How We Increased Our Sales From $1M To $12M/Month
This is a follow up story for BrüMate. If you're interested in reading how they got started, published almost 5 years ago, check it out here.
Hello again! Remind us who you are and what business you started.
My name is Dylan Jacob, founder of BruMate, an innovative drinkware brand that specializes in keeping your favorite adult beverages perfectly chilled. We have over 20 products all designed creating a better drinking experience and reducing waste. Our hero items are our insulated can-coolers, wine tumblers, and liquor canteens.
Tell us about what you’ve been up to! Has the business been growing?
In 2018 our big focus was on diversifying our advertising strategy and expanding our business into other sales channels to create a true omnichannel brand. Over the last year and a half, we have built a massive wholesale distribution channel, grew Amazon sales and continued focusing on building our direct to consumer sales channel with a big focus on building a lasting relationship with our customers. Those 3 things combined have resulted in a sales jump from 1.1M/mo in 2018 to over 12M/mo in 2020.
When I started BruMate 4 years ago, I knew I was solving a real problem but had no idea how wildly successful the brand would be.
In that same period, we have significantly upgraded our infrastructure, grown our internal team to over 20 employees, built out a new HQ here in Denver, CO and have continued to expand our product lines including the introduction of our BackTap - the world’s first 3-gallon backpack cooler with a tap, so you can premix drinks and dispense them on the go. It’s the perfect party pack.
What have been your biggest lessons learned in the last year?
I think the ability to pivot has only become more and more important during the COVID crisis. Our company is built on better drinking experiences and togetherness, something which hasn’t been possible with COVID.
We had to rapidly change our ads, messaging and strategy to pivot more towards the at-home drinking experience and the idea that our products improve the way you enjoy your drinks regardless of whether you are at home or on a beach - something that paid off in dividends and resonated much better with our customer base.
What’s in the plans for the upcoming year, and the next 5 years?
As we continue scaling, our goals are to become the go-to brand for all things drinking related.
We have begun our expansion into coolers, and have a ton of other cool products up our sleeves as well soon.
Advice for other entrepreneurs who might be struggling to grow their business?
Don’t get hung up on the details or competition. When I started BruMate 4 years ago, I knew I was solving a real problem but had no idea how wildly successful the brand would be.
This started as a literal sketch on a napkin and has evolved into a 100M+ business just by focusing on what we are good at - innovation and marketing.
Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?
We are almost always hiring. Follow our brand on LinkedIn for new job postings bi-weekly.
Where can we go to learn more?
Hey! 👋 I'm Pat Walls, the founder of Starter Story.
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