain that loyalty by
year four and five?
You have to take a hard look atthe numbers.
Are you close to making aprofit?
(41:48):
Are you hitting your KPIsaccording to the plans that you
had and, if not, is there areadjustment or tweak that needs
to be done?
Speaker 3 (41:56):
You've already kind of started touching on this, but
I want to expand even more onyour marketing services that you
offer once brands are alreadyin market.
So the next steps here,especially for I mean MHW
clients, are in control of theirown sales and marketing destiny
.
So can you walk us through someof your marketing services for
(42:18):
once?
The brands are already inmarket.
Speaker 4 (42:20):
Yeah, so if a brand is in market, it really depends
on what is the need.
Most of the needs sometimesreally lends to operational
support, understanding some ofthe market entry opportunities,
whether it's trade activation,consumer events.
(42:40):
What can we do from a PRstandpoint?
Who can we connect to?
What are some collaborationsthat can take place, identifying
key accounts.
I have a set of retailers inNew York that I work with to
help introduce brands, which issomething that has been really
effective for a few of myclients.
(43:01):
So it really depends on whattheir need is.
A lot of it is, you know, tradesupport, marketing materials.
What can we do from a PRstandpoint?
What are some of the events,consumer events, and you know,
what are some things that weneed to clean up on.
Looking at pricing, looking atsome of the markets that we were
(43:24):
in, I think a lot of brandsdon't focus on control states,
which at times can be a missedopportunity, especially in the
beginning.
So it's a case by case basiswith any brand.
I mean I've done everythingfrom helping someone open a
micro distillery to the designof the distillery, to the design
of packaging, additionalenhancements to their portfolio,
(43:47):
working with them to secure,further grow the brand, all of
which I love, and I think thebest part of my experience and
expertise is that I provide outof the trade organizations in
our industry, so that helpedopen up a lot of resources in
terms of access to distributorsand retailers, of which you know
(44:25):
.
Those are great relationshipsto continue to have and build on
.
So I'd like to say I look atthe brand, we sit down, we have
like a natural conversation ofwhat are their wants, what are
their needs, who do they needaccess to, what are some things
that we can do to elevate someof their marketing campaigns or
their target audience, and wereally work together to figure
(44:48):
it out.
Or who do we need to connect toin order to make that happen?
I like connecting the dots alot.
Speaker 1 (44:58):
And now it's time for our fun final question, which
we have already asked, melanie,last time we asked what your
favorite adult beverage orcocktail is, and your answer was
the French 75.
Has that answer changed?
Speaker 4 (45:13):
It has.
I think right now, becausewe're in summer, I love a lemon
drop, a vodka lemon drop Ooh.
Speaker 2 (45:21):
Ooh, that sounds pretty good right now.
Speaker 1 (45:25):
Yes, that's my go-to Do you do any kind of twist on
the recipe, or do you just orderit and take it as it comes?
Speaker 4 (45:31):
You know it's pretty simple and there's probably some
laugh to this, but Grand Luxmakes the best lemon drop.
Okay, grand Lux makes the bestluggage Okay, even though you
know it's not like one of theartisanal or crafty bars, but
that's a go-to.
Speaker 2 (45:46):
I love it.
That sounds delicious rightabout now.
Speaker 1 (45:52):
Well, we want to thank Melanie Gabot so much for
stopping by with us again.
We look forward to having youback a third time.
Listeners can check out theVictoria Gabriel Agency at
victoriagabrielagencycom.
We will leave a link to that inthe show notes for easy
reference there.
Melanie, thanks so much forstopping by.
Speaker 4 (46:12):
Thank you so much, appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (46:14):
And thank you listeners for joining us on the
MHW Mark podcast, and thanksagain to Bridget McCabe and
Cassidy Poe for joining me inhosting.
Speaker 2 (46:21):
Thanks, jimmy.
Happy to be here with Cassidy.
We haven't gotten a chance todo many podcasts together, so
this is great that was a fun one.
Speaker 3 (46:27):
Thanks, Jimmy.
Speaker 1 (46:28):
This podcast is produced by me, Jimmy Moreland,
with booking and planningsupport by Cassidy Poe and
Bridget McCabe.
It's presented by MHW.
Find out more at mhwltdcom orconnect with MHW on LinkedIn.
Lend us a hand by subscribing,rating and reviewing this
podcast wherever you listen.
We'll be back in your feed intwo weeks.
We'll see you then, Cheers.
Welcome to the MHW Mark podcast, where we take deep
dives into various aspects ofthe alcohol industry.
My name is Jimmy Moreland.
Mhw is a US and EU beveragealcohol importer, distributor
and service provider, joining meonce again to host welcoming
back Bridget McCabe and CassidyPoe.
We've got the dream team backtogether.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Finally, thanks, timmy.
And we have a special marketingguest as well, who's also MHW
marketing, so really getting thetrio together.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
That's right.
It's a full-on reunion here.
We're really excited abouttoday's episode.
It's a good one.
It's been a little bit.
Folks may have missed us intheir feeds, but it's been a
busy time in the industry, a lotof things going on.
Can you break down for uswhat's been going on?
What's the news?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, absolutely so.
Specifically coming out ofBrandArc, we have some pretty
exciting launches yet, but whenI do I will share.
But one that we can share thathas received a lot of media and
just accolades within theindustry is Stitzel Weller
Distillery's debut of their rare24-year-old bourbon.
