It’s been a while since we profiled your brand reps – aka business development managers and executives etc. to give them a couple of their official titles.
Some might say it’s been too long. So here’s the first of ten to be going on with (we’ll post one a day), and we enjoyed catching up with them so much and there are so many of you doing a similarly grand job, we’re going to feature reps every month. Get in touch if you want to be included.
Ben Lawton
Business Development Manager
Campari UK
Scotland
Ben, 27, has only been in the job for a couple of months – he used to be BDM for Whyte & Mackay. His core brands are Aperol, Campari, Appleton Estate, Wray & Nephew rum, as well as Wild Turkey, Skyy vodka, and Cinzano.
He says, “It’s been pretty flat out since getting back going, and it’s a bit of a change in portfolio to what I was used to. I am also covering the whole of Scotland rather than just Edinburgh so there’s far more to go after.”
He had a ‘good grounding’ in sales working for the Whisky Shop and Remy Cointreau at Glasgow airport. Selling is in his blood.
“I’m passionate about sales. It’s the main driver. Getting something across the line that didn’t look possible is the biggest buzz in the world. As is giving excellent customer service. Going over and above takes time and attention to detail and aftercare too.”
So how has the pandemic changed things? “You’ve got to bend and flex to what the customer wants which is, of course, far more streamlined. No licensee wants anything gathering dust and rather than taking a chance they’ll go for high volume brands.”
“Also in my portfolio is Italian non-alcoholic Aperitivo Crodino. Low and no is a category that’s flying in the on-trade at the moment. Brands like Seedlip kicked it off a few years ago, and now non-alcohol spirits are one of the healthiest categories.”
Ben’s favourite bar is a toss-up between The Standard in NYC and Croatia’s Hula Hula Hvar Beach Bar.
Check out all ten brand reps in the June issue of DRAM