How Melanie Masarin knew Ghia was THE idea to build.
"It really feels like climbing up a mountain (in French we say 'pedaling in couscous')."
Good morning everyone. Last night I had a transcendent facial with my esthetician of years, Jolie De Feis (she also writes
). One of the hardest truths I had to hear from her was that drinking is indeed terrible for my skin. But the holidays are over, and although I’m not participating in Dry January, I’m drinking less. Partially because of vanity.Speaking of Dry January…
Guest Lecture: Mélanie Masarin
This interview is part of a Feed Me feature called Guest Lecture. In this series, I introduce you all to an expert who I’m curious about, and give paid readers an opportunity to ask them anything they want.
Melanie is the CEO of Ghia, a nonalcoholic aperitif that has transcended the aisles of Whole Foods and shelves of Shoppy Shops to become one of the most inspirational brands for people in CPG and fashion alike — all because of Masarin’s brand building. In today’s Guest Lecture, she answers questions about product development, how she knew Ghia was ‘the idea’ to chase and build, and what she learned while working for Emily Weiss.
“What’s the beef with the How Long Gone guys?” - MRAC
No beef, all love! They’re fun trolls — I reached out to them after they mentioned Ghia a few times on the pod and we actually became friendly. They’re really funny, and I adore Jason’s wife, too. Most marketing is good marketing, and when we sponsored our first podcast we actually chose How Long Gone. Now am I cool enough to be invited to be a guest on the pod ahem, only time will tell.
“It feels like everything you touch turns to gold. Any ideas that didn't work out you’re comfortable sharing? (Ghia or otherwise)” - Molly
That’s so kind of you to say, but it definitely doesn’t feel that way from the inside! We often look at brands that have hit stratospheric levels of revenue, a lot of them in the beauty space. Our product requires a lot of education and it really feels like climbing up a mountain (in French we say “pedaling in couscous” that’s what it actually feels like). Readers of this newsletter, anyone who pays for quality content, we’re part of a niche microcosm—the NA movement is similarly still in its infancy. There are plenty of tailwinds, and I know in my core that it’s going to break through in a big way. Hopefully soon :).
“When you’re working on new product development, are there any signals that you find particularly useful in seeing if the product is going to be a hit? Le Pill, for example, I saw a bunch of articles referencing it and I’m wondering how much you weigh that sort of buzz vs. all the other information you have.” - Joe
The toughest part is identifying gaps in the market and creating something entirely new that people will truly want. For Ghia, I spoke to a lot of chefs early on and asked if there was a demand for non-alcoholic products, and basically no one said yes. I had a strong intuition the supply was going to drive the demand, people didn’t know to ask for it because it was not something they could envision. I just took the leap.
As for Le Pill, I can’t take full credit! The team at Coming Soon launched it, and the moment I saw it on Instagram, I showed the team. Everyone gasped, I sent one of the founders a DM, and within 10 minutes, we’d agreed on everything. It’s rarely this fun and easy but it was just a perfect fit.
These days, the challenge isn’t so much about creating products that align with Ghia’s identity, but figuring out how to expand our reach to people whose tastes differ from mine. Le Fizz and Berry came from a ton of work to please this audience, and Le Fizz might now be my favorite product but it required a lot more work and collaboration than a product I just had clear vision for from day 1.
“Have we reached peak NA beverage?” - Maryah
Are you kidding? We’re just starting! I am of course super biased, but I really believe this is a cultural shift and not a trend — people are prioritizing mindful drinking while looking for options like Ghia that elevate the experience and taste delicious. Think about how many tequilas there are and now tell me how many really great non-alcoholic amaros there are. (If your answer is 1 and only 1, you are correct).
“What has been the biggest challenge as you’ve grown into more mainstream retailers like Target, HEB and Whole Foods? Your product seems to be merchandised in functional, NA and alongside booze, do you think that helps inform the average consumer on what Ghia is or have you found yourself having to tailor the messaging accordingly as you grow.” - Andrea
In-store, there is no context, no brand world, no USPs. We often can’t even have signage, so it’s a real race for attention with just our packaging. The real estate is tiny, and every inch counts!
We try our best to avoid words like “mocktail” or “non-alcoholic” to describe our product — it’s not doing a service to the liquid, it’s focusing on what’s *not* in the bottle. Yet, when all you have is an 8oz can and a quarter of a second to explain to a customer at HEB who has never heard of us what we are, “mocktail” might be your best bet. That’s why everything that happens before someone picks up the bottle is absolutely crucial — getting an ad on Instagram or in a Substack or seeing a recipe video on TikTok — anything to contextualize the drink.
“I had an old boss that said that work is 1% ideation and 99% execution. Sadly he was correct.”