As we navigate 2025, successful brands are those that can decode emerging trends, adapt their strategies in real-time, and build authentic connections with increasingly sophisticated consumers. From the data-driven insights reshaping on-premise sales to the AI-powered forecasting systems predicting the future of drinking culture, industry leaders are leveraging both cutting-edge technology and grassroots tactics to stay ahead of the curve. The following collection of presentations from Bar Convent Brooklyn 2025 offers a comprehensive look at the strategies, tools, and mindset shifts that are defining success in today’s beverage landscape.
The Top Trends Driving On-Premise Sales in 2025
In this data-packed Bar Convent Brooklyn 2025 session, Drew Hummel, Director of BevAl Vertical at NielsenIQ, reveals the five seismic shifts reshaping U.S. on-premise sales – and how brands can capitalize.
Diageo on the Future of Drinking and Macro Trends
In this presentation, Jim Ruane, SVP of Marketing at Diageo, reveals how 160 million global conversations analyzed by Diageo’s AI-powered Foresight System are predicting the next era of drinking culture. Discover the five seismic trends redefining alcohol – from “neo-hedonism” to AI-powered brand experiences – and how brands can adapt.
Alcohol E-Commerce Blueprint: Maximizing Your Online Presence in 2025
Connor Pelcher, Brand Partnerships Director at Flaviar, reveals how leading spirits brands are achieving 35% YoY alcohol e-commerce growth despite industry headwinds. Discover data-backed strategies from Flaviar’s 5M+ sampling program and leverage strategies to maximize your online presence.
4 Tactics for Defining Your Target Beverage Alcohol Customer
In this Bar Convent Brooklyn 2025 session, Michelle Ivey, Co-Founder of 11C & Co, reveals guerrilla tactics to decode your ideal beverage alcohol customer—without a market research budget. Learn how scrappy beverage startups use stealth bar reconnaissance, social media sleuthing, and “Trojan horse” surveys to validate products before launch.
The Top Trends Driving On-Premise Sales in 2025 Transcript
Drew Hummel (0:03)
I’m really excited to be here. I’m going to kick off by laying the groundwork and defining who the on-premise spirits consumer is, what they’re drinking, and where they’re going. I’ll touch on premiumization, but more importantly, you will soon hear from our panel of brands themselves. Before I get into the data, I want to identify the five key frameworks or themes that we feel are shaping beverage alcohol: first, consumer recruitment is top of mind—specifically, how do you attract Gen Z? We’ll look at a few generational cuts today. Second is quality versus quantity and premiumization—how is the value perception landscape evolving? Third is the delivery of experiences; experience is driving on-premise visitation, and it is how brands get remembered. Fourth is navigating the macroeconomic headwinds posing a challenge to the industry. Finally, health and wellness are taking shape not only via moderation but also through the specific drink attributes that consumers are looking for.
Drew Hummel (1:21)
For a top-line baseline, 52% of on-premise visitors say that they consume spirits out of the home at bars and restaurants. This survey data was collected just about a month ago—we track this every six months—so we will be focusing primarily on consumption over the last three months. Spirits remain by far the largest beverage alcohol category, accounting for more dollars than beer and wine combined. However, there is definitely still headroom for growth when we talk about total consumer penetration. Who are these drinkers? The gender split is pretty even, although we see that cocktail drinkers skew female and whiskey drinkers skew male. Looking at ethnicities, spirits could do a better job leveraging diversity. Three-quarters of spirits drinkers are white. Tequila has been more successful in recruiting African American and Hispanic drinkers, so it is no surprise that among core spirit categories, tequila is actively gaining market share.
Drew Hummel (2:37)
Let’s look at drink repertoires, which refers to the number of categories and brands consumers choose in bars and restaurants. On average, a typical consumer drinks across five beverage categories—which could include cocktails, vodka, craft beer, and so forth. For a spirits drinker, that number jumps to seven. Looking at brands, the average consumer says they typically rotate between 11 different brands when they drink out of home. Spirits drinkers consistently over-index here. Because of this, spirit brands need to fight harder to not only recruit drinkers to their category but to truly stand out and recruit them to their specific brand. Breaking down that 52% baseline of spirits consumers to see exactly what they are drinking, we include cocktails as its own distinct category. Someone might be a Margarita drinker without necessarily consuming neat tequila on its own. Trending over the last couple of years, all spirit categories have done a great job recruiting consumers and are up by a healthy margin compared to two years ago, with a third of consumers drinking cocktails overall.
