Entering The EU Beverage Market
CHALLENGES AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES WHEN ENTERING THE WHOLE EU MARKET
When you’re reading this you’re in for a treat. This article shares a new and valuable solution for when you’re looking to enter the whole EU market at once as a beverage brand. Especially written for those brands on the edge of expanding into new markets, whether you’re based inside the EU or coming from outside. If you feel you’re ready? Start here.
READY TO CONQUER NEW MARKETS?
You did it. You created a product that meets consumer needs. You’ve tested, trialed, made mistakes, learned, tweaked, and grown. You claimed your home market, built a loyal base of customers who connect with your product, some even promoting it as ambassadors. Now it’s time to grow beyond the comfort of your home base or neighbouring regions, and you’re eyeing the EU market. That’s when the real challenge begins.
THE EU MARKET
The EU market, it sounds, and is often sold, as one homogeneous whole. In reality, especially for a beverage brand, it’s a more nuanced story. Yes, there’s the massive potential of 28 densely populated countries, one currency, and overarching legislation, that’s the “union” part. But beneath that lies a complex puzzle of languages, cultures, subcultures, and above all: local legislation.
It’s challenging, particularly when you’re trying to build a go-to-market strategy tied to a tangible solution. So where do you start? And with whom?
A bottle of Otis Rum (BE) dreaming of a world market reach
(© image; Jessica Boutsen Photographer )
STRUCTURE
From my personal experience with various beverage brands, both nationally and internationally, I’ve seen how go-to-market and logistics strategies can vary wildly from country to country. It makes entering the full EU market difficult, even for brands with solid traction. From in one-on-one conversations, I’ve learned that even the big global players run into these same challenges.
What works in one country doesn’t necessarily work next door. Take my home country, Belgium: here, you typically partner with a national distributor who signs you exclusively (others will see and treat you as a competitor). Contrast that with Denmark, where having multiple national distributors for the same brand is completely acceptable.
In Belgium, that national distributor will work their network of wholesalers and local distributors to get your product into bars and restaurants. They won’t usually deliver directly to venues, especially the larger players. At the same time, they’ll support off-trade efforts by activating retail channels.
But what applies in Belgium or Denmark won’t automatically apply in France, Greece, or Germany. Yes, you guessed it: you’ll need to strike local deals in each country. It’s a time-consuming, slow, and intensive process… unless you’re Logan Paul launching Prime and everyone’s chasing you for the hype.
SPECTRA IS HERE!
Sounds like James Bond decided to shake things up, and in a way, he has. Spectra was founded by three seasoned go-to-market specialists from Belgium. Each one pickled and proven in the drinks industry, they’ve lived the hassle of scaling into the EU market and decided to do something about it.
Spectra Distribution website
(© image; Spectra Distribution )
NOT THE FIRST, CERTAINLY DIFFERENT AND HERE TO STAY!
Spectra leverages a strong, established network across every national market in the EU, giving you full access and reach. Even more: they handle your logistics from A to Z, including legal matters, tax regulations, and follow up activation, sales, and marketing efforts in each country with their local partners. It’s a full-service solution, from strategy to execution.
What sets Spectra apart from other initiatives is their tightly curated portfolio of quality brands, their proven and connected network, and their unmatched experience in building and scaling brands across borders. Crucially, they also recognize the growing importance of online marketplaces and direct-to-consumer models. Their phased approach ensures a smart, effective rollout across the EU.
Finally, the whole EU market is within reach at once.
