Launching Wine & Spirits Brands 101

You only have one chance to launch a product and want to be sure you get it right the first time. You will not have a second opportunity. Many brands rush the process to get their brand in the trade but end up being disappointed and failing in the long term due to a rushed launch without taking the following necessary steps.

Let Propel lend our industry experience and distributor contacts to make this daunting and complicated process smooth and successful.

Steps for a Successful Product Launch:

Once a distributor has been found to house your brand there are many steps to take to prepare for a successful launch:

1.  Get your brand registered within the state;
2. Develop your pricing strategy / post off calendar (which I will dive into in a future post on pricing) Make sure this is in place within the distributor as well as filed with the state.  Be sure your pricing and post off calendar gives you a strategic advantage against your competition;
3. If you have marketing funding, allocate funding by developing incentives for the sales force and ensure they are in place for the launch;
4. Work with your distributor partner to get a sales meeting date to present to the sales force making sure they are equipped with sell sheets and POS for the trade.
5. Lastly and most importantly we will work with distributor purchasing agents to ensure they have product in house for the launch.  I have seen too many brands large and small launch brands without product in house.  When sales reps look at their inventory while you are presenting at a launch meeting and notice zero cases in stock they simply stop listening and wait for the next product on the docket.

Not only can Propel help you navigate all these outlined steps but also help to create excitement about your brand within the sales force to drive sales. We have launched products throughout our 15+ year career, we have the experience to do it correctly, responsibly and effectively. At Propel we make sure our T’s are crossed and I’s are dotted leading up to the launch of your brand.

Together we can ensure a successful launch to propel your brand forward.

Cheers!