Drew Hummel (3:50)
When you look at this from a generational perspective, it gets very interesting. Gen Z definitely over-indexes on cocktails, tequila, and vodka. I want to flag that whiskey might have a bit of a Gen Z recruitment problem; it may be framed as ‘your dad’s spirit.’ On the flip side, Gen X drastically under-indexes on tequila. We know cocktails are incredibly important, so what specific cocktails do people say they drink? Note that this is not hard volumetric sales data; this is simply consumers stating they have ordered the cocktail within the last three months. The Margarita has been the number one cocktail in the US since we started tracking this data. It obviously over-indexes for tequila drinkers, but it actually under-indexes among Gen Z consumers. Piña Coladas are really popping for Gen Z, which was a very interesting call-out for our team.
Drew Hummel (4:56)
We get asked a lot about venue visitation, especially given today’s economic climate. We know that overall ticket counts are down, but the average check value is up. In general, consumers are visiting venues less frequently but spending more money when they do go out. However, when we look at spirits drinkers specifically, we still see very healthy visitation numbers. One in four average on-premise visitors go out for a drink weekly, but that number is closer to one in two for spirits drinkers and Gen Z. Furthermore, three-quarters of spirits drinkers say they go out to eat at least once a week. Where are these consumers going? There is a lot to digest here, but it is an insightful look. Casual dining restaurants remain number one: 82% of bar and restaurant visitors say they have visited a casual dining restaurant in the last three months, with 74% visiting monthly and 26% visiting weekly. Then you have high-energy venues, which include day clubs or nightclubs. While only 14% of overall on-premise visitors frequent these venues, 78% of that subset do so monthly, indicating high frequency among those core visitors.
Drew Hummel (6:29)
Shifting over to actual volumetric sales data for spirits, let’s look at categories cut by price tier. Coming out of COVID-19, all market growth was heavily driven by the super-premium and ultra-premium tiers. Recently, we’ve seen a bit of a shift away from super-premium, creating a polarized market. You have some luxury consumers who absolutely continue to prioritize spending on ultra-premium and above. On the other hand, the standard premium tier—mostly driven by high cocktail volume—is in growth and taking market share directly from super-premium. This ties into a different way of looking at premiumization that I really like: we give consumers a fixed amount of money, say $50, to spend at a bar and ask if they would opt for one luxury super-premium drink, two high-quality premium drinks, and so on down to five cheaper options. Indexing the average consumer against a spirits drinker, the average consumer’s responses are a bit more spread out. However, nearly one in two spirits drinkers overwhelmingly say, ‘Yeah, I want the two high-quality premium drinks.’ That is their clear sweet spot.
Drew Hummel (8:00)
My final slide highlights those consumers who state they are likely to trade up, and the factors influencing that premium decision. What is highly relevant to today’s audience and the folks here at Bar Convent Brooklyn (BCB) is that spirits consumers who are likely to trade up are overwhelmingly more likely to engage with the bar staff. Brand advocacy and that face-to-face touchpoint with the bartender are absolutely critical. We know these trade-up consumers also skew younger; they are Gen Z, they are actively seeking product knowledge, and they are highly impressionable. This is precisely where brands have the greatest opportunity to connect. Thank you all very much.
Diageo on the Future of Drinking and Macro Trends Transcript
Jim Ruane (0:01)
This presentation is all about navigating the cultural trends shaping tomorrow. I’m Jim Ruane, the Senior Vice President of Lead Brands at Diageo. My portfolio consists of our core vodkas, rums, gins, and liqueurs—including global icons such as Tanqueray and Smirnoff, as well as next-generation insurgents like Aviation American Gin and Mr. Black. Because of this, I spend just as much time thinking about the trends shaping drinking today as I do analyzing the macro forces that will shape consumer behaviors and attitudes in the future. To do this, we use a tool we call our time machine: the Diageo Foresight System. This advanced digital listening tool tracks more than 160 million conversations across 100 countries via social media, online forums, and digital media. It pairs in-depth, AI-powered quantitative analysis with a nuanced human understanding of emerging cultural signals. The system has identified five macro trends that marketers and brand builders should align with to stay ahead of the curve: Neo-Hedonism, Conscious Well-Being, Expanding Reality, Collective Belonging, and Betterment Brands.
