HOW TO LAUNCH A DRINKS BRAND – WINNING IN A CHANGING MARKET

HOW TO LAUNCH A DRINKS BRAND
WINNING IN A CHANGING MARKET

Thursday 16th April, 1-2:30pm BST
On Zoom

The drinks industry is in a period of rapid transformation. From functional beverages and premium non-alcoholic options to hybrid spirits and culturally driven aperitifs, consumers are reshaping what relevance looks like across every drinks category.

New brands are launching at speed. Established players are innovating faster than ever. Yet only a handful truly cut through. In this WonderNETwork webinar, we ask: what does it really take to launch a new drinks brand that lands commercially, culturally and creatively in today’s market?

As a creative drinks agency working at the intersection of insight, storytelling and commercial clarity, Wonderworks has partnered with both founders and global drinks companies to bring new brands into the world. The difference between those that thrive and those that stall rarely comes down to product alone.

It comes down to intent.

In this session, we explore how to build with clarity from day one, aligning consumer insight, brand world, route to market and Brand Activation into one cohesive strategy. This is not theory. It is a practical roadmap for founders, marketers and innovation leaders looking to build meaningful brands in a competitive drinks industry landscape.

WHAT We’ll Cover:

•       How the convergence of alcoholic and non-alcoholic categories is reshaping the Drinks Category
•      Why evolving occasions and Gen Z behaviours demand clearer positioning from day one.
•      The common mistakes that cause new drinks brands to stall before they scale.
•      Why product alone is never enough without cultural alignment and commercial rigour.
•      What the most successful launches get right across insight, brand world and route to market
•      How to align packaging, digital and in-venue Brand Activation into one cohesive story.
•      What start-ups and global drinks companies can learn from each other to launch with greater clarity, speed and impact

And much, much more!

OUR host:

Carly Foxwell – Founder & Commercial Strategy Lead, Fox in the Well
Carly is Founder and Commercial Strategy Lead at Fox in the Well, supporting purpose-led brands with pricing strategy, route to market planning and sustainable growth frameworks. With deep experience across FMCG and the Drinks Industry, Carly works closely with founders to ensure brands are built not just beautifully, but profitably. Her approach blends sharp commercial discipline with long-term thinking, giving new brands the structural foundations required to scale with confidence.

OUR PANEL OF SPEAKERS:

Imme Ermgassen – Co-Founder, Botivo
Imme is Co-Founder of Botivo, a British non-alcoholic botanical aperitivo crafted using traditional techniques and natural ingredients. With nearly two decades of experience building brands and understanding consumer behaviour for global companies, Imme brings deep expertise in brand strategy, marketing and business growth. At Botivo she leads brand, investment and commercial strategy, helping position the drink as a distinctive new category rather than a traditional alcohol alternative. Her work focuses on building culturally relevant drinks brands that prioritise flavour, ritual and pleasure.

Yogesh Gandhi – Global Innovation Leader (formerly Chivas Brothers, Pernod Ricard)
Yogesh is a global innovation leader with over 15 years’ experience creating and scaling innovations across global FMCG and premium spirit brands. Formerly Global Head of Scotch Whisky Innovation at Pernod Ricard, he’s known for turning sharp consumer insight into bold ideas that land in culture and drive real growth. From award-winning launches to unexpected collaborations, Yogesh blends creativity with commercial edge—building brands that people don’t just buy, but talk about.

Miranda Hart – Founder & Creative Strategy Director, Wonderworks
Miranda is Founder and Creative Strategy Director at Wonderworks, a leading Drinks Marketing Agency dedicated to turning drinks brands into icons. With more than 15 years’ experience across spirits, wine, beer and emerging beverage categories, Miranda specialises in building distinctive brand propositions rooted in insight and commercial intent. She has led brand creation and repositioning projects for ambitious founders and global drinks businesses alike, helping them align purpose, storytelling and Creative Strategies to deliver meaningful launches that resonate both culturally and commercially.

Liam Davy – Beverage Director, Hawksmoor
Liam is Beverage Director at Hawksmoor, overseeing the drinks programmes across the group’s restaurants in the UK, Ireland and the United States. With more than two decades of experience in hospitality, Liam has built a reputation as one of the UK’s most respected bar operators, shaping award-winning cocktail programmes and beverage strategies that balance innovation with classic hospitality. Since joining Hawksmoor in 2010, he has played a key role in developing the group’s globally recognised bar offering, working across cocktails, wine and spirits to create drinks experiences that complement the restaurant’s celebrated food culture.

If you are a founder, brand manager, marketer, innovation lead, strategist or creative working in drinks or beverage and looking to launch with greater clarity, confidence and impact, this session is for you.