(01:14):
It's called Stitzel Reserve24-Year Bourbon and that was
basically orchestrated fromconcept to bottle by the
Brandark team.
So head of Brandark, ian Perez,and project coordinator and
manager, michelle Johnson, sovery excited about that.
They only launched about 191bottles.
(01:35):
They're selling at 1,600 each,so you can only get it from the
distillery and this is the firstlaunch from the distillery in
more than 30 years.
So very, very special.
And then, sort of on that tail,we had a presentation and an
opportunity to judge alongsideWomen of the Vine and Spirits,
(01:55):
diverse Powered Brands, rndc andmany other great co-sponsors
for the Barcom and BrooklynBrand Accelerator Pitch
Competition.
So Ian Perez was a judge forthat and of all the people and
the brands that entered, thefirst place winner was actually
an MHW client.
It was Amaretto Adriatico.
So very, very excited for themand they are winning a $51,000
(02:20):
prize package containing a lotof consulting.
Mhw donated a credit towardsour services, so really excited
that we saw one of our clientskind of come ahead.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Very cool.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
And beyond that at Barcom at Brooklyn.
In general we had a reallysuccessful show.
We had our first booth inhistory, I believe Bridget first
time we ever exhibited atBarcom in Brooklyn, which is in
our home market.
So that was really exciting.
We had a bunch of clients joinus in our booth for different
(02:55):
tasting time slots and it was areally awesome time it was.
We're excited to do it again.
We also had a client happy hourafterwards at a local bar in
Brooklyn, so it was really niceto connect with a bunch of our
clients and industry partnerswho showed up as well.
So hopefully do it all againnext year.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
And I highly recommend for listeners to keep
up not only with not just MHWspecific news but broader
industry news, like the RNDCthing that everybody's talking
about.
Just follow MHW on LinkedIn.
I'm not even in the industrytechnically and it's the best
follow for just broad industrynews to just have an idea of
(03:38):
what's going on For sure.
When can I expect to receive apromotional bottle of this
Stitzel Reserve?
Speaker 2 (03:46):
I think Ian might still be waiting for it.
We'll put you in line for itbut it's funny, as soon as we
announced it we had a lot offolks saying I got to plan my
next trip to the distillery.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Cool things happen with the BrandArc team.
I know a few weeks ago that Ian, the head of BrandArc, along
with Michelle Street, did apresentation like a seminar, and
that's another thing that ifyou follow MHW on LinkedIn, you
can sort of get the heads up onthese things so that you can
register and get these sort ofinteractive.
It's like a podcast, but youcan talk with the hosts.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Absolutely.
We actually have one coming upsoon here I guess August, so I
don't know how you consider howsoon that is, but August 4,
we're going to be partnering ourcompliance director, cheryl
Tittle, with Ian from BrandArcto discuss how creative and
compliance come together.
So two departments that youordinarily wouldn't see come
(04:42):
together and that's really sortof the blood of what MHW is.
It's, you know, brandarc beingable to develop these great
packaging and label designs, butensuring that they are
compliant and that you can getcertificate of label approval
both federally and by state.
So we are a very unique companywhere you know they say never
(05:03):
the twain shall meet and we sayalways the twain shall meet.
So getting those two expertstogether to talk about how
brands can compliantly maketweaks or changes to their
labeling packaging point of sale, depending on the state.
So you don't want to miss that.
Stay tuned on LinkedIn.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
That is very interesting because our
discussion today with our guestdoes kind of touch a little bit
on those kinds of issues, thosesort of the tensions that might
arise if your ducks are not allin a row.
And it's a really gooddiscussion.
Bridget, can you tell us alittle bit more about our guest,
who is a familiar face in someways, but she's got a really
(05:43):
cool background.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Yes, she does so.
Melanie Gabot is one of theunique industry folks who's
worked across various sectors ofthe industry, so not only as
marketing director for serviceimporter and distributor MHW,
but also as consultant forspirits brands such as Spirit
Hive Hotel, chocolat CreamLaCourse, funk Harbor Rum,
edelheiss Wines and DrunkenFruit, chocolat Cream Liqueurs,
(06:06):
funk Harbor Rum, edelheiss Winesand Drunken Fruit, and also
recently as Interim BusinessDevelopment Director for Wine
and Spirits Wholesalers, accessLive Conference and the Sales
Consultant for the BeverageAlcohol Retailer Conference.
So really, because of hercomplex experience across all of
the different trade marketingaspects, we recommend her to
brands who need an extra hand toreally shepherd them through
entry into the US three-tiersystem, choose their markets,
(06:29):
choose their pricing and preparefor starting with an importer
and distributor.
Today we've asked her tocombine some of this knowledge
and expertise from all sides togive brands really practical and
drilled down tips on how to bepoised and ready for market.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
And I think that expertise really does shine
through in this discussion.
So, without further ado, let'sjump into it.
All right, today's guest is thefounder of the Victoria Gabriel
Agency, a boutique firmproviding go-to-market and trade
marketing consulting servicesto the beverage alcohol industry
.
Welcome back to the show,melanie Gabbeau.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
Thank you, jimmy, and the MHW team Glad to be back.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
It's so good to have you back.
It's not very frequent that wehave returning guests, but we
like you so much that we had tohave you back Now.
For folks who haven't listenedall the way back, I invite you
to do so.
It's episode 15.
