I have a good bucket of shares in MRIB; not huge, just a decent holding. Quite frankly, I bought it with the intention of flipping it - so in the process I kept some shares for the helluvit. So.....
Why do folks think that signing distribution agreements is such a positive? All it means is that there are folks avaialble to provide product to bars and retail establishments. Um - who is going to ask for Marani vodka? Yes, it is award winning, and I will grant that the distillation process is unique. BUT - the brand has about zero name recognition. What's the incentive for a retail establishment or bar to take up valuable shelf space for something hardly anyone will order/ask for? Essentially - what is the marketing program to get people to ask for Marani?
For reference, take a look at two newer vodkas that have taken up share over the last few years - Tito's and Crystal Head. Both listed as premium brands (ala Marani); both at different ends of the price spectrum. I am a Tito's drinker - when I started (word of mouth recommendation) it was difficult to find anywhere - NOW it is easily found everywhere. Tito's had a plan - and the result is 85MIL in sales annually. This figure around '70MIL in distribution agreements for Marani'....really? It's only initially going to eight states and has no branding strategy - IF this brand can be marketed, it will take TIME - and a campaign - don't see any evidence that one exists (YES I have looked at all the repeated posting of old information - sorry folks, nothing there makes me think any of that will generate sales in short order). Oh, not to mention the saturation of the vodka market with everything from high end brands (Chopin), 'hip' brands (Ciroc trash), and panywaist brands (Skinny Girl). See all the recent ads for rums? The new vodka.......tough tough market.
OK - so don't bother rehashing all the old 'wait until you see the list of PRs coming out!!!!' nonsense - and don't bother bashing (I don't respond) - but somebody state the campaign strategy and gets folks to order Marani so there are sales......
