#339 - The Zen of Branding and Growth: How Recess Became the Chill Generation’s Go-To Beverage
DTC POD: How The Best Brands Are Built
Shownotes Transcript
Benjamin Witte is the founder and CEO of Recess, a beverage brand focused on creating products that promote relaxation and mental wellness. Inspired by the rise of functional ingredients like CBD, nootropics, and adaptogenic herbs, Benjamin saw an opportunity to pioneer a category of beverages that could help people unwind in a healthy way.
In this episode of DTC POD, Benjamin shares his journey of launching Recess and the key strategies that have contributed to its success, including a focus on efficient brand impressions and an omnichannel approach to distribution.
We discuss the significance of riding secular tailwinds, the advantages of having a broader mission when launching a brand, and the potential benefits and risks of a platform strategy.
The conversation also touches the future of the functional beverage space and the role that Recess aims to play in shaping it.
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**On this episode of DTC Pod, we cover:**1. Product Launch and Market Timing2. Brand Awareness and Media Strategy3. Regulatory Challenges in the CPG Space4. Supply Chain Evolution5. Retail Expansion and Distribution Strategy6. Building and Growing the Recess Team7. Trends in the Beverage Industry
Timestamps00:00 From working at startups to founding Recess04:36 Trends at the early days of Recess08:04 How UGC factored in the launch of Recess10:02 Validating the idea behind Recess11:44 Key learnings from the early days of Recess14:20 Importance of brand impressions to beverage companies16:51 Generating earned media through IG content18:03 Trajectory of growth for the Recess team21:17 Expanding Recess from just DTC to DTC and retail22:52 Shifting to a more scalable supply chain model24:15 Recess as a platform brand; expanding the product line28:37 Insights on the non-alcoholic beverage trend31:45 Mood powders as part of the Recess expansion strategy33:48 What’s next for Recess
Show notes powered by Castmagic)
Past guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more.
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Benjamin Witte)** - Founder and CEO of **Recess)Blaine Bolus) - Co-Founder of Castmagic)Ramon Berrios) - Co-Founder of Castmagic)