191. Mélanie Masarin, Founder & CEO of Ghia

Today, I'm joined by Mélanie Masarin, founder & CEO of Ghia, makers of a nonalcoholic apéritif. Ghia creates an elegant and inclusive drinking experience, redefining alcohol culture with its balanced and flavorful concoction. The spirits-free apéritif crafted with natural botanicals, fruits, and herbs offers a sophisticated alternative to the traditional cocktail. In this episode, we discuss the rise of alcohol alternatives, and Mélanie explains what sets Ghia's apéritif apart from other alcohol-free options. In this episode, you'll learn: • How Mélanie's transitioned her career from Dig Inn and Glossier to founding Ghia • What creating a small group of brand advocates means for a growth strategy • How Ghia's target audience was different than originally anticipated Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/ Ghia's Website: drinkghia.com Use code Melanie15 for 15% off - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they're creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:30) Mélanie's background (02:46) About Ghia, a non-alcoholic apéritif (05:12) Inventing a new category of drink (09:23) Journey to creating Ghia (12:20) Impact on the brand from growing traction of alcohol alternatives (15:25) Educating people about the product (try it three times!) (20:12) Branding and messaging of Ghia (24:52) Setbacks while starting (28:03) Delayed launch during COVID (29:44) Initial marketing and distribution phase (32:55) Current state of Ghia (34:55) Experience as CEO (37:13) Future roadmap (37:57) Conclusion