Entrepreneurship isn’t simple, however when was the final time you heard of a model that spent years bringing a couple of change in state legal guidelines in order that they might introduce their product? If that wasn’t spectacular sufficient, this model additionally boasts of training individuals, supporting native farmers and establishing their attain by promoting honey and mead.
Presenting Moonshine Meadery and the Moonshine Undertaking – millennial manufacturers that created house for themselves in a populated but uncharted Indian market that’s anticipated to succeed in a valuation of INR 30.6 billion by 2026.
Based by Rohan Rehani and Nitin Vishwas, these manufacturers not solely introduced again the world’s oldest alcohol (meads) but in addition raised consciousness about pure honey.
And so they appeared on Shark Tank India!
Interested in this wonderful model and its journey? We’ve acquired you coated.
We talked to the Moonshine crew to learn the way they began the Moonshine Honey Undertaking, discovered about their distinctive excursions, and their expertise on Shark Tank India. Learn on to know extra.
A not-for-profit undertaking
Based mostly out of Pune, Moonshine Honey Undertaking was began as a hive-to-table premium honey model. This ardour undertaking was launched to coach individuals about what pure honey regarded and tasted like.
However let’s begin from the start. In any case, we will’t speak about Moonshine Honey with out mentioning Moonshine Meadery.
Moonshine began out by creating meads, an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey. Whereas creating mead, Rohan and Nitin realised that industrial honey wouldn’t work as the principle uncooked materials for the mead. Mead requires good high quality honey as a result of adulterated honey doesn’t ferment.
The founders determined to find out about bee-keeping and arrange their very own bee bins to supply pure honey from the farmers immediately. This resulted in Moonshine gaining access to pure, high-quality honey straight from the supply.
They determined to check the waters by promoting small batches of honey primarily to point out individuals what actual honey is, they usually discovered that individuals actually appreciated it.
Moonshine Honey Undertaking was began within the 2020 lockdown and continues to encourage native farmers to realize supplementary earnings by changing into beekeepers. A win-win for all, together with the ecosystem!
The model additionally prides itself on incorporating sustainable practices whereas sourcing and producing its merchandise.
In the event you’re seeking to turn out to be a sustainable model too, listed here are some sources that will help you in your quest:
It was attention-grabbing to notice that Moonshine provided two merchandise that weren’t essentially simple to promote. Each honey and mead had stereotypes connected that required the model to first educate the viewers after which take into consideration conversions.
Their preliminary efforts had been centered on convincing those who honey isn’t too candy and mead isn’t beer. With main manufacturers taking over most house within the honey market, it was robust to get seen, not to mention garner a loyal viewers.
The model believes that India doesn’t have a honey provide subject however has a honey demand subject. Most individuals are unaware that industrial honey isn’t actual honey. As a result of they’re unaware of how pure honey tastes, they assume that it’s not their cup of tea (or mead, ought to we are saying), and forgo shopping for honey altogether.
This made us marvel – how would a model create consciousness and promote its merchandise in a market that lacks each consciousness and demand? Nicely, Moonshine Honey Undertaking did each and grew its on-line gross sales by 20x.
Reaching nationwide with Shopify
Moonshine needed to promote its merchandise throughout India and opted for Shopify straight away. They’d entrepreneur buddies who already had Shopify shops and advisable making an attempt the platform.
Moonshine didn’t need to spend so much of sources to start with to arrange a web site, they usually had been in a position to obtain this goal with Shopify.
The Moonshine crew has had a clean crusing with Shopify due to a number of causes:
- It was simple to arrange their retailer and get it working
- Shopify’s platform is dependable and doesn’t crash even after they obtain massive volumes of site visitors
- Cost and logistics are a breeze for them due to the integrations
However the half that they love essentially the most about Shopify? It’s Shopify analytics!
Shopify reviews make it simple to trace geographical insights. The geo-analytics enable Moonshine Honey Undertaking to know the place they get essentially the most site visitors or demand. This has helped the model take advantage of its retailer and scale its enterprise successfully.
Although the Shopify retailer was initially set as much as promote honey on-line, the model thought, why cease there? They began promoting tour tickets for his or her Meadery by way of Shopify as properly.
Occupied with organising your personal Shopify retailer? Listed here are some sources to get you began:
Benefiting from the Meadery (and Shopify)
Moonshine began internet hosting meadery visits by providing tour tickets offline. The guided tour had individuals visiting the primary full-scale meadery in Asia – Moonshine Meadery.
The behind-the-scenes entry allowed the model’s viewers to find out about Moonshine’s brewing course of. It additionally included honey and mead tasting classes.
The model needed to depend on third-party tour corporations to enlist and purchase the registrations for these excursions. The tour frequency was much less they usually needed to promote the tour closely by way of social media.
