ReserveBar, the ecommerce brand that sells premium and luxury spirits by connecting consumers with retailers, has hired a CMO.
Mehta will oversee all aspects of ReserveBar’s strategic marketing efforts including the development and execution of ongoing and future initiatives, such as its most recent Spirited Change Initiative, which provides consumer and trade exposure to support the growth of minority and women-owned brands and businesses in the beverage alcohol industry.
“As the speed of retail change accelerates, there has never been a more exciting time to be a part of the ecommerce space and especially at a company like ReserveBar which sits at the forefront of industry innovation,” said Mehta. “ReserveBar is the established leader in the luxury, ultra-premium and premium spirits ecommerce category and connects with consumers in meaningful ways. Coming onto the brand as CMO, I will oversee all aspects of ReserveBar’s strategic marketing efforts including the development and execution of ongoing and future initiatives, such as its most recent Spirited Change Initiative, which provides consumer and trade exposure to support the growth of minority and women-owned brands and businesses in the beverage alcohol industry. I’m looking forward to crafting new ways to connect with our consumers and helping ReserveBar reach new heights.”
As people are drinking more at home, they are also buying more alcoholic beverages online. The online alcohol category penetration grew from 1% before the pandemic to 7% in 2020. In 2020, the US alcohol market saw its biggest spike in 30 years, per IWSR. This trend isn’t going anywhere, as home delivery brands like DoorDash also enter the space. Bank of America estimates that online penetration for alcohol sales will reach 16% over the next five years. For ReserveBar this means investing in data and analytics to reach their audience.
“In addition to continuous growth and getting more pervasive geographically, we’re seeing a lot of benefits with data and analytics, which allows us to gauge customers’ preferences in an ongoing way,” he continued. “This is paving the way for online shopping in the future, which will be so much smarter and adaptive to each individual.”
Mehta expects to see online sales continue to grow next year and expects mobile to play a big role in this process. “The mobile experience, apps and websites in general have gotten incrementally easier to navigate, selection has grown, shipping times have improved for some categories but not so for others,” Mehta said. “Moving into 2022, I believe we’re on the precipice of a more seismic shift in online shopping that focuses on the customer journey. Brands have to meet customers where they are and create seamless experiences across every touchpoint which is not only easier but immersive for the users.”
Brian Mehta joins ReserveBar from Trading Technologies, where he served as CMO for six years. Prior to that he served as Head of North America Marketing at Motorola Mobility, where he oversaw major marketing initiatives, product launches, channel management and partnerships including the NFL.
“My tech-focused background has allowed me to leverage my deep industry knowledge to help continue building ReserveBar’s digital experience with its consumer,” Mehta said. “Moving back to a DTC brand allows me to have a constant and immediate customer feedback loop where we can gather insights and apply them in ways that will enrich our overall experience.”
The announcement of its new CMO comes after ReserveBar recently closed a round of Series B financing, as well as the launch of celebrity partnerships including The Brother’s Bond Bourbon, The Sassenach and 818 Tequila.
In his new role, Mehta plans to be proactive “about how I can help to inform our team members, align on our motivations and produce ideal outcomes. This is how I’ve found myself leading in the past and doing so with strong results.”
“At ReserveBar, we are growing very fast with team members all over the country,” he explained. “It is my intention to create a cohesive, high-performance and collaborative culture across all the various groups. I look forward to crafting new and meaningful ways to connect with the team and helping the company reach new heights.”