But for folks who don't havetime maybe they're commuting
right now, they're driving, canyou give us a little background
(07:32):
on your agency, on yourself,just refresh us.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
Sure, so I'm Melanie Gabot.
I've been in the industry forover 19 years.
I actually started my careerwith MHW for those of you who
don't know and had the privilegeof working with John Bodette,
marianne Pisani and Scott Saul,and I started right out of
college working in theadministrative part of the
business operations, logisticsand learning a lot about the
(07:55):
core back office services andthen transitioned and built out
the marketing department focusedon trade activation, and
business development departmentfocused on trade activation and
business development.
Right before COVID, about 2018,I started an agency which is a
boutique advisory agency focusedon go-to-market strategies and
(08:16):
marketing consultancy forbeverage alcohol suppliers.
I work with everything in termsof educating suppliers on
importing operations,distributor marketing, brand
strategy, connecting them to mynetwork in terms of helping them
grow and scale their business.
I work with mid-size andstartup companies, especially on
market entry opportunities,collaboration, sponsorship,
(08:38):
trade activations.
That's typically my sweet spot.
I really enjoy the industry andconnecting with brands and
suppliers and understandingproducts that they're looking to
bring to the market, but alsohelping them simplify the
nuances of the industry as well.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
So today's episode we kind of want to focus on the
go-to-market part of yourservices.
I know this is going to bereally helpful for our brands
who are listening to get a sneakpeek into the advice that you
would typically give to yourclients.
So can you start by telling usat what stage should a brand
bring in a consultant like youduring their go-to-market
(09:16):
planning and what exactly do youdo to help them?
Speaker 4 (09:20):
Sure, you know it's very important to have a team of
advisors or consultants fromearlier on.
I think before you get into anyindustry or if you are looking
to, you know, further grow abusiness, you take on advice
from people who have done itbefore, and so I always
(09:40):
recommend starting on.
If you're starting the project,bring on people from earlier on
.
It will help mitigate a lot ofmistakes.
It will help you untanglethings that you might have done,
that you aren't sure on how tomove forward with.
A lot of what the consultantdoes is educating right, and a
part of it, I like to say, isthat I put together a crash
(10:02):
course and a study guide forclients to be able to
consistently either have accessto my guidance or the network
and to find solutions andworkarounds.
You know I focus on a lot ofhousekeeping items when I'm
dealing with clients, which Ithink people tend to bypass, I
look at whether or not they'redomestic or imported, because
(10:23):
that can impact how they go tomarket what they need to do.
The biggest thing for me isalways just being a fellow
alumni of MHW's back officesetup.
Do you have all of the thingsthat you need in place so that
you can execute and sell intothe market and sell into the
(10:47):
market, and I focus a lot onmaking sure that they have the
right process in place, becauseas you scale you can't kind of
revert and look to build that up.
So back office is a huge plusthat I really dive into.
I make sure that they have theright legal counsel as well,
because you need to understandyour contracts with the
distributors and anyarrangements that you have.
I do focus a lot on salesmanagement connections because
(11:11):
you need to be connected topeople in the markets that
you're looking at selling into.
It's not just, oh, I have theserelationships, but you need
someone who has dealt withretailers, distributors, that
talk their language and that canhelp you make inroads there.
I focus a lot on price modelingand auditing because that's a
(11:31):
big.
That can also potentially be abig hurdle for brands because
they're not capturing a lot ofthe expenses or earmarking
certain things and giving themenough cushion.
And we have so many options interms of selling
self-distribution, which iswonderful.
Then there's selling to thetraditional wholesaler and then
there's DTC and you kind of haveto understand all of the
(11:56):
nuances, pricing changes, taxesetc.
And how that's going to affectyour price going forward.
I look at a lot of placementopportunities going to affect
your price going forward.
I look at a lot of placementopportunities.
Everything with us in theindustry is like liquid to lips
and how to get that with thebest ROI.
And what do you need to do whenyou're showing up at a trade
(12:19):
show or a consumer event andhave the best?
Speaker 2 (12:20):
impact.
That's incredible, melanie.
I honestly you're such a secretweapon for so many of our
brands because there is thatstrategic part which you counsel
them through.
But then, to your point, a lotof it is like the tactical
paperwork of like, okay, what doI need ready, how is my
licensing structure going towork and to be able to work with
(12:40):
you and expedite a lot of thatwhere they can have it ready, I
think is so important.
So that's really exciting.
And I just wanted to ask you,because you know you work with a
lot of international brands,how do you explain the complex
US three-tier system, sort ofwhat's your fundamentals that
you put out for them?
And then what are the stepsthat you recommend a brand
(13:02):
follow to ensure they're fullyprepared to engage with an
importer or exporter?
Speaker 4 (13:06):
So, in terms of explaining a complex three-tier
system to brands, whether it'sinternational or even domestic
clients, I try to make thingsvery simple.
I tell them it's like dealingwith the IRS, especially for
those who are familiar with theUS government.
Or if you're international, youhave a set of rules that you
have to deal with when dealingwith your government, and so
(13:28):
it's federal and state.
And then there's miscellaneous,because there are nuances within
certain counties, withincertain states, and so I explain
that from the federal side, youhave to do certain compliance,
but then, once you get into thestate that you're looking at
entering, they have a certainset of rules and we have to
balance that, and having someonewho has the expertise, such as
(13:50):
MHW, is very pivotal andimportant to you know moving
forward.
And then I say you know eachstate, it's its own country.