Jim Ruane (1:14)
The first macro trend is Neo-Hedonism, which is pleasure-seeking 2.0. It represents an experiential shift where consumers are actively collecting unique experiences and ‘pinch-me’ moments that make the soul sing. This spans everything from chasing a trending food truck courtyard line to discovering hidden waterfalls on a hike, or booking private dining experiences with Michelin-starred chefs. Despite a challenging macroeconomic environment, consumers still expect to travel more, spend on personal indulgences, and engage with luxury goods. We are seeing a massive spike in digital conversations surrounding luxury travel, euphoric escapes in the great outdoors, and immersive entertainment spaces like the Sphere in Las Vegas. Consumers are increasingly willing to spend their time and money on singular, one-night-only events. For brand builders, this means moving away from everyday indulgence positioning and focusing heavily on once-in-a-lifetime memories. A great example of this is Feria Don Julio, a pop-up that reimagined the traditional Mexican fair through street performances, art, and local celebrity experiences—and then vanished, never to be experienced again.
Jim Ruane (2:18)
The next macro trend is Conscious Well-Being, which is a true well-being revolution. Consumers are taking a far more holistic view of wellness, health, and happiness, ranging from mind-body care to redefining their personal relationship with technology. We are tracking significant conversation spikes around mental health, home sanctuaries, self-worth, and purposeful disconnection from digital life. In commercial spaces, this manifests as a continued desire for moderation and decelerated drinking occasions. Consumers want to participate in social events that are simply lower in intensity. This environment is driving the rapid rise of ‘zebra striping’—the practice of alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks during a night out. Already, one-quarter of consumers in the UK practice zebra striping, and it is a trend that is taking firm root in the US market. As an industry, we are committed to promoting responsible consumption; we want adults who choose to drink to drink better, not more, while fully respecting those who choose not to drink at all.
Jim Ruane (3:32)
Our tracking shows that traditional, finger-wagging compliance messages do very little to change consumer behavior. Instead, our focus must be on education and relatable messaging delivered in an aspirational tone. A perfect example of this is the ‘Mix It Up’ campaign from Gordon’s Gin. This fun activation highlights consumers choosing to pace their evening by seamlessly choosing between the alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions of the exact same drink, showcasing how personal choice sits at the intersection of celebration and responsibility. This brings us to our third trend: Expanding Reality. The line between our digital and physical lives continues to blur. Gaming and virtual spaces have become the new standard hangouts, and AI is now directly at our fingertips. To put this computational shift into perspective, ChatGPT’s daily power usage is equivalent to roughly 180,000 US households, and AI course enrollments are up nearly 12-fold year-over-year. We expect to see a massive rise in AI-enabled companion agents that consumers use to facilitate real-world human relationships, moderate emotions, and guide purchase decisions. Brands must look for ways to simplify consumers’ lives while offering spontaneous experiences that help them break free from the shackles of digital routine.
Jim Ruane (4:50)
We are tracking an immense volume of conversation around the transformative impact of virtual and augmented reality, and how these technologies will integrate seamlessly into next-generation devices. Tanqueray jumped directly into this space in Madrid with a highly successful augmented reality stunt. When viewed through a smartphone camera, passersby saw a massive, 50-foot-tall virtual bottle of Tanqueray 0.0 pouring liquid into a giant glass of tonic suspended in mid-air, right before a virtual helicopter arrived to drop an ice cube into the glass. This brings us to our fourth trend: Collective Belonging. Finding your community, connecting over shared passion points, and embracing absolute acceptance have never been more important. Consumer tribes and fandoms are forming rapidly across platforms like Discord and specialized subreddits, and the commercial influence of these tribal leaders is massive: 80% of consumers state they are likely to follow a direct recommendation from an online creator they trust. Niche community engagement can pay massive dividends for brands. We see this rooted in the shared joy of celebrity fandoms like the Swifties or the Beyhive. Smirnoff tapped into this beautifully by partnering with Grammy-nominated musician Troye Sivan for their ‘We Do We’ campaign, positioning the brand directly at the center of pop music’s biggest cultural fandoms.
Jim Ruane (5:58)
Our final macro trend is Betterment Brands, which is all about walking the walk as an organization. While this trend has been around for some time, it is beginning to mature and stabilize into a baseline consumer expectation. Consumers are making purchasing choices that directly reflect their personal values, and 80% of consumers now state a clear preference for sustainable or hyperlocal goods. This shift explains why the plant-based alternative foods market is approaching $75 billion globally, and why the secondhand clothing market is nearing $350 billion. We see continued interest in eco-sustainability, upcycling, and hyperlocal commerce. Baileys is a brand that actively leads our sustainability agenda at Diageo. As a certified B Corp, the brand established the Baileys Sustainable Farming Academy to educate dairy farming communities on regenerative agriculture practices. Furthermore, they have introduced cutting-edge sustainable packaging initiatives, moving from lightweight aluminum bottles to the trial of fully recyclable paper bottles to drastically reduce production waste.
