Premium Isn’t About Price - It’s About Positioning

Описание: We turned this conversation into a playbook — every retail formula, hiring question, and brand strategy in one PDF. Download free: https://openresidency.com/ross-mackay...

In this episode of Open Residency, we sit down with Ross Mackay, the founder and CEO of Cadence — the brand redefining what “premium” means in a $200B beverage category. Ross breaks down how you turn a $2 drink into luxury through positioning, packaging, retail strategy, and relentless attention to detail — and why building “premium at scale” is the ultimate unlock. From obsessing over shelf velocity to rebranding three times in under a year, this is a masterclass in how modern CPG brands actually win.

We go deep on retail economics (margins, trade spend, distribution vs. DSD), how to pitch Walmart and Target, why most founders misunderstand influencers, and the discipline required to scale without losing brand equity. Ross also shares lessons from raising capital from top-tier investors, why speed is the only real advantage early on, and how Cadence plans to go head-to-head with Gatorade — not in theory, but on shelf.

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00:00:00 Trailer
00:00:51 How Do You Make a $2 Product Luxury?
00:04:01 Why Did You Rebrand 3 Times in 1 Year?
00:12:48 How Do You Actually Approach to Retailers?
00:18:36 How and Why Were You Comfortable Going Into Retail?
00:23:41 The Mafia That Controls Distribution
00:27:32 What's Your Biggest Learning From Scaling Retail?
00:34:05 Let's Talk About Product, How Many SKUs Have You Launched?
00:39:54 The One Rule To Approaching Manufacturers
00:42:32 You've Been Sold Out For 200+ Days. Good or Bad Problem?
00:45:30 The Biggest Mistake A Brand Can Make
00:49:38 How Should Someone Actually Make Their Own Custom Product?
00:51:31 You Are A Serious Runner, How Do You Test What Ratios Are The Most Optimal?
00:55:22 How Do You Look At Content In Your Positioning Strategy?
01:01:21 How Do You Look At Collabs? With Bandit and RAW
01:05:24 Why Working With Word Class Athletes Might Actually Damage Your Brand
01:08:21 What's Your Ad Strategy For Cadence Right Now? What is Working in This Space?
01:11:18 The Hiring Philosophy At Cadence And The One Question Ross Always Asks Before Hiring.
01:22:32 QuickFile Questions (Raising Capital, Peter Thiel, George Heaton)