I mean this is probably hasbeen on repeat for some time,
but it's like dealing with over50 different agencies, and how
are you able to boil that downif you don't have the
consultants or the companies inplace to help you navigate some
(14:14):
of those issues?
So for me it's very simple wejust keep it federal and state
and we have to get the advice ofMHW and our compliance staff to
understand what we can andcannot do in the market.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
I feel like the next step, obviously after you
explain the three-tier system toyour clients, would be to help
them decipher which distributionmodel they should go with, what
markets they should be instrategy beyond that.
So, from that point on, how doyou go about helping them figure
(14:48):
out those three things?
Speaker 4 (14:51):
A lot of that is determined by budget.
I think there are a lot ofthings to consider whether it's
a service model, the market andstrategy is what budget do you
really have allocated for it?
Because you can have thewishlist of wanting to be in
certain markets, but you mightnot have the pocket to
substantiate it.
(15:11):
And so I definitely make themunderstand that there's a
magnitude of working in certainmarkets and do you have the
necessary resources to be ableto be successful there?
Because otherwise the industryis going to eat you alive.
And so, for me, mhw'sdistribution model has always
been a game changer for manybrands.
It definitely allows them theability to sell direct, which I
(15:36):
think is invaluable to suppliers, because coming into the market
I mean no distributor is goingto take a brand with zero case
sales I mean you either have tohave a really good proposition.
I mean no distributor is goingto take a brand with zero case
sales I mean you either have tohave a really good proposition,
I mean and there have been a fewcases, but that's an anomaly at
this point so being able tosell directly into the retail
(15:57):
markets that MHW hasrelationships with, I think is
invaluable.
Markets are determined by a fewthings.
Obviously, budget I mentioned,but then I look at top and
secondary markets for thecategory.
Is there some white space thatwe can capture?
Who's actually the targetaudience?
Does the brand cater to acertain demographic?
(16:17):
So we have to look at all thosethings in order to make a
decision in terms of where we'regoing to penetrate.
In terms of strategy, again,it's always been liquid to lips.
We look at referrals,connections and utilizing our
networks.
I'm very big on brokers andsales reps who are specific to
(16:39):
markets that have keyrelationships because they can
help make inroads, and sometimesit can be a hit or miss.
But if you work strategicallyand you don't have these lofty
KPIs and you're very strategicin terms of the type of accounts
that you want to get into andnot just a numbers game in terms
(17:00):
of getting into 50 accounts,but you can't manage those
relationships.
Starting off with the 25,making sure you have the
reorders and growing from theremakes it easy.
Plans are great in the industrybut, as we know, things change
in the blink of an eye and Ithink brands just have to learn
to be very nimble and be able topivot, and so I like to have
(17:22):
structure, but I also like tosay you got to be able to be
flexible and work past some ofthese things and move quickly,
adapting to whatever thecircumstances are at the
beginning.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
I kind of want to dig into what you were saying about
traditional versus like aself-pitched distribution such
as MHW.
What we're hearing, especiallywith some of the news like RNDC
closing in California, and justthe model that traditional
distributors are working towards, is actually a lot more similar
to the order fulfillment modelof MHW.
(17:55):
So now brands really need tohave that investment model to be
able to have sales managers inmarket to work and ride along
with the distributors and reallyto help them through incentives
, through education, regularlygetting in front of them.
So are you seeing that there'salmost like a blurring of the
lines happening there?
(18:15):
And then even just in terms oflike marketing dollars to put
against it, now the distributorsare asking for an annual
marketing plan or a quarterlymarketing plan and budget from
brands.
So the investment level isn'tjust that margin anymore, Now
it's.
You know they need to beproviding some digital marketing
or some sampling out of home,whatever it might look like for
(18:36):
this specific brand, you know.
Has that shifted how you'reworking with brands in any way
in terms of your recommendations?
Speaker 4 (18:44):
You know, I think the relationship with the
distributor has kind of alwaysbeen the same in the sense that
you, the supplier, really haveto put in the work.
They're there to give youaccess, but you have to drive
your direction and where youwant to go and you have to put
in the work.
And I think you know suppliersget caught up that they're going
(19:06):
to be with this largedistributor and that's going to
be the end all to it and theycould sit back and just, you
know, enjoy the ride.
When that's not the case, Ithink distributors are just
doubling down now on what hasbeen the unknown, you know, in
terms of working with them,meaning like you have to have
your sales reps.
Perhaps you're going to getride alongs, but the market
(19:30):
right now, I think, is justthere are a lot of uncertainties
, the movement is limited,everyone is cautious, sales are
low and a lot of brands are justtrying to hang on and also
fundraise.
I think honestly I don't seebrand distributors taking on new
brands right now and if theyare doing it, it's either favor
(19:52):
or relationship based, likewe'll put it on our shelves, but
you guys got to do all the workand I mean that has been the
case in most instances whenyou're working with the
distributors, but I thinkeveryone has pulled back.
It's really we're inunprecedented times right now,
for a number of reasons.
More now than ever, I thinkbrands need to show that they
(20:14):
have momentum, that they canscale and that they're out there
outworking.
It's like the survival of thefittest, you know, I know, with
the consolidation that happenedin California, I mean, you're
seeing other distributors havingto step in and help out, you
know, and take over.
So that's causing a strain tothe system, right, there's a
(20:37):
loss of large brands, you know,from one distributor to the next
.
