Alfonso Morodo, the founder of Gin Mare and CEO at Vantguard, was quick to find success when he brought the brand to market in 2010. A well-differentiated product and an engaged founder team meant that Gin Mare had the foundations to make the brand a profitable venture but Morodo's team had another thing on their side: timing. In a period where gin was starting to blow up across Europe, Morodo saw an opportunity to leverage the buzz within the gin category by bringing a unique, super-premium product into the market.
On this episode of the Park Street Insider Podcast, Andres Correa sits down with Alfonso Morodo at Bar Convent Berlin to break down the path that led to Gin Mare's recent sale to Brown Forman. As the CEO of Vantguard, a spirits portfolio with brand distribution in over 60 countries, Morodo brings his vast experience developing brands to the show. In their conversation, Morodo explains how much of the early success of Gin Mare had to do with the timing of bringing a unique product into a category that was on a natural upswing.
Morodo will get into the process of getting the brand off the ground. He shares why breaking into the U.S. market was a major milestone for Gin Mare and outlines what he learned about entering the U.S. in general. He even gets into how the brand's strategy to succeed in the California market developed over time.
Episode Breakdown:
Alfonso's background - 3:15
Formation of the Vantguard portfolio - 5:50
Gin Mare's current presence - 6:32
Breaking into the U.S. market - 9:05
Identifying a target demographic - 11:02
Gin Mare's biggest milestones - 20:00
24:08 - Gin Mare's Acquisition by Brown Forman
Key Quote:
"You can only get to success with a lot of work and by being very close to the market to get those things at the right time. Listening to bartenders, listening to consumers, and understanding how the brand adapts to different markets is the key."
In this episode you'll hear from:
Alfonso Morodo, CEO and Founder, Vantguard
Mentioned in this episode:
Gin Mare: https://www.ginmare.com/
Vantguard: https://www.vantguard.com/
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