Jim Ruane (6:55)
To wrap everything up, as you think about these five macro trends and how your own brands might unlock them to leverage future growth, it is vital to stay grounded in enduring consumer truths. You do not need a massive organization or a fancy global listening system to take advantage of these shifts. First, we must embrace AI responsibly and authentically; acknowledge its transformative potential, but focus on applications that improve commercial efficiency and foster creativity rather than replacing human connection. Second, remember that the need for real-world connection and belonging is permanent. In a hyper-digitally mediated world, consumers have an increasing appetite for offline experiences that encourage real-world social interaction. Brands can help consumers escape the algorithm by offering physical, one-time-only experiences where you simply ‘had to be there’ to experience it. By highlighting true craftsmanship, prioritizing supply chain transparency, and partnering with local insiders, you build lasting trust. Thank you all very much for your time, and I will now hand the floor over to Michelle.
Alcohol E-Commerce Blueprint: Maximizing Your Online Presence in 2025 Transcript
Connor Pelcher (0:03)
Hi everyone, I’m Connor Pelcher, Senior Brand Partnerships Manager at Flaviar. I am here to talk about maximizing your online presence. Let’s address the elephant in the room first: yes, we know there are industry headwinds, but we don’t have to dwell on them because everyone has been talking about them today and yesterday. Instead, look at what the data we are collecting actually shows: Flaviar as an e-commerce platform grew 35% last year, and our top brand partners running their own direct-to-consumer (DTC) websites grew 58% year-over-year. Consumer research tells us there is still a lot more growth to be had and that there is massive potential left in the US e-commerce market.
Connor Pelcher (0:56)
For a quick reality check—and I hope there are not too many traditional distributors in this room—the spirits industry has been heavily constrained by the three-tier system for many decades. While industries like fashion and consumer electronics have been scaling online for 10 or 20 years now, we in the beverage alcohol space have only had about five good years where digital platforms have made it possible for smaller, craft brands to participate in e-commerce without needing a massive, nationwide brick-and-mortar distribution footprint. The first big consumer trend we are seeing is that consumers are actively moderating through mindful consumption. They are drinking less in total volume but trading up when they do buy, which creates a massive premiumization opportunity for boutique brands. Look at WhistlePig’s brilliant timing with their non-alcoholic ‘Siri-ous’ Old Fashioned cocktail; launched exactly for Dry January, it sold out in just a couple of weeks because they didn’t fight the wellness trend—they embraced and leveraged it.
Connor Pelcher (2:01)
This connects directly to the massive explosion of small-format experiences. We personally have shipped over 100,000 tasting boxes this year alone. On Flaviar, we feature a specialized three-vial tasting box that allows hundreds of participating brands to gain trial, boasting a 5% conversion rate where consumers go on to purchase a full-size bottle. We have shipped 3.3 million of these tasting boxes since we started 12 years ago, which translates to over 3 million liquid-to-lips taste experiences that actively convert casual tasters into loyal customers. Sampling is incredibly powerful. Think about the consumer psychology here: instead of forcing a customer to put all their eggs into one $50, $75, or $100 basket by buying a full bottle they’ve never tried before, consumers love trying multiple ultra-premium liquids for the same amount of money. It drastically lowers their financial risk, drives discovery, and fosters brand loyalty.
Connor Pelcher (2:55)
The second major macro trend is affordable luxury. With economic uncertainty and potential tariffs, people still deeply crave premium experiences, but they aren’t as likely as they were before to spring for $200-plus bottles. The sweet spot we are currently seeing on active menus and digital carts is the $50 to $200 range. This is especially true online where the unit economics actually work in your favor; not many people are willing to spend $20 to ship a cheap $20 bottle, but they don’t care about the shipping cost when the bottle is a premium $100 or $125 purchase. Smart brands are also going way beyond the bottle by leveraging high-margin merchandise, which delivers upward of 60% profit margins compared to the typical 20% to 30% on liquid, with zero aging required. Look at Westward Whiskey’s club model: it costs zero dollars to join, members pay about $100 a quarter, and they are automatically shipped an exclusive, one-time-only whiskey release with zero extra effort. It creates predictable, recurring revenue for the brand while cultivating a dedicated community of evangelists.
