One of the major challenges of running an alcohol brand is that you're separated a few degrees from the consumer because of that three-tier system. We immediately sold out, and that's when we realized that we were onto something special. We launched this direct-to-consumer spritz in April of 2020, which ended up being the first month of lockdown. Shortly after soft launching in New York in the fall of 2019, we rolled out a wine-based spritz product with zero added sugar. When you're stripped of all the traditional moves in the playbook, it's a true test of a brand's loyalty and engagement. When the pandemic hit, you couldn't do any of the traditional brand-building act activities that big alcohol companies do: going into the bar, passing around samples, doing tastings at Whole Foods. Our direct-to-consumer relationship was key When my wife Amanda and friend Carl, both costars, joined the company, it helped amplify Loverboy's integration into the show even more. Yes, our audience sees us drinking it at a house party, but they can also watch our behind-the-scenes plans for the company's growth. I realized I didn't need a massive advertising and marketing budget if I already had consumer awareness.Īnd Summer House is pretty much the perfect show for alcohol product placement. When I agreed to do the show, I definitely saw an opportunity for brand exposure.
LOVERBOY DRINK ANNUAL SALES CODE
What it really took to break out in the industry was a cheat code - and it ended up being 'Summer House.' Marketing can get incredibly expensive. (Loverboy hard teas technically fall into the beer category, even though they don't contain malt.) I had to figure out a 'cheat code' You can't circumvent those three tiers unless you sell a wine or wine-based product. Then, it becomes a patchwork of distributor negotiations - you have to sell to a wholesaler, who sells to a retailer, who sells to the consumer. You have to get your federal brewer's permit and a state brewer's permit and pay federal and state taxes. It took a year between 20 for me to figure out all the complexities and logistics of launching an alcohol brand. Kyle Cooke with his wife and Loverboy creative director Amanda Batula I figured, what if I create the first better-for-you hard tea? Tea adds flavor without adding calories, and less sugar equals less of a hangover. We'd generated incredible exposure for brands like Whispering Angel and Twisted Tea because we were drinking them every episode. I'd been trying to figure out a way to incorporate it into the show, but it was almost impossible to include it organically - plus, it didn't really go hand in hand with a show about partying in the Hamptons.īut I'd started to notice that Bravo's audience was paying attention to what the cast was drinking.
When we filmed the first season of 'Summer House' in 2017, I was working on a nutrition coaching app. If I was going to be a solo founder, I needed to be able to get off the ground myself.
I realized it's very difficult to raise venture capital if you don't have a technical co-founder. Trying to get those first few startups off the ground was a rude awakening. Now, we've generated about $38 million in total sales and work with over 150 distributors across 44 states - but I definitely faced my fair share of obstacles along the way. An alcohol brand would have the winning factors my past startups were missing: Namely, it was a product I was passionate and knowledgeable about, and it was easy to integrate into our reality show. It wasn't until 2017, after my first season on 'Summer House,' that I got the idea for Loverboy. The problem was that I was stuck thinking I had to be in tech, constantly chasing projects that I thought were trendy - like a beauty app or a restaurant reservation app - instead of what got me excited. Even if I wasn't passionate about the product itself, I could sell it.Īfter I went to business school, I tried to get several startups off the ground, and none of them worked. I always had the entrepreneurial itch, whether it was putting on magic shows and lemonade stands to earn some money as a kid or selling Cutco cutlery when I was 18. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kyle Cooke, 39-year-old Loverboy founder and star of Bravo's 'Summer House.' It has been edited for length and clarity. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.
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