Build The Category, Not Just The Brand | Marcus Pedersen | Anora | Bottom-Up Cut #009

Marcus Pedersen builds the aquavit category internationally for Anora.

“We don’t go brand specific, we build the category,” says Marcus Pedersen.

00:00 Why does creating demand for a spirit require a completely different playbook than beer?
00:19 Why does rotation matter less in beer than it does in premium spirits?
02:08 Why does a niche category like Aquavit need to be sold before the brand can be?
03:58 Who is Aquavit actually competing against once it leaves the Nordics?
05:08 How is Aquavit’s traditional-to-modern journey the same one Italian Amaro already made?
06:53 How do you choose which bars to target when a whole category is still unknown?
07:59 Why does a bartender in Milan need Aquavit explained through gin and mezcal first?
10:07 Why do brands fail when they hand bartenders a top-down signature cocktail?
11:43 What is a “local business area,” and why build a city one bar at a time?
12:30 Why does on-trade matter differently in a dark market versus an open one?
15:27 Why has Chris Maffeo abandoned “target consumer” in favor of “target occasion”?
16:24 Why are Swedish students now doing low-ABV shots instead of full-strength ones?

Find all episodes featuring Marcus Pedersen at themaffeodrinkspodcast.com.

Bottom up.

This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS.

MAFFEO DRINKS is a leading drinks business podcast, listened to in 120 countries with 130+ episodes. How the industry actually works, from the bar and what it means for the boardroom.

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