087 | Imme Ermgassen | Beyond Moderation with Botivo: Building a Pleasure-First Non-Alcoholic Brand

The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast is a leading drinks business podcast, listened to in 120 countries worldwide with 125+ episodes. Honest conversations about how the industry actually works, from the bar and what it means for the boardroom.This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS.In this episode, host Chris Maffeo is joined by Imme Ermgassen from Botivo, who shares insights into building a craft non-alcoholic aperitivo brand that challenges category conventions. Through strategic positioning as a pleasure brand rather than a moderation brand, Botivo has created a unique space in the non-alcoholic category by focusing on craft credentials, hedonistic brand values, and owning specific drinking occasions. The conversation reveals how careful brand building and trade strategy can help create new category opportunities.Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:29 Guest Introduction and Initial Impressions01:22 Deep Dive into Botivo02:16 Brand Philosophy and Market Positioning05:37 Challenges and Strategies in the Non-Alcoholic Market11:35 Consumer Insights and Brand Building19:31 Trade Relationships and Distribution38:04 Concluding Thoughts and Future Plans Wanna know what the conversation above means for your team? It's in the paid section.For €100 a year you get access to Maffeo Confidential (Private Podcast) and get this analysis and access to the full archive of 125 episodes, each one translated from industry conversation into the commercial decisions underneath it. Find out more at maffeodrinks.com