DTC POD: How Plant Press Is Energizing the Beverage Aisle

This week, we’re joined by Ariana Farahani, the founder and CEO of Plant Press, a fast-growing functional beverage brand offering a healthier alternative to traditional energy drinks. 

In this episode of DTC Pod, Ariana shares her journey of developing Plant Press from a homemade recipe to a nationally distributed product. She discusses the importance of gathering consumer feedback and iterating on the product based on data, which led to pivotal changes like focusing solely on clean caffeine and adjusting flavors.

Ariana also goes into the strategic decisions behind Plant Press's distribution strategy, from securing early retail partnerships with local bodegas and fitness centers to navigating the complexities of working with broadline distributors, including the key growth channels that proved successful early on.

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Fav Quotes from Episode #343

Using Customer Feedback in Product Development: “So every location that we got as an account, I would go maybe with someone else, and I would just go there and give samples for like two or 3 hours. And then you'd really hear, like, you know, things that you would never have expected. Someone points out to you, like, one thing is, you know, someone's literally like, oh, I would love to have like, a QR code on this can. So I could scan. And I was like, okay, great idea. And then, you know, one person is like, I'm tasting a bit, you know, this one's too sweet for me. This one's too, like, sparkling, you know. And then you just kind of like, gather all of that if you hear it over and over again, and you're like, okay, this is a change we should look at making. So I think every single aspect is, it is a data collection, and you, you refine until you get it right.” — Ariana Farahani, 00:09:57 - 00:10:38

Rapid Expansion of the Clean Energy Market: “I think natural energy we've seen in the past year is a rapidly expanding market. Like, there is a new, like, cleaner energy position product coming out, like, every month. And actually our trademark for the clean caffeine that we initially put on the labels has been used, like, over and over again by a new brand. So it's like, we are seeing that pop up and sending letters, like, all the time for it now. So it's, it's pretty incredible at the same time because it's very validating of, like, wow, you know, other people are identifying this need in the marketplace and there's obviously, you know, a consumer there and brands want to create something for it.” — Ariana Farahani, 00:25:06 - 00:25:48

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3 Best DTC Practices from Ariana Farahani

1. Validate your product before seeking funding

Many first-time founders rush to secure funding without a fully refined product or proven market demand. Ariana took a different approach, focusing first on developing a minimum viable product and testing it with real consumers.

By selling early versions of Plant Press beverages to local retailers and office spaces, she gathered valuable feedback, iterated on the recipe, and collected sales data to demonstrate traction. This enabled Ariana to approach investors with a more compelling, data-driven pitch and a clearer vision for growth.

Founders should view this scrappy, hands-on stage as an opportunity to really get to know their target customers, strengthen their value prop, and establish a solid foundation before trying to raise significant capital.

2. Allocate resources to high-impact field marketing

If you’re a CPG brand, it's not enough to simply get your products on retail shelves. You should also invest in marketing efforts that drive trial and awareness among target consumers. For Plant Press, this meant dedicating a substantial effort to strategic sampling and demos.

Plant Press ran field marketing campaigns at retail locations, gyms, and high-traffic areas like the Westside Highway in New York City. This way the brand was able to get its beverages directly into the hands of their health-conscious target audience. They were also able to generate buzz and direct customers to points of purchase, both in-store and online.

3. Continually optimize your distribution strategy

As a brand expands into wholesale partnerships, finding the right distribution channels becomes increasingly critical. Plant Press initially explored local Direct Store Delivery (DSD) distributors but found their processes slow and inefficient. Recognizing the need for a more streamlined approach, Ariana made the call to pivot towards partnerships with broadline distributors.

Throughout your brand's evolution, remain agile in your distribution strategy, and prioritize distribution choices that enable you to efficiently serve key retailers and maintain strong margins.