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Chris Maffeo

Why "Market Research" Won't Validate Your Unknown Product Category (And What Guillaume Did Instead)

Why "Market Research" Won't Validate Your Unknown Product Category (And What Guillaume Did Instead)

How did Guillaume Lambrecht make a new functional category like Supasawa a lifestyle brand? Dive into insights from Podcast Episode 107 of MAFFEO DRINKS

Advocacy Program Evolution: From Transactional to Authentic Partnerships

Advocacy Program Evolution: From Transactional to Authentic Partnerships

Advocacy is one of the most talked-about topics in the Drinks Industry, but the traditional model of brand advocacy is broken. Across multiple conversations with industry professionals who've worked both sides of brand-bar relationships, we've uncovered a fundamental shift in how advocacy programs function and what

Building Authentic Brand Partnerships in the Modern Drinks Industry

There's a fundamental misunderstanding in how small brands approach the on-trade that often leads to spectacular failures. In my conversation with Kaitlin Wilkes, who has navigated both sides of the bartender-brand relationship, we explored how authenticity and realistic expectations create stronger partnerships than big budgets and false promises.

The Missing Middle: Is This Why Cocktail Culture Struggles to Scale?

The Missing Middle: Is This Why Cocktail Culture Struggles to Scale?

A personal reflection based on some of my latest MAFFEO DRINKS episodes on the state of the Drinks & Hospitality Industry.

Episode 106 | Federico Riezzo | From Modern Classics to Accessible Culture on Villa Mamo, Terroir, and Scaling Cocktail Hospitality

Episode 106 | Federico Riezzo | From Modern Classics to Accessible Culture on Villa Mamo, Terroir, and Scaling Cocktail Hospitality

In continuing their conversation, Chris Maffeo talks to Federico Riezzo about modern cocktail classics, Villa Mamo's terroir-driven approach, and scaling cocktail culture. Federico reflects on cocktail legends like Douglas Ankrah and the era that created enduring drinks like the Pornstar Martini, Penicillin, and Breakfast Martini, while exploring why

Cross-Category Innovation: Bridging Tequila and Whisky Markets

Cross-Category Innovation: Bridging Tequila and Whisky Markets

Sometimes the most powerful innovations come from the simplest observations. In my conversation with Michael Ballantyne, founder of Storywood Tequila, we explored how a single moment of changing glassware led to creating an entirely new category bridge between tequila and whisky - and the strategic lessons that emerged from that

Bridging the Hospitality-Drinks Industry Divide

Bridging the Hospitality-Drinks Industry Divide

There's a fundamental disconnect at the heart of our industry that most people accept as inevitable. In my conversation with Danil Nevsky, we explored the complex relationship between the hospitality world and the drinks industry and why understanding this divide is crucial for anyone trying to build bridges