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!

Episode 262: Daniel Winter-Bates (Bury Tomorrow)

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