50 Loyal Accounts Beat 300 Weak Ones | Kaitlin Wilkes | The Ada Coleman Project | Bottom-Up Cut #007

Join The Maffeo Drinks Substack for Episode Analysis!Kaitlin Wilkes is Co-founder of The Ada Coleman Project.“I would rather have fifty accounts pouring two to three bottles of my spirit a week because they love the cocktail,” says Wilkes, “than three hundred accounts that are selling a quarter of a bottle.”00:00 Why is the drinks industry actually two separate industries wearing one liquid as a disguise?00:42 What changed when Kaitlin realized bartending and brand marketing were different worlds?02:44 How does showing up authentically at a bar close the gap with a bartender?03:58 Why do finance and marketing teams struggle to understand on-trade spend?05:04 What’s the real purpose of flying a bartender across the world for a guest shift?06:25 Why should a brand pick partners who genuinely fit, not just any account willing to say yes?08:24 How should a small brand approach a bar’s menu when it can’t afford the listing fee?13:32 Why would fifty loyal accounts beat three hundred weak ones every time?Find all episodes featuring Kaitlin Wilkes at maffeodrinks.com.Bottom up. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS.MAFFEO DRINKS is a leading drinks business podcast, listened to in 120 countries with 130+ episodes. How the industry actually works, from the bar and what it means for the boardroom.Wanna know what the conversation above means for your team? It's in the paid section.You get access to Maffeo Confidential (Private Podcast), this analysis, and the full catalog of 130+ episodes, each one translating industry conversation into the commercial decisions underneath it. Find out more at maffeodrinks.com or on Substack.