However in 2021, they experimented with itemizing excursions by way of their Shopify retailer. And guess what? They began buying the tour bookings with little to no promotions.
Now, they host weekly excursions by way of only a registration web page on their Shopify retailer that permits individuals to enter their info and ebook a tour.
The tour is a superb branding exercise and a direct income supply. What’s extra? It permits the model to attach with its viewers exterior of a digital house and construct a loyal neighborhood.
Carving their very own path
Rohan and Nitin launched Moonshine Meadery in 2018 although they began engaged on the concept in 2014. The delay was triggered because of the lack of legal guidelines concerning manufacturing meads in India
Nonetheless, Moonshine didn’t let this cease them. Rohan and Nitin labored with the exicse division and managed to get some readability on the legal guidelines round mead
However their largest problem was advertising, as you can not promote alcohol manufacturers on digital platforms. Moonshine’s success can largely be credited to its distinctive strategy to advertising.
Moonshine Honey Undertaking depends on social media training and guerrilla advertising to succeed in its potential viewers. The model has tried every thing – from pop-ups to masterclasses, company tie-ups and tasting classes.Chances are you’ll come throughout their collaboration posts that includes manufacturers like Nomad Meals Undertaking, Subko Espresso and Pack-a-Pav. The model has additionally began the ‘Moonshine Highlight’ undertaking by way of which they promote indie artists acting at venues the place their meads are served.
Need to know extra about guerilla advertising and promoting on social media? Take a look at these guides, together with ideas and examples to encourage you:
All these advertising ways had been nice, however Moonshine needed one thing to assist them acquire widespread visibility and put the model on the map. Enter – Shark Tank India.
The buzzworthy Shark Tank India look
Moonshine’s televised Shark Tank India look was the discuss of the city – not solely as a result of the model was pitching a uncommon alcoholic beverage but in addition as a result of they had been one of many few manufacturers who rejected the Sharks’ provide.
Moonshine determined to audition for the collection, seeing that it’s a nice opportinity for constructing consciousness for a brand new class. The model went by way of a rigorous audition course of – beginning with sharing a pitch deck and video to the shortlisting interview rounds.
Their purpose was to realize visibility and get a advertising push for his or her meads, not essentially gaining funding. And what higher option to obtain this than to seem on nationwide TV?
The model wowed the Sharks with their meads however sadly left the present with out funding because the Sharks’ counter-offer didn’t align with the model’s valuation.
We requested the founders why they walked away from the funding provide. “We had hoped for negotiation in keeping with what we usually see from non-public fairness buyers”, they claimed.
However that didn’t imply that Moonshine didn’t profit from their look. They garnered a whole lot of constructive suggestions and, in fact, elevated gross sales. The model noticed 2 lakh guests on its website in a span of two hours after the episode was aired.
Like most entrepreneurs, Rohan and Nitin loved interacting and studying from different founders. “What was significantly good was to see that Vineetha, who has apparently been following our model for some time, gave us an enormous thumbs up on the route of our branding.”
The founders additionally had no regrets and didn’t really feel that rejecting the Sharks’ provide triggered any repercussions. “We’ve really acquired a whole lot of constructive suggestions for holding our floor and never decreasing our firm’s valuation simply to just accept the Sharks’ provide.”
Listed here are just a few extra enterprise classes D2C manufacturers can study from Shark Tank India.
What’s subsequent for Moonshine
Moonshine Meadery went into enlargement mode in 2021 and is obtainable by way of retail in states together with Maharashtra, Goa, Bengaluru, Himachal and Uttar Pradesh. Given that every state has completely different legal guidelines and mechanisms for alcoholic merchandise, the model is rising the mead undertaking slowly however absolutely.
As for Moonshine Honey Undertaking, the model is pleased with Shopify’s conversions and isn’t seeking to function these merchandise on some other platform.
They’re additionally in talks with Printrove to combine their merchandise into their Shopify retailer. Having their merchandise on the identical platform as their merchandise (honey + tour tickets) would make it simple for his or her viewers to seek out every thing ‘Moonshine’ with much less navigation.
When requested about their subsequent strikes, the model claimed that they’re engaged on one process at a time. One factor is for positive – Moonshine will proceed to thrive and construct its neighborhood with its distinctive launches whereas contributing to the surroundings, one jar/bottle at a time.
And Shopify will proceed to assist the model with new options and options.
Like tens of millions of different companies, Moonshine discovered a dependable ecommerce companion with Shopify. Whether or not you want to attain a nationwide viewers or present on-line purchasing ease with versatile integrations, Shopify has all of it.
Arrange your on-line retailer and begin promoting with Shopify’s free trial!