MAFFEO DRINKS 102 | Ben Branson | No Cookie-Cutter Formula For Building Non-Alc Spirits - The 3 Core Things and 1000 People | Seedlip, Seasn, Sylva Labs.
Jul 19, 2025
Ben Branson, the visionary founder of Seedlip, Sylva, and Seasn, revolutionized the non-alcoholic spirits landscape. He shares his journey from farming to launching the first distilled non-alcoholic spirit. Branson emphasizes the crucial step of building categories before brands in the drinks industry. He discusses the evolving market dynamics, the challenges of retail accessibility, and the importance of understanding cultural contexts. His insightful approach focuses on the influential '1000 people that matter' and the need for authentic storytelling in product development.
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Building Non-Alc Category First
- Non-alcoholic spirits were almost nonexistent before Seedlip launched in 2015 with no cocktail presence.
- The major work was educating bars and consumers about choice and the new category.
Drinks Industry Is B2B2B2C
- The drinks industry operates as B2B2B2C, not pure B2C, involving multiple layers from distributor to consumer.
- Understanding who the customer truly is essential: often a business buyer, not the end drinker.
Use The 3 Core Brand Elements
- Build around three essentials: a need, a drinking occasion, and a serve.
- This simple model guided Seedlip and is applied also in his current brands Season and Silver.