{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast","title":"127 | Steven Grasse | Pathfinder | Why Non-Alcoholic Brands Must Not Be Stupid","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/24e98765\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1588,"description":"This episode is a working session on how to build a non-alcoholic brand that does not announce its own absence. Steven Grasse, the brand-builder behind Hendrick’s, Sailor Jerry, and Quaker City Mercantile, breaks down Pathfinder: a hemp-and-root-distilled, amaro-style non-alcoholic spirit that entered every Total Wine and Whole Foods without a trial.\nThe conversation covers why non-alcoholic brands must not be “stupid,” the comparison trap of positioning as a replacement, brand mysticism as a method that transcends category, the four pillars of brand creation, launching on-premise first, designing a liquid versatile enough to be a “bartender’s ketchup,” the discipline of owning a home turf before the hot cities, and the regulatory freedom that lets a non-alcoholic brand be weirder than any spirit.\nIt is a masterclass in building a great brand that just happens to not have alcohol.\nTimestamps:\n00:00 Introduction to the Pathfinder\n00:49 The Origin Story of Pathfinder\n02:14 Crafting the Unique Flavor Profile\n04:38 Marketing Strategy and Brand Positioning\n11:26 Launching Pathfinder in Seattle\n15:43 The Mystical and Historical Elements\n18:40 Pathfinder’s Market Success and Future\n25:11 Final Thoughts and Conclusion","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/i7j8B5ckGqUyyqz3Ac4HDpckC-UkvmoYYTtC0YKBRRM/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9kZjgx/ZTQyYjgyMjc4OGI2/YmJiYzFhYWE1NGJj/NTI4Zi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}