Introduction

In this episode of DTC Pod, Nicolas Beaupré illuminates the strategies that propelled Mateina's growth in the North American market, where the lure of yerba mate was still largely undiscovered. He emphasizes the crucial role of grassroots efforts like word-of-mouth endorsements and community events in building a loyal customer base. 

Nicolas shares his journey of self-funding, supplemented later by keen investors, which allowed the brand to foster a robust direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales model. In developing Mateina's signature non-carbonated yerba mate beverage, he underscores the meticulous year-and-a-half-long process of trial and error with suppliers to fine-tune the recipe. 

Moving into the future, Nicolas envisions continuing to innovate and potentially expand Mateina's retail footprint.

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On this episode of DTC Pod, we cover:
1. Yerba Mate as a Coffee Alternative
2. Grassroots Customer Acquisition
3. Self-Funding to Venture Capital
4. DTC Revenue Strategy
5. Product Development Journey
6. Product Sourcing and Production
7. Sales and Formulations
8. Retail Partnerships
9. Educational Marketing Strategy

Timestamps
03:27 Becoming acquainted with maté in South America
05:54 Launching an e-commerce store that sells maté
08:41 Introducing a ready-to-drink, cold maté to the market
14:07 Educating customers on yerba maté
15:51 From bootstrapping to getting private investors
19:27 Product development — trials, mistakes, expansion
23:57 Factors to consider when coming up with a new formula
27:01 Mateina’s product line, inventory challenges
32:18 Lessons on product form and communications strategy
35:04 Andrew Huberman's role in launching Mateina in the US
37:00 Aligning brand, creator, infrastructure, capital, and distribution
43:39 Product education, word of mouth, and brand advocacy

Show notes powered by Castmagic

Past guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more.  

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Olivea - the extra virgin olive oil & hydroxytyrosol supplement
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Nicolas Beaupré - Founder & CEO at Mateina Yerba Mate
Blaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Castmagic
Ramon Berrios - Co-Founder of Castmagic