So it's a huge industry shakeupright now.
I mean, we saw beerdistributors getting into the
industry, but I think it'ssomething worth keeping your eye
on, because they do have accessto a lot of accounts and I
don't think how can I say thisDistributors used to have, like,
(20:58):
different accounts, right?
Your wine sales rep versus yourspirit sales rep versus your
beer sales rep.
All of that has been blurred,so it's definitely a game
changer in terms ofconsolidation.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Now you have Reyes with Tito's and I mean it's just
the count goes up every week asshaking up like who's
merchandising what.
It's such a good point.
It almost reminds me a littlebit of like when UK went through
Brexit and all of a sudden youcouldn't work with your EU
distributors anymore todistribute in, like London and
the surrounding areas.
You had to work with a UK-baseddistributor, but there were
(21:35):
only you know there was alimited number of them to go
around.
So all these thousands ofbrands that were being
distributed in the UK all of asudden were, like you know,
fishes just trying to get in andinto the different UK
distributors.
And it was honestly, at the endof the day, a decision for the
brands like how much investmentlevel do we have in this market?
And you know, because thedistributors will pick you up if
(21:57):
you're really really focused onthat market and they see that
you're investing that money init.
So it's for California and someof the other markets.
I agree with you completely.
We're seeing that where it'slike you can find a home if you
really work and you put in theinvestment level.
But now brands are really likefocusing on quarterly plans
(22:17):
versus annual and everything hashad to pivot so quickly and
people are having a tougher timereally planning for the future.
So I agree with you completely.
It's just about kind ofreevaluating where you're at and
making sure you have thatinvestment level as a brand.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
And that's so important right now.
The investment piece.
I mean you hear all the brandsfundraising, fundraising,
fundraising, because it's goingto take a lot more effort, now
more than anything, to continueto survive, and it's only the
brands that are well-funded thatwe'll see.
After all, the dust has settled.
To be honest with you, yeah,absolutely.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Are there any other criteria that you're seeing in
terms of how distributors areevaluating new brands?
Over the past couple years, youknow?
Speaker 4 (23:06):
it's just uncertain for me in terms of what
distributors are looking for.
If you're too trendy, you'renot going to sustain right.
And so the long haul has alwaysbeen authentic story.
You know, everyone's veryhealth conscious right now about
what they're putting into theirbody.
Everyone's very healthconscious right now about what
(23:26):
they're putting into their bodyand I mean, I think those things
are always attractive.
I do see an uptick withinterest in some of the
celebrity brands that can helpcontinually get in front of an
audience, because it's alwaysabout viewership, about
consumers and being in front ofthem.
And how do you do that?
About consumers and being infront of them, and how do you do
(23:48):
that?
But again, it's hard to say tobe honest with you as to what's
really on the distributor's mindother than keeping the lights
on, and where are thoseopportunities and with what
brands.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
I think, some emerging categories that I've
seen and I would love to hearyour thoughts on this Mel, we
have clients like 420 CaskSpiced Rum and we have Lucky
Stash Tequila that have beenperforming really, really well.
I think hemp seed hemp seedoil-based and mature sterilized
hemp stalks and infusions inspirits is something that we've
(24:23):
seen a lot of distributors likelooking out for and taking on.
And actually, right as werecord this listener, you guys
will have a couple days delayhere, but the hemp beverage
conference is actually going onright now in Atlanta and so
there's a lot of media right nowaround this and curious to hear
your thoughts.
You know it's funny because Ithink about you know, when I was
(24:44):
in college and I would comehome and my mom would be using
hemp's body lotion and I'm likeyou're such a pothead mom, you
know.
But it's like hemp is notreally cannabis.
It has, you know, 0% to 0.3%THC in it, so it's not going to
get you high.
So really like what people don'tknow a lot with the hemp seed
(25:05):
and the hemp seed oils is it'sreally nutty, it's high in
antioxidants, has a lot of likeomega-3s, omega-6s in it, so it
actually imparts like a reallycool taste, but then it gives
the brand the opportunity tokind of like lean into what Gen
Z is really shopping for rightnow and sort of these more like
alternative ingredients thathave been big in skincare and
(25:25):
food for a while, that are sortof like now entering into BevAlc
.
And on the non-alc side we'reseeing that too, because we're
getting a ton of non-alcrequests for, you know, we're
seeing things like ashwagandhaand elderberry and all these
other sort of interestingingredients.
I'm curious do you think thisis something trendy that you
mentioned, you know might justhave its day for the next, like
(25:46):
year or two, or do you see thishaving long-term momentum?
Speaker 4 (25:51):
I think the health component is here to stay, just
because of what we allexperienced during COVID.
I think that put a lot ofeveryone's perspective
differently in terms of valuinglife, how quick it can change in
the blink of an eye, and thethings that you can control are
the things that you need tofocus on.
So I do think that there's alot of education that still
(26:15):
needs to take place in the CBDworld because of stereotypes as
to Woodstock and you know evenother cultures such as just like
being a pothead, but there aremedicinal purposes.
I just think the industryclashed in the beginning about
it.
Obviously, the beverage alcoholindustry has opened up to it
(26:40):
and realized that it's not goinganywhere.
It has been here and it'sre-emerging in a way that is
accepting to the public now.
So education is huge here but,like with anything, I'm always
cautious.
Everything in moderation, right.
Too much of anything is never agood thing.