Connor Pelcher (4:20)
We are scaling this exact subscription approach with our own Flaviar Bottle of the Month Club. Participating brands get a highly predictable ROI based on per-bottle contributions, and we guarantee depletions in a way that is completely three-tier compliant. It offers continuous brand exposure that directly converts into long-term sales, acting as a retail depletion and a home-delivered sample simultaneously. Because we curate the selection, consumers trust us and don’t necessarily know which bottle they are going to receive each month, handing brands a massive discovery opportunity. The third trend we must address is AI. While others have gone into much more detail on the technical mechanics, I can share that in 2023, only 17% of consumers used AI tools for their holiday shopping. Last year, that number jumped to 40%, and we expect it to continue to skyrocket this year.
Connor Pelcher (5:17)
There are three quick digital strategies that every craft brand can implement immediately. First, you have to fish where the eyeballs swim. Use paid social, search engine optimization, and on-platform marketplace ads to drive upper-funnel awareness. Your DTC site is not going to automatically generate sales just because you built a beautiful layout; if you build it, they will not come unless you actively drive traffic there. It sounds obvious, but many brands fail to understand that you have to pay to play in e-commerce. Second, script your digital funnel with specific awareness hooks to target your audience. Once you hook them, educate them in the mid-funnel by telling them why your liquid is special—where your grain comes from, what your mission statement is, and why they should care. To push them over the purchase hump, use conversion offers like free shipping or a 10% retargeting discount; in today’s macroeconomic environment, consumers love perceived value. Third, be hyper-efficient with content production: shoot once, and syndicate everywhere. A single TikTok shoot can be easily repackaged into Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and product detail page (PDP) videos.
Connor Pelcher (7:00)
Let me show you how this looks in practice. We create curated shopping destinations on Flaviar called Content Hubs. These are themed, educational landing pages featuring 12 to 30 carefully selected brands that drive discovery and conversion simultaneously. They revolve around cultural themes like classic cocktails, seasonal collections like Father’s Day, or our ‘Favorites’ collections showcasing the best of a specific category. Instead of your brand being tossed into a vast sea of 2,000 competing bottles, you are highlighted alongside a small group, capturing a massive share of consumer eyeballs while we handle the end-to-end campaign management. Another overlooked but highly effective tactic for capturing high-value customer data is sweepstakes. We ran a campaign with Stauning Whiskey out of Denmark where the winner got to co-design a limited-edition label alongside the brand’s resident tattoo artist. That is how you build deep brand affinity. Finally, our large-format tasting boxes create a complete 360-degree brand experience by blending premium physical unboxing with digital QR codes, custom tasting videos, and year-round marketing exposure. The spirits industry is at a historic inflection point: e-commerce is no longer optional—it is essential for survival. Find me after the session or shoot me an email if you want to chat. Thank you.
4 Tactics for Defining Your Target Beverage Alcohol Customer Transcript
Michelle Ivey (0:03)
I come from the startup world, so we’re going to transcend from the macro trends we just heard about and get down to some practical guerilla tactics for defining your target drinking audience. We will walk through some bootstrap-friendly strategies for beverage startups. Our mission here is to use creative, resourceful tactics to deeply understand your audience and formulate your perfect product without breaking the bank. I don’t come from a world where you generally have a lot of upfront funding. Because of that, we’ll discuss how myself and some of my partners in the audience have navigated product development to build great liquids while establishing a strong consumer connection. One of my favorite foundational approaches is stealth observation and market infiltration, or what I call bar reconnaissance. We can talk about data statistics all day long, but I am a massive fan of actually being out in the field. Something I say often is that you can’t build a brand without a community, and you cannot find a community inside a spreadsheet.
Michelle Ivey (1:17)
Get out of the office, go to your target venues, hang out there, watch what people are drinking, and eavesdrop on their organic conversations to see what consumers are actually doing in the real world. At the same time, you do need to keep a close eye on digital spaces. Stalk and study what your competitors are doing online, attend their physical activations, and go to food festivals. Farmers’ markets are a fantastic testing ground, as are wellness and fitness events. Observe consumer behavior from a customer’s perspective to see what people truly want. You can also deploy what we call the ‘Trojan Horse’ survey method, which is essentially a taste-test ambush using free samples. We did this heavily for our brand, Cómo No, which is our first strategic venture into the non-alcoholic space. We all recognize the explosive macro trend for non-alcoholic alternatives, so we created a caffeinated sparkling water.
