Ghia founder Mélanie Masarin shares insights on building a non-alcoholic beverage brand during the pandemic, emphasizing the power of distinctive branding and strategic market positioning. The episode covers how Ghia leveraged a retro aesthetic to stand out in the DTC space and its plans for omnichannel expansion, offering valuable lessons for brands navigating evolving consumer trends and retail landscapes.
Key takeaways
Leverage 'unapologetically loud and fun' branding with a retro, analog aesthetic to differentiate from competitors, as Ghia did to avoid being 'another pastel-colored millennial brand.'
Prioritize building supply chain redundancies with every vendor to mitigate rising costs and ensure operational resilience, a critical lesson from Ghia’s pandemic-era scaling.
Develop an omnichannel expansion strategy that thoughtfully integrates physical retail and restaurant partnerships to increase brand awareness and market penetration beyond initial DTC success.
Capitalize on evolving consumer trends like the sober curious movement by offering products that meet shifting lifestyle preferences and resonate with new demographics.
Focus on unique product positioning and flavor profiles to create a distinct sensory experience that complements strong visual branding, as Ghia did with its European apéritif taste.
The non-alcoholic drink, which launched in 2020, tastes similar to a European apéritif. And, according to founder and CEO Mélanie Masarin, there’s growing demand. She joined the Modern Retail Podcast this week and spoke about Ghia’s journey thus far.
One of Ghia’s big markers is its branding. Ghia is available in the U.S. in both cans and bottles, and has a very retro eye-catching look. This was all by design. “I really wanted Ghia to not be another pastel-colored millennial brand,” Masarin said. Instead, she focused on the looks and feels of more analog iconography, like old restaurants. “We had to be unapologetically loud and fun.”
This look has helped the company grow. It launched at the beginning of the pandemic, and was initially sold only online. But even so, Ghia was able to grow. Sales, Masarin said, have nearly tripled year-over-year. Now the focus is on getting more people aware of the drink. Some of that may include a foray into more physical retail stores and restaurants, she said, but that also comes with its own costs.
“Everything is more expensive,” she said. “We are just being really thoughtful and trying to basically build redundancies with every single vendor that we can.”
What’s more, she’s confident that there will be continued interest in non-alcoholic spirits. “This is not just wishful thinking,” Masarin said. “I do believe there’s a shift.”
Leverage 'unapologetically loud and fun' branding with a retro, analog aesthetic to differentiate from competitors, as Ghia did to avoid being 'another pastel-colored millennial brand.'
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Prioritize building supply chain redundancies with every vendor to mitigate rising costs and ensure operational resilience, a critical lesson from Ghia’s pandemic-era scaling.
What does this episode say about supply chain & operations?
Develop an omnichannel expansion strategy that thoughtfully integrates physical retail and restaurant partnerships to increase brand awareness and market penetration beyond initial DTC success.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Capitalize on evolving consumer trends like the sober curious movement by offering products that meet shifting lifestyle preferences and resonate with new demographics.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Focus on unique product positioning and flavor profiles to create a distinct sensory experience that complements strong visual branding, as Ghia did with its European apéritif taste.