I do see the infusion of CBDhemp et cetera in the market and
(27:03):
I was really surprised with theattendance last year of how the
hemp pavilion at Access Livewith WSWA had grown
significantly I think it doubledin terms of the size that was
offered from the year before andeven going around speaking to
some of the suppliers, there wasa mix you would think, okay,
(27:25):
cbd.
It would be a lot of youngerfounders that were starting, but
I had also seen some olderpeople who had been in the
industry, who were entering theindustry and had brands, and I
was, you know, very intrigued bythat.
And I did speak with a coupleof founders that were older and
it was surprising as to like,you know, I had asked like how
(27:47):
did you get into this industry?
And basically it was drinkingdoesn't sit the same with us
meaning that, you know, I don'twant a hangover or I'm allergic
to certain things.
As you get older, you know,your body changes.
And there was one woman inparticular that talked about,
you know, wanting to still drinkand have a vice, but something
(28:07):
that takes the edge off withoutgetting you too woozy or
inebriated, and she said youknow, it was just an opportunity
for me to create something inmy life that fits my lifestyle
now.
And it really struck with mebecause it's like I'm
experiencing that now, with myparents aging and they're not
(28:30):
drinking the same way that theyused to drink before, for
whatever reason.
But I think brands that areadapting to people's lifestyle.
Now, that's not trendy.
I mean, there are certainbrands that are going to hop on
the trend of making the drink,but those that really have an
understanding as to why they'recreating it, those are the
brands that actually will standthe test of time.
(28:52):
So I'm for it.
I also think there is amedicinal purpose, too, that a
lot of people need to.
You know, continue to educateand investigate as to why it's
needed in our industry, and theonly way we're going to grow as
an industry is if we continuewith the innovation.
You know, things can't stay thesame, otherwise we're going to
(29:14):
remain stagnant.
So I see a huge potential andupside with CBDA, it's just
going to take some time to geteverybody on board.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
You've mentioned a few times being a I quote MHW
alumni.
Can you talk a little bit aboutthe relationship with your
clients, Like typically do theycome to you as already being an
MHW client, or do you bring themto MHW, Like how does that work
and what services do you sortof still lean on MHW to provide
in those situations?
Speaker 4 (29:43):
I would say it's a 50-50 split between getting
referrals from MHW and helpingthe supplier understand how to
best utilize all of the servicesand what they need to do from a
customer service standpoint.
And then clients that I'mapproached by directly.
I would offer up MHW as anoption.
(30:03):
I have the responsibility totalk about all options in market
but I am close with MHW becauseI'm familiar with the process,
the people and it's somethingthat I definitely have helped
build.
So there is some partialness toit, but it has to make sense
for the client at the end of theday from a budget standpoint,
from a locality standpoint wherethey're based if they want to
(30:26):
meet with people and a pricingstandpoint, as I mentioned.
So it's important that I knowthat this client has a service
provider at hand, just becausecompliance, logistics and
accounting are probably the baseto the business.
That that needs to be ironedout from the get-go.
(30:47):
We have to make sure that ifwe're promising people that they
can get product or we'relooking to sell that we know
that we can do it because it'seither registered or price
posted.
We know what we can do in themarket.
Do we have the right solicitor,permits and licenses.
It will be delivered, becauseMHW, you know, can help with the
logistics of either getting itfrom the domestic distillery or
(31:10):
winery or importing it into thecountry correctly, with the
right paperwork in place, thatthe collections of the funds are
going to be handled, because weneed to be able to repeat this
and if you don't have the moneyin the bank account to do that,
(31:31):
it's problematic.
So I definitely lean on MHW forall of the services that they
offer, because it is somethingthat will help the brand be able
to focus on what they need tofocus on, which is the sales and
marketing aspect of it.
Whether I'm doing a trade show,it's important to understand.
Does MHW have the licenses toship into the state to help with
finding a clearing wholesaler?
(31:51):
Most importantly, some of theinsurances that are required
that a brand might not have ontheir own.
Mhw kicks in with that.
So it allows the brand reallyto focus on market readiness and
, for me, the execution part.
And MHW helps us be preparedand I lean on them completely
for a lot of advisory andup-to-date market things that
(32:15):
are happening that I might notbe aware of, because they do get
.
They're at the front line ofthis.
I mean, they're involved in somuch in terms of the industry
from all of the regulatorystandpoints of, you know, discus
and Knobby and NABCA, so theyget a lot of information that
they disseminate to the clients,whereas, you know, we probably
(32:35):
wouldn't get it as quickly if weweren't with them.
So it's a much needed servicethat I rely and utilize a lot of
the different departments tohelp out.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
Mel, you've kind of alluded to this a little bit.
I know that for new brands thatare kind of at square one don't
really have much of a plan forwho they're going to work with
as an importer or distributor,and that is like the most
important decision, or one ofthe most important decisions
that they have to make.
(33:06):
So how do you advise thosebrands that are having some
indecision, deciding between twodifferent options for them,
like how do you help themdetermine which one will be the
best fit for them?
Speaker 4 (33:17):
I always tell my suppliers you have to go with
your gut feeling, understandingthat working with a distributor
is almost like dating.
You have to go with your gutfeeling, understanding that
working with a distributor isalmost like dating.
So you have to do your best toput forth and be honest and
realistic with what you're goingto do.
They have to like you just asmuch as you're going to like
them.
