Ajornada Cachaça
The U.S. spirits market lacked a prominent luxury cachaça brand, revealing a hole in the market and a need to introduce this Brazilian spirit to American consumers. However, the luxury alcohol market is highly saturated with tequila and mezcal, and there isn’t much awareness of cachaça as a spirit beyond the caipirinha cocktail.
Terry's efforts led to significant achievements for Ajornada Cachaça:
Successfully launched the brand in the U.S. market, expanding to 60 retail accounts within the first year.
Achieved a 200% year-over-year growth in sales volume.
Secured partnerships with five nationally recognized mixologists, enhancing brand credibility.
Won three industry awards for product quality and packaging design.
Achieved a $12.1M post-money valuation in the seed-series fundraising round, providing capital for ambitious growth plans.
Established Ajornada as a fast-growing premium cachaça brand in the U.S.
Ajornada sizzle reel - produced and directed by Terry
As a Co-Founder, Head of Sales & Marketing, and member of the Board of Directors, Terry was initially tasked with establishing Ajornada Cachaça as a luxury alcohol brand in the L.A. market and essentially growing the cachaça market all-up. This involved developing the brand from scratch, creating a comprehensive sales and marketing strategy, and securing the necessary funding for growth.
Terry implemented a multi-faceted approach:
Brand Development and Creative Direction: Created a compelling brand identity that balanced Brazilian authenticity with luxury positioning. Produced and creative-directed sizzle reels and other key art to promote the company and brand.
Product Development: Developed a premium product line, focusing on high-quality, small-batch cachaça. Lead the design process for Ajornada’s bottle and package design.
Go-to-Market Strategy: Implemented a targeted launch in key urban markets, focusing on high-end bars, restaurants, and specialty liquor stores.
Sales Team Building: Recruited and trained a high-performing sales team, equipping them with in-depth product knowledge and sales enablement tools.
Marketing Initiatives: Launched an integrated marketing campaign, including influencer partnerships, mixology events, and digital content strategy.
Distribution Network: Established relationships with key distributors and retail partners to ensure wide availability.
Funding: Led a seed-series fundraising round to secure capital for expansion.
Terry's efforts led to significant achievements for Ajornada Cachaça:
Successfully launched the brand in the U.S. market, expanding to 60 retail accounts within the first year.
Achieved a 200% year-over-year growth in sales volume.
Secured partnerships with five nationally recognized mixologists, enhancing brand credibility.
Won three industry awards for product quality and packaging design.
Achieved a $12.1M post-money valuation in the seed-series fundraising round, providing capital for ambitious growth plans.
Established Ajornada as a fast-growing premium cachaça brand in the U.S.
