Ask the Collective
The questions independent drinks founders ask most — answered. Distilled from years of community knowledge so the good stuff never disappears in the feed again.
Is it worth paying to feature products on wholesaler price lists and printed brochures?
The consensus is that wholesaler brochures deliver poor ROI for most members. Members reported **no measurable uplift in sales** from featuring in printed wholesaler price lists, despite high costs for relatively small ad space. The fundamental issue is relevance—**printed brochures are increasingly ignored** by end users (restaurants, bars), with one member noting they personally threw them straight in the bin. Members also noted that **wholesalers have lost significant customer numbers recently**, reducing the audience reach further. **Cost versus benefit is unattractive**: pricing for brochure placement is expensive relative to the space offered and the actual sales impact. A few members suggested value exists only **if paired with promotional activity or campaigns**, but this remained the minority view. Most members in the discussion found it **not worth pursuing as a standalone tactic**.
Are wholesaler product brochures an effective marketing investment for drinks brands?
Members are strongly sceptical of wholesaler brochures as a marketing tool. The consensus is that they represent poor value and are primarily revenue-generation exercises for the wholesalers themselves, not effective sales channels for brands. **Key findings:** - **Matthew Clark brochure**: Members flagged this as a specific example to question—asking about distribution reach, effectiveness, and cost—but found limited evidence of strong ROI - **General brochure effectiveness**: Multiple members described brochures as "a colossal waste of money" based on direct experience - **Wholesaler incentive structure**: One member with insider knowledge noted that wholesalers are incentivised to sell brochure space; a colleague who worked at a large wholesaler revealed that brochures were a KPI-driven revenue stream with "a staggering amount" of money allocated to them annually—suggesting the tool exists to benefit the wholesaler, not the brand **Caveat:** The community did not provide quantitative data on reach, cost per unit, or conversion rates for any specific brochure, so decisions should be informed by direct quotes from wholesalers and comparison with alternative routes to market.