This episode is brought to you by Yotpo.

 

When Josh Landan, founder of holding company Wings & Arrow, began looking at possible new beverages in the alcohol space, he wanted to put his own spin on things.

 

"I'm kind of thinking about why I should just do my own that I can be excited about and get everybody else excited about," he says. "Wow, can I make this product better? How can I make it taste different? And how could I position our brand to have a little bit more authenticity and feeling behind it?"

 

Authenticity, indeed, along with personal ownership, is a critical part of Josh's strategy.

 

"I still do the Instagram. And I speak about our products and interact with folks like it's me ..." he says. "It's the only real marketing that we do, and you know, I want people to hear it in my voice."

 

Wings & Arrow is the holding company for Ashland Seltzer and Villager Spirits. Other brands are coming soon, Josh says, as the company tries to hit all the "beyond beer" categories in the United States.

 

"Most people never push themselves into the deep end ... it's a scary deal," Josh says. "But that's part of the reason I think that's probably the biggest reason why I was able to raise $3 million for Saint Archer right away ... People believe in that passion, and they trust it."

 

In Part 2, Josh talks about:

 

* The influence locally crafted beer had on his business decisions.
* The decision to handle marketing himself, so it sounds authentic.
* His desire to find a cleaner version of competing hard seltzers, which Josh believes have a particular aftertaste.
* The need for a large staff of alcohol business veterans to make progress.
* How the infrastructure is in place for new brands - the distributors and retailers are all in place.
* How people's trust in his vision fueled investments.
* There's no formula for product development. It's a matter of customer connection, price point, and finding something different than everything else out there.

 

Join Ramon Vela and Josh Landan as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.

 

For more on Wings & Arrow, visit: https://www.wingsandarrowllc.com/ 

 

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This podcast is supported by Yotpo, the leading eCommerce marketing platform for brands looking to drive customer loyalty.

 

As I’m sure many of you know, customer retention is the new acquisition. With Yotpo, brands can provide value through a strategic loyalty program — and ensure shoppers come back time and again.

 

Want to know more? Visit https://yotpo.com/storyofabrand 

 

And turn your one-time shoppers into lifelong brand lovers.