AF Drinks | How to Scale a Non Alc Challenger Brand in the USA

Most challenger founders assume international expansion should happen in neat, logical steps. New Zealand → Australia → UK → US. But Lisa's view was different, and that's why it's so interesting:

In fact, conventional FMCG wisdom tells us to prove your business in nearby markets first. But founder Lisa King of Free AF Drinks ignored that advice! After building a 40% share brand in New Zealand, Lisa decided to skip Australia entirely and went straight after the most competitive drinks market in the world...the USA!

Why?

--> If the ambition was always to build a globally valuable business, she asked herself why spend years proving the model somewhere that wasn't ultimately where the biggest opportunity sat?

In this brilliant conversation with Kiwi female founder Lisa, you'll hear how today AF Drinks is stocked in more than 4,500 stores across the US, including Target, Walmart, Whole Foods and Kroger, and just HOW they're doing it.

We discuss why she made they made the decision they did, how Pernod Ricard Ventures invested before the US launch, what it really takes to build a beverage brand in America, why alcohol-free RTD cocktails are outperforming expectations, and the lessons founders should understand before attempting to scale internationally.

Lisa takes us through a masterclass in the realities of the beverage market in the United States; Why alcohol-free RTD cocktails are growing faster than many expected and finally, how she has approached fundraising, equity and scaling internationally!

Key Topics Discussed

Alcohol-free drinks category growth
Building challenger brands internationally
International expansion & export to USA
Listings with Target, Walmart, Whole Foods and Kroger
US grocery retail
Walmart and Target listings
Fundraising and investor strategy
Pernod Ricard Ventures investment
Beverage category economics
Product innovation, IP & technology
Ready-to-drink cocktails
Scaling consumer brands globally
Founder leadership
Building brands from New Zealand

USEFUL LINKS

AF Drinks Website
AF Drinks Instagram

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*** Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm ***

If you're a founder, you already know how much energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with consumers.

But scaling a CPG business also brings legal complexities that can make or break your growth journey - from contracts and regulatory compliance to protecting your intellectual property.

That’s why I'm proud to partner with Joelson, the leading commercial law firm specialising in helping founders of scaling consumer brands.

Joelson works with brands like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze and Pulsin, and advised the innocent founders on their landmark sale to Coca-Cola - and still work with them at JamJar Investments today!

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CREDITS

Thanks to our Sound Engineer Gyp Buggane at Ballagroove.com

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