Michelle Ivey (2:09)
We executed a very long, low-profile rollout for Cómo No. Over the last three years, we’ve taken this product directly to major cultural events like South by Southwest (SXSW) and Coachella. We handed it out, talked face-to-face with everyone we gave a sample to, and took in all of their raw feedback. That is the absolute best kind of free consumer study you can get. You can certainly spend tens of thousands of dollars to pay research firms for these types of studies, but being on the ground and collecting unfiltered feedback yourself is a far superior method. You can also utilize social media polls as data-driven market research by disguising them as fun, interactive content. For example, ask your followers if they prefer coffee or energy drinks to combat a 3:00 PM crash. You can design these polls yourself and easily bring in capable interns to help manage the digital workload.
Michelle Ivey (2:57)
Another great angle is identifying complementary businesses that are willing to co-host grassroots events with you. For our functional energy brand, we looked at strategic partners like local gyms, cafes, and co-working spaces. You have to get creative with your outreach, but a great incentive is offering to share your consumer data insights directly with those businesses for free. Moving over to your digital detective work, the ‘Pain-Point Prospector’ method is incredibly effective. Analyze the one-star reviews of your direct competitors to see exactly what other brands are doing wrong so you can avoid those same pitfalls. Do deep dives into relevant subreddits focused on energy drinks, fitness, or college lifestyle spaces to find completely unfiltered public opinions. We mined Reddit heavily to discover what consumers loved and hated in the functional market before finalizing our beverage specs. For instance, we intentionally targeted a modest 100 milligrams of caffeine because a massive complaint on Reddit was that the standard 200-milligram products on the shelf caused jittery crashes. Using location-based hashtags is another clever intelligence tactic to track what your exact target demographic is drinking in real-time.
Michelle Ivey (4:30)
This brings me to my favorite topic: bootstrap formulation targeting. This is a serious budget hack for anyone looking to create a new product or optimize an existing liquid. You can actually leverage the technical R&D teams of major ingredient suppliers, a resource many founders completely overlook. We utilized this tactic for our own product line. Once we gathered our field research and knew exactly what product improvements needed to be made, we learned through trade networking that you could approach large global ingredient supply companies. For example, Pacific Blue is right here on the convention floor, and another massive company we worked with is Kerry. These multi-national suppliers maintain their own world-class R&D teams, and they will help you formulate or reformulate your beverage for free because their ultimate commercial goal is to sell their raw ingredients to you. We partnered with Kerry, integrated our consumer field data, and completely optimized our liquid formulation without spending a single dollar on R&D fees. If you go to an independent formulation lab, they will easily charge you $15,000 to $20,000 per SKU. I highly encourage you to stop by the Pacific Blue booth or reach out to suppliers like Kerry.
Michelle Ivey (6:27)
In addition to free liquid development, these major ingredient suppliers maintain extensive technical trend reports, flavor stability analyses, and proprietary taste studies that you can access for free. We’ve heard excellent macro statistics today from Diageo and NielsenIQ, but these ingredient companies can tell you exactly what flavors are trending right now and what profiles will dominate the market next year. This allows you to plan your flavor innovation pipeline around your target audience with high precision. You can tie this right back into your social media campaigns by co-creating products with your community, asking them directly what ingredients or flavors they want to see next. I really wanted to rush through the slides to deliver this specific formulation hack because it is hands-down the most powerful bootstrap tactic for delivering an amazing, premium liquid on a startup budget.
Michelle Ivey (7:50)
To close out, I want to deliver one final message that isn’t on the slides. As you define your target audience and decide exactly who you are—whether you’re launching a premium tequila or a functional non-alcoholic beverage—stay completely true to your brand’s core identity. Do not let outside corporate pressures force you to change your lane. When I was running Ilegal Mezcal, we built a deeply loyal audience by standing firmly as a social justice and mission-oriented brand; our drinkers appreciated and demanded that authentic messaging. Now, I have co-founded a new tequila brand with Megan Thee Stallion and Roc Nation called Chicas Divertidas—which translates to ‘Fun Girls.’ The entire messaging for this brand is centered around pure fun, high energy, and celebrating with your friends. It is a completely different brand universe and a totally new audience than my previous venture, but I am just as incredibly proud of it. Every brand has its own legitimate lane. Do not let traditionalists tell you that tequila or any other category has to be strictly serious. If your lane is fun, own that lane completely. If your brand is mission-based, deliver that mission with pride. Whatever your unique narrative is, love it, execute it with confidence, and enjoy the journey. Thank you all so much.
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