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“If we had to give one word for our brand it would be hedonism,” says Botivo co-founder Imme Ermgassen. “But there is an artisanalness to the hedonism and the tension that those two worlds bring.”
Botivo’s brand world is fully developed, intriguing, fun, and quirky. I am not yet loyal to any non-alc brand, but this one has me wanting to drink it and feeling frustrated I cannot get it stateside. I sat down across the screen from the lovely Imme Ermgassen, co-founder of Botivo, to hear the origin story.
It is intentional, not accidental, and they are crystal clear on what they are building.
I love it.
“We are not a moderation brand, we are a pleasure brand. I don’t want people to drink Botivo when they’re not drinking. I want people to drink Botivo because it is f****** delicious.”
A brand world as loud as the liquid
Botivo’s visual identity is built around 24 characters of different ages, sexes, races, genders and sizes, created with artist Rozalina Burkova.
“The bit that was really missing for me was a brand which was super craft but super playful. The idea is that we want people to be able to look at the Botivo world and see either themselves or someone they know in there. I wanted the world to reflect the abundance of London but also the richness of the liquid.”
And that playful brand world doesn’t stop at the label. Let’s talk about how Botivo shows up as an experience.
“We built a giant yellow piano which opens up into a sampling bar,” (SEE AMAZING IMAGE ABOVE) says Ermgassen. “We will have sing-alongs with 500 people singing classic British pub tunes. We had a drag performer do a show while we sampled. We had an opera singer perform on the piano. We show up in a way that reflects the pleasure and hedonism around our brand.”
Beyond being hedonistic (using this word is such a flex, and hilarious and awesome), Botivo is also incredibly inclusive - both in the brand world and in the way they position the product itself. As Ermgassen says: “Creating tribes between non-drinkers and drinkers still feels very divisive to me. Having a brand that can transcend that and play a role in culture feels much more powerful.”
“We are a pleasure brand”
The relationship between alc and non-alc can come off a bit adversarial. One is more ‘authentic’ or alluring than the other one, and one is healthier and more virtuous. It’s hard to get away from the psychological baggage that alcoholic drinks are fun and non-alcoholic drinks are, well, not.
But Ermgassen has avoided positioning Botivo as the moral, or superior, or ‘better’ choice. As she says:
“Everyone else in the category talked to moderation and we are not a moderation brand. We are a pleasure brand.”
And the product’s pretty great too
By the way that sense of play and joy that comes through the brand doesn’t mean a lack of attention to the actual product. Ermgassen says Botivo is the only product in their category that has no flavourings, no essences and no preservatives. It’s just fresh ingredients, and a drink that takes over 12 months to make.
In fact, Botivo spent the first year of the business getting into the hands of sommeliers, food critics and chefs – the kinds of people who would never say a product is good unless it really is.
“Once they said how delicious it was, we amplified that language to gain credibility.”
One very cool point of differentiation that has also become a new marketing channel: Botivo has a very long shelf life for a non-alc beverage - 1 year outside the fridge when it’s open, 2 years when it’s closed.
It’s not against alcohol, it’s alongside it
Botivo co-founder Sam Steavenson came from the luxury events space, creating cocktails for the royal wedding, Calvin Harris and Moss parties. “Botivo was initially created to serve at these events,” says Ermgassen. “People wanted something really rich and pleasurable and kept coming up and being like, ‘Where do I buy this? It’s delicious.’”
Today Botivo is in 45 of the UK’s top 100 restaurants and available in select European markets.
“It is not against alcohol, it is with alcohol, it is alongside it,” Ermgassen says. “It sits very much in its own space.”
~Slash~ it’s really in a category of its own
I love this stat: One in four customers drink it with alcohol.
“Our vision is you go into any quality dinner party and on the table there is a Botivo bottle and everyone is drinking it. Some with alcohol, some without alcohol, but ultimately no one cares what you are drinking it with.”
What we learn from Botivo
Lead with a brand world that matches the energy of the product.
Refuse to define yourself by what you’re not - and let’s unify for G-d’s sake! The whole industry can work together to elevate Bev without getting all tribal about it.
Build credibility before chasing reach - this was especially important for a brand that is essentially creating a new category.
Show up in the real world with as much personality as you do online (the piano wins).
Botivo proves you can win in non-alc without preaching moderation, by making something so good people want it for the pleasure alone. Yummmmmm.