(33:37):
There's no point in workingwith someone that you have to
force them to take on theproduct and then just be left
out in the water to kind ofsurvive.
And, at the end of the day, youhave to have advocates and
allies within thisdistributorship, because there
are multiple products that arelike yours.
But you have to make sure thatthey're just as passionate about
(33:58):
what you're bringing to themarket and that they're going to
support you.
For me, it's really.
I think brands look at a numberof things the portfolio size of
the distributor, how many salesreps do they have?
What type of accounts do theycover?
Are they giving you a targetaccount list?
Are they giving you you knowvalid information?
(34:21):
Or are they, you know, givingyou, you know valid information?
Or are they, you know, justkind of like hands off, and a
lot of it is really havingmultiple conversations going on
site, meeting them, talking tosome of the accounts that they
service and even accounts thatmay not be on the distributor's
radar, seeing how open that thedistributor is to working with
some of the smaller restaurants.
(34:43):
There's so many things thatbrands have to consider when
looking at a distributor,because at the end of the day,
it's almost like signing thiscontract that can't be reversed
and it's always at the benefitof the distributor, never at the
brand, and there's a lot ofdecision-making that goes into
it.
But I do think it'srelationship-based too, right.
(35:03):
So it's how comfortable are youwith working with this team and
what do they have in theirportfolio that potentially is a
competitor, and are you helpingthem fill a white space?
And so there's a lot ofdecisions to be made, but it's
really a gut feeling and who'soffering you the best terms?
Speaker 3 (35:23):
I love that analogy you made about how it's like
dating.
That was such a good point, asyou both really have to be able
to communicate and like eachother equally.
That makes a lot of sense, so Ithink that was great advice.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
And in the state of Georgia it's a marriage.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:40):
I'm picturing people swiping right on distributors.
Speaker 4 (35:43):
Yeah, no, and that's true.
It almost could be like aTinder or Bumble, like is there
a match?
There probably should be an appfor that.
Right, are you a fit for thisdistributor, or is the
distributor a fit for you so?
Speaker 3 (35:59):
it's a good point too , cause I feel like I mean all
distributors probablyexperienced this, but we have
people that approach us all thetime trying to move to MHW from
a different distributor, so thedating doesn't always work out.
You go through different stagesof your brand's lifecycle and
different things will work foryou at different times too, so
(36:21):
that's another thing to consider.
Different things will work foryou at different times too, so
that's another thing to consider.
Moving forward from that interms of when a brand needs to
pitch a distributor, kind of puttheir best foot forward, show
what they're all about.
What are the most importantelements of a compelling brand
story from a distributor'sperspective?
Speaker 4 (36:41):
I think right now, distributors are really focused
on a few key elements.
I think founder stories arealways great.
You know there's brands andI'll drop a few names, not
clients of mine but Sorrel is ahibiscus liqueur that Jackie
Summers founded and his story isamazing just in terms of what
(37:05):
he did to come into the marketand get his own distilling
license and make sure that hecould create this recipe based
upon the recipe that he waslooking to create.
And you know he basicallystarted his brand because he was
looking for something that hadgreat healing properties.
(37:26):
And the hibiscus plant, orknown as sorrel, is a drink that
in the Caribbean the familieswould make and it's a very
unique process to it.
And Jackie has done a great job.
He's been in the market forwell over 20 years, but he was a
cancer survivor and I thinkwith that it resonates with a
(37:49):
lot of people.
And you also have things that Ithink are visually,
aesthetically pleasing to theeye.
I'll use one of MHW's companies, humano.
I think that's a part of acompelling brand story or pitch.
What is it?
What does the product look like?
What does it offer?
You know, in addition to theclean ingredients and the method
(38:12):
of manufacturing and how it'sproduced.
Another key element I thinkthat's pivotal in brand story
and pitch is the impact.
There's a brand called EnalamaTequila.
It's women-owned farmers thatare used and there's a give back
to that story and I think thatresonates with consumers and
distributors as well.
And then you know I'm alwaysfor the health component, the
(38:35):
Better For you brand.
This is an MHW client too,spirited Hive.
Actually it started with MHW butthey invested in apiaries and
the whole focus with SpiritedHive was to have honey as the
sweetener instead of usingsugars and dyes etc.
So it was more natural and it'sbetter for you.
(38:55):
And then they expanded intoStrive, which is an energy drink
, now soda concept made withhoney.
So I think all these things interms of founder stories, what
the product looks like, how doesit sit on the shelf, you know
obviously the ingredients, theimpact and the health component
all add to is a good pitch fordistributors to want to take on
(39:19):
the brand.
Besides, what's in it for them,right, like, what are you
bringing to the table to maketheir job easier to sell this?
Speaker 2 (39:27):
I love Sorel by the way and I know every Caribbean
family makes it a little bitdifferently and Sorel is
delicious.
So let's talk timeline andfunding.
I think this was something youtouched on a little bit before
and we've talked investment,investment, investment being
critical, especially no matterwhat distributor really you go
(39:47):
with.
So what do you tell brands whoare new to the US market for how
to plan for their first threeto five years in market?
Speaker 4 (39:56):
I mean, everything revolves around, you know,
building awareness, establishingthe route to market strategy.
The first year it's sell, getin the market, get the feedback.
You have to make theadjustments.
You got to focus on certainKPIs like reorder rates, but you
have to tailor it and not beeverywhere, be specific in terms
(40:20):
of the consumer that you'regoing after and you have to
drown them in the noise of yourproduct and be where they are.
