Zero sugar tea and lemonade maker Swoon today named two new executives, both with experience at large CPG companies, to oversee marketing and sales.
Sarah Gustat, former EVP of marketing at sparkling water maker Talking Rain Beverage Company, has been appointed CMO, while Tim Kelly, who comes to the business from Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), has been named as VP, Sales and Commercialization.
Speaking to BevNET today, Swoon co-founders and co-CEOs Cristina Ros Blankfein and Jen Ross said Gustat and Kelly come to the brand as it looks to scale its national presence, particularly on the West Coast, following a strong growth year bolstered by a key partnership with the Barbie movie.
“One of the things that we’re most excited about for Sarah and Tom coming into the business is that they’re used to operating at a different level of scale, and that allows us to accelerate getting to that scale,” Ross said.
Gustat will serve as Swoon’s first ever CMO and brings over 15 years experience in the beverage industry, including the last 10 at Talking Rain where she is credited with helping to lead the company’s approach to marketing from traditional to digital-centric and omnichannel strategies.
“I was immediately drawn to Swoon and the innovative team behind it,” Gustat said in a press release. “The potential of this company is limitless, and I’m honored to be part of the leadership team supporting its continued growth. I look forward to exceeding our consumers’ expectations and delivering exciting new opportunities to engage with the brand as we take Swoon to the next level.”
Kelly previously served as VP of Sales, West at KDP and also held roles at Dr Pepper Snapple Group, The Coca-Cola Company and Coca-Cola Enterprises.
Launched in 2020, Swoon produces a variety of sugar-free lemonades and teas made with monk fruit and packaged in 12 oz. cans. With Gustat and Kelly, the company now has about 25 full time employees.
Swoon is currently sold in about 6,000 stores nationwide, including retailers such as Target, Whole Foods and Publix – though the bulk of its footprint is in the Northeast. Earlier this year, the brand partnered with New York DSD distributor Big Geyser.
Most recently, Ross said, Swoon has added Wegmans stores in the Northeast and nine divisions of Kroger on the West Coast, including banner stores like Ralphs and Marianos. The brand is also adding stores across the Southern U.S. including in Houston, Dallas and Atlanta.
Swoon’s ongoing partnership with Barbie proved pivotal to the brand’s growth this year, Ross and Blankfein said. This summer it released a limited edition co-branded can for its Pink Lemonade flavor in advance of the film, and the partnership is set to continue through the Hollywood awards season into Q1 2024. The company reported that the collaboration led to a 110% increase in sales in some retailers, as well as over 400% growth in website traffic and at least 150 press articles, Ross said.
“It brought us into a whole different stratosphere of awareness,” Ross said.
With Gustat on board as CMO, the founders said the company will continue to explore similar partnerships in the future, pointing to a recent collaboration with sunscreen brand Supergoop! as another model the company will follow. However, Ross added that the company also wants to do more to stand up the Swoon brand on its own, as well.
“2024, for us, is the year to really define what Swoon is and to have Swoon also stand on its own as a brand,” she said. “And so we’ll be doing a lot of work in terms of the Swoon brand itself outside of partnerships this year.”