Loverboy
How 'Powered by TapRm' ™ Helped with the Successful Launch and Growth of the Celebrity-backed Hard Tea Brand
2022 Case Study
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Blends with Benefits
With the wind of Bravo TV’s "Summer House" in their sails, co-stars (and now husband and wife), Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula began to looking into ways to leverage their stardom and branding expertise in the beverage industry. Batula and Cooke lamented that the seemingly healthier options for canned alcohol drinks had more sugar than most "non-healthy" brews in the space, and wanted fill that missing space on the shelf.
So the pair set out to design an alcoholic beverage that embodied the personality of the "Summer House" ideal — a playful, flirty, and easygoing party vibe, all while being a low sugar option (no easy task). Knowing that they couldn't just rely on slapping their branding on the can to carry the product, they needed bring to market something innovative that would set them apart during a time when a new hard seltzers or tea seemed to pop up on a shelf every week.
And so, Loverboy was born! Challenging the FMB status quo, Loverboy is a line of sparkling hard teas and cocktails concocted to complement an active, health-conscious lifestyle—with zero sugars, low calories, and all-natural ingredients.
Loft-"Tea" Goals
Since launching in 2018, Loverboy has cemented its status as a national brand with proven customer loyalty. It wasn't always this way. While the Loverboy founders knew they could harness their large audience from their Bravo show to garner support of their brand, the team had little experience with three tier system and distribution. Launching alcohol brand can be a long and tedious process -- and to use their popularity to its fullest they had to move quickly.
An unproven brand in a space saturated with competitors would have difficult finding support in any space. The Loverboy team actively began seeking a New York distribution partner with institutional knowledge in the alcohol space, the capacity to reach their online fans, and willing to make a bet on them. To have a successful launch, Loverboy needed:
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E-Commerce Fulfillment & Distribution Support: It was difficult to secure a distribution partner without being able to prove that the product could move from shelves. They needed an e-commerce fulfillment partner that could deliver fast and cost-efficiently to help prove their concept at launch, AND distribute their product to retailers.
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Customer Experience and Analytics: Brand integrity was a key priority for the Loverboy team. They wanted a partner that could provide a bespoke customer experience, and provide consumer data and analytics in order to better understand their customers and ensure multi-channel retention.
Getting the Par-"Tea" Started
Loverboy signed on with TapRm in 2019, and TapRm became their exclusive NY wholesale distributor and e-commerce partner. They launched their original hard teas exclusively online with TapRm in New York, and continued to grow a loyal following not just in the city, but statewide. TapRm's operations kept up with the influx of orders, with Loverboy continuing to become even more in demand during the pandemic.
TapRm's Distribution arm continued to unlock opportunities for Loverboy, opening up the ability to sell to bars and restaurants, growing to over 250 accounts in their first summer, before transferring the brand to the second largest distributor in the country.
Ultimately, 'Powered By' ™ facilitated what was the first ever online-only launch of a malt beverage in U.S. history. The platforms support resulted in $25,000 in e-commerce revenue in the first 24 hours, and an 80% re-purchase rate within the first thirty days of launch. The Loverboy team was able to approach larger, national distributors, and continue to grow and meet the demand of loyal and new audiences across the U.S. Today, Loverboy boasts over 200 distribution partners nationally.
Loverboy's
E-Commerce Growth Since Partnering with TapRm
E-Commerce Revenue in First 24 Hours on TapRm.com
80%
Average Re-Purchase Rate Within First 30 Days
200+
Distribution Partners Added Since
2020 TapRm Launch
$25k
Loverboy
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