The brands, I tell them thefirst year is really all
education.
Year two and three, you got tosell some more.
You have to expand intoadditional markets.
(40:40):
Growth is a must, buteverything really revolves
around the budget and funding.
What can they do?
If you can only be in three orfour markets the first three
years, then that's what you haveto do and not look to compete
and be in 10 markets and not besuccessful.
I think it hasn't changed interms of what you need to do for
(41:04):
the first three to five years.
But you have to understand thatyou're not turning a profit
right, and so the brands who aregoing to survive understand
that and can stomach that.
The brands that don't, you knowyou have people or companies
that are coming in thinking thatthey're going to turn a profit
in year two or three and it'sjust, it's not feasible.
So the first few years it'sreally learning, growing,
(41:27):
getting the feedback, makingsome of those changes, looking
to scale and understand who yourconsumer is and where are they
and how can you get in front ofthem to gain that loyalty.
And how can you get in front ofthem to gain that loyalty by
year four and five?
You have to take a hard look atthe numbers.
Are you close to making aprofit?
(41:48):
Are you hitting your KPIsaccording to the plans that you
had and, if not, is there areadjustment or tweak that needs
to be done?
Speaker 3 (41:56):
You've already kind of started touching on this, but
I want to expand even more onyour marketing services that you
offer once brands are alreadyin market.
So the next steps here,especially for I mean MHW
clients, are in control of theirown sales and marketing destiny
.
So can you walk us through someof your marketing services for
(42:18):
once?
The brands are already inmarket.
Speaker 4 (42:20):
Yeah, so if a brand is in market, it really depends
on what is the need.
Most of the needs sometimesreally lends to operational
support, understanding some ofthe market entry opportunities,
whether it's trade activation,consumer events.
(42:40):
What can we do from a PRstandpoint?
Who can we connect to?
What are some collaborationsthat can take place, identifying
key accounts.
I have a set of retailers inNew York that I work with to
help introduce brands, which issomething that has been really
effective for a few of myclients.
(43:01):
So it really depends on whattheir need is.
A lot of it is, you know, tradesupport, marketing materials.
What can we do from a PRstandpoint?
What are some of the events,consumer events, and you know,
what are some things that weneed to clean up on.
Looking at pricing, looking atsome of the markets that we were
(43:24):
in, I think a lot of brandsdon't focus on control states,
which at times can be a missedopportunity, especially in the
beginning.
So it's a case by case basiswith any brand.
I mean I've done everythingfrom helping someone open a
micro distillery to the designof the distillery, to the design
of packaging, additionalenhancements to their portfolio,
(43:47):
working with them to secure,further grow the brand, all of
which I love, and I think thebest part of my experience and
expertise is that I provide outof the trade organizations in
our industry, so that helpedopen up a lot of resources in
terms of access to distributorsand retailers, of which you know
(44:25):
.
Those are great relationshipsto continue to have and build on
.
So I'd like to say I look atthe brand, we sit down, we have
like a natural conversation ofwhat are their wants, what are
their needs, who do they needaccess to, what are some things
that we can do to elevate someof their marketing campaigns or
their target audience, and wereally work together to figure
(44:48):
it out.
Or who do we need to connect toin order to make that happen?
I like connecting the dots alot.
Speaker 1 (44:58):
And now it's time for our fun final question, which
we have already asked, melanie,last time we asked what your
favorite adult beverage orcocktail is, and your answer was
the French 75.
Has that answer changed?
Speaker 4 (45:13):
It has.
I think right now, becausewe're in summer, I love a lemon
drop, a vodka lemon drop Ooh.
Speaker 2 (45:21):
Ooh, that sounds pretty good right now.
Speaker 1 (45:25):
Yes, that's my go-to Do you do any kind of twist on
the recipe, or do you just orderit and take it as it comes?
Speaker 4 (45:31):
You know it's pretty simple and there's probably some
laugh to this, but Grand Luxmakes the best lemon drop.
Okay, grand Lux makes the bestluggage Okay, even though you
know it's not like one of theartisanal or crafty bars, but
that's a go-to.
Speaker 2 (45:46):
I love it.
That sounds delicious rightabout now.
Speaker 1 (45:52):
Well, we want to thank Melanie Gabot so much for
stopping by with us again.
We look forward to having youback a third time.
Listeners can check out theVictoria Gabriel Agency at
victoriagabrielagencycom.
We will leave a link to that inthe show notes for easy
reference there.
Melanie, thanks so much forstopping by.
Speaker 4 (46:12):
Thank you so much, appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (46:14):
And thank you listeners for joining us on the
MHW Mark podcast, and thanksagain to Bridget McCabe and
Cassidy Poe for joining me inhosting.
Speaker 2 (46:21):
Thanks, jimmy.
Happy to be here with Cassidy.
We haven't gotten a chance todo many podcasts together, so
this is great that was a fun one.
Speaker 3 (46:27):
Thanks, Jimmy.
Speaker 1 (46:28):
This podcast is produced by me, Jimmy Moreland,
with booking and planningsupport by Cassidy Poe and
Bridget McCabe.
It's presented by MHW.
Find out more at mhwltdcom orconnect with MHW on LinkedIn.
Lend us a hand by subscribing,rating and reviewing this
podcast wherever you listen.
We'll be back in your feed intwo weeks.
We'll see you then, Cheers.
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