If you’re new to the beverage industry you may be starting with a basic misassumption: distributors are there to grow your brand for you…without significant work and financial resources from you. But seasoned beverage execs don’t make that mistake. Even though the right distributors obviously can have a very significant  impact on brands and brand-building – and the choice of distributor networks has never been more critical or more difficult – the fact is that you’re on your own. It’s up to you alone whether your brand will win or lose in the marketplace. You have to build the team and devote the financial and marketing resources.

Once you embrace the roles and limitations of distributors, you’ll be free to develop a budget for the right team and cash resources so that you can attract the right distributors – and then, more importantly, accelerate their performance with your team and some smart, focused marketing spends.