Publisher’s Toast: More than Ever, It Takes Two

I flipped on the TV during a big Manhattan rainstorm a couple of weeks ago and watched a movie called “Big Eyes”, the story of Walter and Margaret Keane. Walter was an infamous artist who took credit for the works of his wife, the creator of many images of big-eyed waiflike children. To make the long story short, courts ruled that Margaret, not Walter, was the actual artist. They
divorced, and he was left penniless. Justifiably so, if you ask me.

The movie made me think back over my long beverage career to the couples that I’ve come across and their impact in creating brands, some longstanding and others short-lived. Early on only the men stood out as the faces of their brands. If I’d known better when I was getting started, I’d have wondered if so many of them were equal in creation, but we only saw the male profile. After dealing with hundreds of brands, there’s been an evolution. While early on I thought the wives were in the background, handling the books, creating the graphics and putting together the decks used to pitch the investors, it’s clear to me that they were much more important parts of the equation. Nevertheless, the industry still looked to their husbands as the leaders.

That has changed over the recent times, as there have been so many brands with equal billing. I can cite just a few in my limited space. Early on, it was Jeff and Katherine, creators of OWYN. Steve and Jeannette of Gus fame. Henry and Cindi from Remedy. Allison and Stephen were a great leap with Poppi. Kara and Theo launching Hint. The list goes on and on – and I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention Carolyn and John Craven, BevNET’s own fearless founders and leaders.

I have been heartened over the past few years by the visibility of husband and wife partnerships that take part in the New Beverage Showdown at our BevNET Live events. It seems that every presentation is a couples coup. The partnerships combining marriage and work are the standard with the new brands coming to market. It’s a reflection of society today. Equal in all aspects. That’s a great thing.