EL SEGUNDO, Calif. and SAN DIEGO, July 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Premier Beverage Consortium (also known as PBC Ventures), an independent collaboration between proven innovators in the wine and spirits industry, and Vapor Studio, the noted brand creation and marketing agency, has launched a new digitally-native incubator model that reshapes how ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail, premium craft spirits, and non-alcoholic beverage brands are brought to market. PBC Ventures reduces the amount of time it takes to bring beverage brands to market by two-thirds and dramatically shifts the sales dynamic. Through PBC Ventures' new model, wholesale accounts can choose to pull particular brands onto shelves based on consumer interest, versus the outdated method of account teams pushing them onto retailers based on the unproven promise of customer interest. PBC Ventures' first introduction, Doc Wylder's Infused Lemonade, which went from ideation to retail distribution in under six months, proves the market is ready for this innovation.
Brands born under the PBC Ventures umbrella are introduced to consumers online first through the evolving direct-to-consumer channel and then allowed to migrate into wholesale accounts as interest grows.
PBC Venture's proprietary platform combines digital marketing, wholesale and retail distribution in a way that has never been done in the beverage space before. Through its global sourcing relationships and marketing expertise, PBC Ventures represents an unprecedented nimble dynamic for the industry that combines speed to market with wholesale account support through marketing and DTC online sales data. PBC Ventures has the strategic relationships to ensure that consumers in key markets throughout the country can purchase its brands online before brick-and-mortar availability.
PBC Ventures is an independent entity led by beverage industry veteran Ron Miranda, and Ricardo Camargo, president and director of the global creative agency Vapor Studio. Miranda is an award-winning leader in the sourcing and creation of brands in the wine, spirits, and RTD cocktail spaces. A level 2 sommelier, Miranda is well-known in the industry for his expertise in developing premium, multi-million-dollar private label products for some of the largest in the industry, including Safeway, Trader Joe's, and Restaurant Depot. Camargo brings to PBC Ventures more than 20 years of experience in conceptualizing and marketing new brands and brand extensions for global properties. Vapor Studio is keenly adept at creating brands and products that fill an existing void in the marketplace, taking them from the whiteboard to the final stages of the sales cycle. Together the two have applied new thinking and marketing to an industry that has historically been slow to evolve.
"Ron's pedigree in the beverage industry is almost untouchable. He has relationships with global suppliers to secure the highest quality wine and spirit products, at the best price, at a speed the established players can't come close to," commented Camargo.
Doc Wylder's Infused Lemonade Proves The PBC Ventures Incubator Concept
Traditional brand houses in the beverage space often spend millions of dollars for in-store marketing of new products that can take 18 months to two years before retail arrival. This model is a financial risk for the brand as consumer tastes may change between concept and launch, and eventual arrival at the wholesale channel, which is being sold in based on the unproven promise of consumer acceptance. PBC Ventures has the resources to fast-track the creation of brands made with premium ingredients, and the marketing and branding expertise to ensure consumer awareness.
With regulations on the DTC spirits market changing, PBC Ventures is at the forefront of developing a new funnel that synergizes e-commerce and the $100 billion market retail channel. With strategic relationships that allow it to sell direct-to-consumer online in more than 30 states, as well as military bases nationwide, accounts can decide to pull PBC Ventures brands based on proven local demand through DTC online sales.
The new Doc Wylder's Infused Lemonade launched in the United States earlier this year and will be available in Canada later this summer. It consists of four styles of premium RTD lemonades that include classic lemonade infused with vodka, berry lemonade infused with vodka, classic lemonade infused with bourbon, and a margarita-style lemonade infused with tequila. Packaged in graphically distinct resealable and recyclable 12 oz aluminum bottles, Doc Wylder's is a refreshing non-carbonated, and low-calorie alternative to the carbonated flavored malt beverages and seltzers that have saturated the retail landscape. Brought to market through online DTC in just six months, retail accounts have already been requesting supply based on the unprecedented consumer interest online.
"The battle for consumer attention in the beverage space begins online through marketing and branding. History has shown that having the best product won't matter if the customer isn't aware. I connected with Ricardo and the Vapor Studio team because they know better than most how to bring bands from the ether into omnichannel retail," commented Miranda. "Unlike traditional DTC brands, our best opportunity is for growth is through our retail partners, and their biggest asset will be knowing in advance which of our brands work best in their market for their customers."
In addition to Doc Wylder's Infused Lemonade, PBC Ventures has plans in place to soon launch a craft spirits collection later in 2021, including uniquely designed vodka, gin, and bourbon brands.
About Premier Beverage Consortium Ventures
Premier Beverage Consortium Ventures (PBC Ventures) represents a new dynamic for the beverage industry. PBC Ventures utilizes a proprietary platform that combines digital marketing with direct-to-consumer, wholesale and retail distribution channels. Through its branding and sourcing expertise, as well as extensive funding capital, PBC Ventures is leading the shift in how beverage brands are giving it a competitive first-mover advantage in rapidly growing its proprietary brands focused in the alcohol, functional beverage, and hemp sectors.
Premier Beverage Consortium is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SponsorsOne. More information about SponsorsOne can be found at sponsorsone.com.
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