Giuseppe Quarata Of Quarata Consulting: 5 Things You Need To Create a Successful Food or Beverage Brand

An Interview With Martita Mestey

You need to know where your target audience shops and ensure your product is available in those places. Partnering with the right distributors, retailers, or utilizing direct-to-consumer strategies can be the difference between obscurity and success.

As a part of our series called “5 Things You Need To Create a Successful Food or Beverage Brand”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Giusepppe Quarata.

Giuseppe Quarata is a distinguished business leader and founder of Quarata Consulting LLC, where he combines his expertise in business strategy and digital transformation with a deep passion for helping business owners elevate their products to premium status. His commitment to creating high-quality offerings is reflected in his work, where he guides businesses through transformative processes that enhance their market positioning. With a background in leadership roles at Schneider Electric and Black Scottie Chai, Giuseppe empowers clients to achieve sustainable growth while maintaining a focus on innovation and excellence

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?

I am originally from Italy. It is difficult to know when everything started or how everything is connected. Since I was a child for me, everything has been about knowing why things happen. When I was 13, I got electrocuted from one of the charger ports at the soccer field I was playing on; I decided that I wanted to know everything regarding electricity. For this reason, I have a master’s in Electronic Engineering. I got my master’s in Italy and Germany. After graduating, I found a job in Switzerland at 24 for over 6 figures a year. But what I didn’t know was that God was waiting for me, and in Switzerland, finally, I decided to open my heart to Jesus, and that is when I decided to drop everything to move to the US and go to a Bible College. Once I finished, I had a choice to make, and to be able to stay in the US with my girlfriend at that time and now wife, I decided to go for the investor visa, open my marketing consulting business, and hire people right away. This is how everything started.

Can you share with us the story of the “ah ha” moment that led to the creation of the food or beverage brand you are leading?

I didn’t create a food and beverage brand or at least not yet. For the last almost 5 years, I have been helping food and beverage businesses around the nation and outside to grow and distinguish themself in the market. The reason why I decided to work with food and beverage is because I am Italian. I love food, and I love a good drink with my food, and I wanted to be the person who would be part of the success of the next great brand.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

While working with other food and beverage businesses, I made a few mistakes; I could not really think of any that was funny, or at least for me, it is never funny, even if I know that through mistakes, we gain some of the biggest lessons.

What are the most common mistakes you have seen people make when they start a food or beverage line? What can be done to avoid those errors?

Most of the business owners are really passionate about their products, and I have seen great products multiple times but with zero visibility. Simple question: If I google the name of your product, how many Google pages do you take? If it is not, even one means that you are not visible, and maybe not. You make half a million and try to convince yourself that you are visible, but I am telling you that probably not even a quarter of the US knows about you, and the US is not the biggest country. I don’t want to minimize the importance of a great product, but if people don’t know about it, you will never see the day when people will speak about your product everywhere.

Let’s imagine that someone reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to produce. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?

Strategic Planning: write down your vision and mission first of all. Surround yourself with people who have done it; it will help you move forward faster and make fewer mistakes. Be ready to learn.

Many people have good ideas all the time. But some people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. How would you encourage someone to overcome this hurdle?

A good idea has no value if not executed. Let God guide you when to launch your idea. The game as an entrepreneur is to recognize fear but don’t let yourself stop. Again, a business coach like me or a friend or a community can give you the courage and accountability you need to start.

There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?

It is hard to say. If you are not clear on the product they can help but if you have already a clear idea of the product but need help to make it a business than you need a business coach.

What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?

Bootstrapping is a hard lane and can be really slow. I would suggest going for Venture Capital, or sometimes I had clients who had family and friends helping them start.

Can you share thoughts from your experience about how to file a patent, how to source good raw ingredients, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer or distributor?

I never filed a patent it is not in my expertise. I have many connections with Italy since I am from Italy and with South and central America. This connection is what I use to help my clients source their ingredients and regarding logistics. There are so many techniques to find retailers and distributors, but I suggest starting with social media. Start with sending messages and offer free samples.

