How to Start a Tequila Brand Without a Distillery
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If you’re considering creating your own tequila, you might be weighing your options about whether to work with a distillery. The truth is that many high end and ultra premium spirit brands opt not to work with a distillery but instead with an integrated beverage developer who can assist them in developing the most important facet of the company — the brand.
Start a Tequila Brand Working With a Distillery
Working with a distillery often means that brand owners are left to figure out all the other details of the business, including bottling, marketing, licensing, and distribution, on their own. Here are a few other factors to consider when you’re deciding whether or not to work with a distillery.
The Tequila Brand Story
When it comes to tequila development, the most important aspect of the business is actually not the product itself but the strength of the brand. Spirits are sold not based solely on their quality, although that’s important too, but rather on how well they reach their target market.
Knowing your market intimately allows you to speak their language, appealing to their current lifestyle as well as their aspirational lifestyle. So first and foremost, having some basic knowledge about your market and some initial ideas about your brand story will be key.
These foundational elements are essential at the start of your project. Once you know your market and have a solid consumer persona to work from, you can focus your efforts on decoding your target market’s interest in a brand story. Then, over time, you can continue to hone that story, tailoring it to your ideal consumer and aligning it with your business goals.
The Tequila Development Process
One of the most beneficial things about working with an integrated beverage developer is the expertise provided in multiple areas of the tequila development process. When you create your own tequila, there are numerous product development variables. You’re not just concerned with the bottling but also ensuring that you have correct labeling, that your brand registration is in compliance with local and international laws, that your spirit’s ingredients are of the highest quality, and much more.
How to Create A Lifestyle Drink
When it comes to creating a premium spirit that sells, it might surprise you to find out that it’s far less about the flavors or ingredients than you may think. In order to build a profitable beverage brand, it’s crucial that the product is marketed as a lifestyle drink.
Integrated beverage developers can provide oversight in all of these areas, as opposed to a distillery which will keep you figuring out all these steps largely on your own. Furthermore, an integrated beverage developer will have a clear course of action prepared, instead of handing you a bundle of catalogues and options and leaving you to decide everything for yourself. While you certainly will make all the ultimate choices for your brand, an integrated beverage developer can help give you valuable insights and encouragements about the appropriate actions to take based on your end goals.
The Tequila Brand Registration
In order for a spirit to be called “tequila,” it must be registered in Mexico and classified with a Denomination of Origin. This authorization process is often lengthy and involved. Many details are necessary and steps must be taken in the correct order to ensure you don’t waste time or resources.
The brand registration process is also not solely about the name, but encompasses multiple elements. If your bottle or your brand identity are too closely related to an existing brand, you could be infringing on trademark regulations. So it’s important to have a knowledgeable partner with vast expertise in the spirits industry to guide you in all areas of the registration process.
How much does it cost to start a tequila brand
The initial investment for a tequila brand can range, depending on the scale of your operation and the quality you aim to achieve. When working with an integrated beverage developer, some costs may be bundled together, covering aspects like branding, bottle design, and marketing strategy. However, it’s crucial to budget for these expenses separately if you decide to navigate them independently.
Registering your tequila brand in Mexico and obtaining the necessary Denomination of Origin can be a complex and costly process. Legal fees, documentation, and compliance measures are all factors that contribute to the overall cost of brand registration. Working with an experienced partner, like Aceves Spirits, can ensure a smoother registration process and help avoid potential legal hurdles.
Partnering With Aceves Spirits
If you’re thinking of starting a new tequila brand but feeling uncertain or overwhelmed about all the details of the process, it’s a smart idea to look for an integrated beverage developer rather than a distillery. While a distillery takes care of making the spirit itself, working with a full service developer will guarantee that all aspects of your brand, including the beverage, the bottle, the name, and the brand story, are aligned. This type of integration simply isn’t possible when working with a distillery alone.
Aceves Spirits is an integrated beverage developer based in Los Altos de Jalisco, the Golden Triangle of high end and premium tequilas. We’ve designed and created a host of award-winning tequilas. Our three generations of expertise allow us to advise you throughout the entire spirit development process so you can begin your project and execute it with excellence.
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