#339 - The Zen of Branding and Growth: How Recess Became the Chill Generation’s Go-To Beverage

Benjamin Witte is the founder and CEO of Recess, a beverage brand focused on creating products that promote relaxation and mental wellness. Inspired by the rise of functional ingredients like CBD, nootropics, and adaptogenic herbs, Benjamin saw an opportunity to pioneer a category of beverages that could help people unwind in a healthy way. In this episode of DTC POD, Benjamin shares his journey of launching Recess and the key strategies that have contributed to its success, including a focus on efficient brand impressions and an omnichannel approach to distribution. We discuss the significance of riding secular tailwinds, the advantages of having a broader mission when launching a brand, and the potential benefits and risks of a platform strategy.  The conversation also touches the future of the functional beverage space and the role that Recess aims to play in shaping it. Interact with other DTC experts and access our monthly fireside chats with industry leaders on DTC Pod Slack. On this episode of DTC Pod, we cover: 1. Product Launch and Market Timing 2. Brand Awareness and Media Strategy 3. Regulatory Challenges in the CPG Space 4. Supply Chain Evolution 5. Retail Expansion and Distribution Strategy 6. Building and Growing the Recess Team 7. Trends in the Beverage Industry Timestamps 00:00 From working at startups to founding Recess 04:36 Trends at the early days of Recess 08:04 How UGC factored in the launch of Recess 10:02 Validating the idea behind Recess 11:44 Key learnings from the early days of Recess 14:20 Importance of brand impressions to beverage companies 16:51 Generating earned media through IG content 18:03 Trajectory of growth for the Recess team 21:17 Expanding Recess from just DTC to DTC and retail 22:52 Shifting to a more scalable supply chain model 24:15 Recess as a platform brand; expanding the product line 28:37 Insights on the non-alcoholic beverage trend 31:45 Mood powders as part of the Recess expansion strategy 33:48 What’s next for Recess Show notes powered by Castmagic Past guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more.   Additional episodes you might like: • #175 Ariel Vaisbort - How OLIPOP Runs Influencer, Community, & Affiliate Growth • #184 Jake Karls, Midday Squares - Turning Your Brand Into The Influencer With Content • #205 Kasey Stewart: Suckerz- - Powering Your Launch With 300 Million Organic Views • #219 JT Barnett: The TikTok Masterclass For Brands • #223 Lauren Kleinman: The PR & Affiliate Marketing Playbook • ​​​​#243 Kian Golzari - Source & Develop Products Like The World's Best Brands ----- Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further? Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you. Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox? Check out our newsletter here. Projects the DTC Pod team is working on: DTCetc - all our favorite brands on the internet Olivea - the extra virgin olive oil & hydroxytyrosol supplement Castmagic - AI Workspace for Content Follow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates! DTCPod Instagram DTCPod Twitter DTCPod TikTok   Benjamin Witte - Founder and CEO of Recess Blaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Castmagic Ramon Berrios - Co-Founder of Castmagic