What are your “5 Things You Need To Create a Successful Food or Beverage Brand” and why?

Creating a successful food or beverage brand requires a mix of strategic planning, creativity, and market understanding. Here are the “5 Things You Need to Create a Successful Food or Beverage Brand” and examples to illustrate each point:

1. Unique Value Proposition (UVP)

Your brand must offer something that sets it apart from the competition, whether that’s through ingredients, sustainability practices, or health benefits. This UVP becomes the core of your brand’s identity and messaging.

Example:
Black Scottie Chai offers a premium royal chai experience with high-quality, authentic ingredients. Its unique blend focuses on rich flavors that provide a more indulgent chai experience, distinguishing it from mass-market chai brands. This focus on luxury and authenticity resonates with consumers looking for a superior chai experience.

2. Clear Brand Story

A strong brand story creates an emotional connection with consumers. It should convey the brand’s mission, vision, and the journey behind its creation. This story helps build trust and loyalty.

Example:
Take KIND Snacks, which built its brand around the idea of “being kind” not only to your body but also to others. Founder Daniel Lubetzky’s personal story of creating a snack that combined health with kindness gave the brand a powerful narrative that resonated with health-conscious consumers looking for more than just a snack.

3. Exceptional Product Quality

The product itself must deliver on its promise. This means ensuring consistency in taste, texture, and overall quality from production to the consumer’s experience.

Example:
Chobani disrupted the yogurt market by introducing high-quality Greek yogurt to the masses. The brand’s emphasis on thick, creamy texture and simple ingredients quickly won over consumers who were looking for a healthier alternative to sugary, mass-produced yogurts.

4. Effective Branding and Packaging

Your packaging should not only be visually appealing but also communicate the product’s essence. In the food and beverage industry, packaging can be the first interaction a consumer has with your brand, so it needs to leave a lasting impression.

Example:
RXBAR is a prime example of minimalist packaging done right. Its bold, straightforward design prominently lists the core ingredients on the front, appealing to consumers looking for transparency in their food choices. This approach helped RXBAR stand out on crowded shelves and quickly build consumer trust.

5. Smart Distribution Strategy

You need to know where your target audience shops and ensure your product is available in those places. Partnering with the right distributors, retailers, or utilizing direct-to-consumer strategies can be the difference between obscurity and success.

Example:
Oatly, a Swedish oat milk company, strategically entered the U.S. market by first targeting coffee shops, a niche space where it could introduce its product to an influential audience of baristas and coffee enthusiasts. This led to a buzz around oat milk, eventually driving demand in mainstream grocery stores.

Can you share your ideas about how to create a product that people really love and are ‘crazy about’?

Here’s a fitting quote:

“People don’t buy products, they buy feelings.” — Simon Sinek

This speaks to the importance of creating an emotional connection with your audience. When a product resonates on a deeper level, it becomes something they love and cherish.

Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

I’ve used my success to empower others through coaching, foster purpose-driven businesses, and give back to communities. By helping clients achieve work-life balance, promoting ethical brands like Black Scottie Chai, and supporting ministries with strategic planning, I aim to create a ripple effect of positive change. Through webinars and coaching, I share knowledge that helps people grow personally and professionally, all while building authentic, uplifting communities.

You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

If I could inspire a movement, it would be one that empowers individuals to discover and live out their true purpose while maintaining balance in all areas of life. The “Purpose-Driven Impact Movement” would encourage people to align their passions with meaningful work, fostering personal growth, social impact, and spiritual well-being.

The idea is to create a global community where people are supported in pursuing careers and businesses that reflect their values, while also prioritizing mental, emotional, and physical health. This movement would provide mentorship, resources, and inspiration for people to lead purpose-filled lives that create positive ripple effects in their families, communities, and industries.

By helping people connect their work with a greater cause, we would spark a wave of innovation, compassion, and collaboration, making the world a better, more fulfilling place for all.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.