The 'Bottom-Up Trade' Kickstart Guide

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Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,

You know how big of a fan I am of On-trade. You also know I am not a big fan of building brands in Off-trade. But through the years, I have changed my perspective. Consumers' habits have changed and home consumption has premiumized a lot.

Furthermore, not all Off-trade is the same, and some can play a huge role in building your brand bottom-up. So why did I start talking about Bottom-up Trade?

I felt that the old nomenclature of On and Off-trade is very sales-driven.

I understand it's needed to know where to sell but it's obsolete for brand building.

All brand-building manuals recommend launching On-trade. After the brand becomes "hot," it is time to launch Off-trade. However, they don't differentiate between types of Off-trade outlets. For example, a supermarket is different from a Wine Shop.

They also don't mention that there's a time in which you should start seeding Off-trade.

Am I suggesting opening up distribution earlier? Not at all. I am saying that a bottle shop or an Enoteca is different from a supermarket shelf.

When seeding your brand, it's important to start from your street, and your neighborhood before expanding to the rest of the city and country. But On-trade outlets are not enough anymore. You can't rely on your loyal consumers to drive sales only when they go out. You must follow their journey when they feel like drinking at home and ensure your brand is available for that occasion.

The Bottom-up Trade: The red dots are Bars and Restaurants and the Orange are Bottle Shops but they both allow brand building in them.

Caveat: not all cities are the same. In some countries, bottle shops play an important role. In some others, they are rare to find. Regardless, they can complement your on-trade strategy in a great way, even if there are only 5 stores in your city.

Cities with historically thriving wine businesses tend to have important bottle shop markets that complement bars and restaurants.

It's important to understand that it's not about an On or Off-trade outlet. It's about what that outlet can do for your brand, whether it is a wine shop or a nice bar.

At the same time, not all On-trade outlets are the same. Outlets in which the owner or the staff doesn't care about the products they sell are useless for building brands and they can be considered "Top-down" trade.

What are the 4 top aspects to make it a Bottom-up trade Outlet?

It's not black and white but these are the top ones:

1. There's a person between the consumer and the bottle

They are outlets in which there is a person to guide you. In both bars or a bottle shop, consumers may go straight for their choice or may ask for a recommendation based on their needs.

2. Consumers can spend time speaking to that person

They don't have to and it depends on how busy the venue and consumers are but it's possible. This is very different from a supermarket shelf or from an on-trade venue in which bartenders don't care or have time to interact.

3. Consumers/Shoppers trust that person's opinion

Whether Owners or Staff, they are trusted by people entering the venue. Often, already by being stocked there, it's a seal of approval. That's the first step of your brand's journey. Now you must sell them the second bottle.

4. You can train that person to deliver your story

In these venues, you can train the person to convey your message. You can explain the taste profile and your story. If you do it properly, especially knowing your competition (without badmouthing them), it can bring you great results.

TL;DR Too Long; Didn't Read

To put it in simple words: the bottom-up trade is any outlet in which you can build your brand while the Top-down trade is any outlet in which you are just trading it. That is, regardless if it is On or Off-trade.

I hope this mini-guide will help you develop the small, consistent habits you need to build your brand from the ground up.

Whenever you're ready, there are more ways I can help you:

My Digital Course: If you need help TODAY, I get it. I have a solution for you: I’ve captured the most critical aspects of building bottom-up in a 40-minute Self-paced Course: Bootstrapping a Drinks Brand: Dead-Simple Strategies to Avoid 28 Costly Mistakes.

If you’d like to get access to it, click the button below, and I’ll see you on the other side 👇

My Podcast: Join the 1200+ Drinks Builders from 100+ countries that listen to The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast: every week, a new episode featuring Drinks Builders from around the Globe sharing their learning building Bottom-up.

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