039 | Founding a Drinks Brand: turning the Feudal system upside down | Part 1/2 with Julian Davies, Founder of Ostara Vermouth (London, UK)
Summary
In episode 039, I finally caught up with my old friend and colleague, Julian Davies. He started as a Sales guy for Stella Artois in the UK, then moved to SABMiller where he wrote the brand-building strategy, before taking a Senior Marketing role at Bombay Sapphire. He now consults start-ups and is the Founder of Ostara English vermouth. I hope you enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 00:00 Introduction 00:56 Background 03:54 Communicating Bottom Up Philosophy 10:51 Brand Lifecycles 16:42 Difference Between Large and Small Drinks Companies 19:56 Role of The Brand Owner 26:58 Podcast and Brand Similarities 31:23 Why Start a Brand? 41:40 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Julian DaviesHappy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS. A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com
In episode 039, I finally caught up with my old friend and colleague, Julian Davies. He started as a Sales guy for Stella Artois in the UK, then moved to SABMiller where he wrote the brand-building strategy, before taking a Senior Marketing role at Bombay Sapphire. He now consults start-ups and is the Founder of Ostara English vermouth. I hope you enjoy our chat. Time Stamps 00:00 Introduction 00:56 Background 03:54 Communicating Bottom Up Philosophy 10:51 Brand Lifecycles 16:42 Difference Between Large and Small Drinks Companies 19:56 Role of The Brand Owner 26:58 Podcast and Brand Similarities 31:23 Why Start a Brand? 41:40 Outro About The Host: Chris Maffeo About The Guest: Julian Davies
This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com
Creators and Guests
Host
Chris Maffeo
Building Bottom-Up Strategies WITH Drinks Leaders Managing Top-Down Expectations | MAFFEO DRINKS Founder & Podcast Host
