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While legions of perky yoga instructors, keto diet diehards and foodie fanatics claim the title of “Instagram influencer,” few reach the level of attention and engagement of the account @boywithnojob. Created by marketing executive Ben Soffer, @boywithnojob’s daily flow of witty memes and side-splitting videos reaches an audience of 1.6 million followers. 

The popular feed also incorporates Soffer’s passion for cocktail spritzes, and the two combined provide the foundation for Spritz Society, his new brand of sparkling, wine-based canned cocktails. 

Launched in August, Spritz Society comes in four flavor varieties each containing 6% ABV and 120 calories per 8.4 oz. can and is sold direct-to-consumer via its website. Amid an increasingly crowded and competitive market for RTD cocktails, Soffer states that one of Spritz Society’s main advantages is that it was born out of an organic connection between him and his audience, “a brand by the people, for the people,” as he puts it. 

In an interview featured in this episode, Soffer expounds on the development of Spritz Society, how his expertise in influencer marketing helped establish the brand’s vision and business strategy, why authenticity is a common theme in everything he does and how he got up to speed as a first-time beverage entrepreneur.

Show notes:

0:42: Interview: Ben Soffer, Founder & CEO, Spritz Society --  After chatting about an amusing video about mouthwash that Soffer recently posted on his Instagram feed, Taste Radio editor Ray Latif spoke with the Spritz Society founder  about how he landed the handle @spritz for his upstart cocktail brand and how he defines the term “influencer marketing.” Soffer also discussed the reasons behind his success as an influencer, the content that garners the most attention and engagement and how the concept of Spritz Society plays to his strengths. Later, he talked about how he was able to assemble top industry talent to launch and develop the brand, why he believes that the combined reach of his and his wife’s (@girlwithnojob) social media presence gives Spritz Society a leg up on more established cocktail brands and how he plans to vet and enlist other Instagram influencers to support the company’s promotional efforts.

Brands in this episode: Spritz Society