Shelf space is brutal. Your branding has to work overtime. In Episode 8 of This Is Not Your Hobby, Julie shifts the differentiation lens to wholesale. You don’t get a taproom vibe to tell your story anymore— you get three seconds in a walk-in cooler.
This episode breaks down how to stand out in the minds of retail buyers and customers alike. Julie unpacks why “great beer” isn’t a brand, why your sell sheet isn’t a resume, and how to use visual storytelling and value-adds to make your product undeniable on the shelf.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- The difference between a product and a brand in wholesale
- How to craft your unique selling propositions (USPs) for distribution buyers
- What retail buyers actually care about (hint: not your origin story alone)
- What makes packaging and sell sheets work, or flop
- A checklist of value-adds that can tip the sale in your favor
Best For:
Any craft beverage producer— beer, cider, spirits, THC, kombucha, NA— who’s actively selling or preparing to sell into on or off-premise distribution.
Submit your bottlenecks here.
Referenced in this episode:
Kick Fizz (Julie’s brand) // @kickbeverages
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek
Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller
Watch for Episode 9 with a surprise branding expert guest!
