The Slow Burn of Beverage Brand Building

Anti-branding, sustainability, provenance, and NOLO (once mimicry of their alcoholic siblings, now fully fleshed out lifestyle brands) are shaping the future of beverage branding.

In 2025, whether you’re selling alcoholic or alcohol-free, you’re in a crowded, fast-moving market. Fragmentation means more decisions, more complexity, and less certainty. But in all the noise, one principle still holds true: chasing early perfection or short-term hype rarely leads to enduring success.

Over-engineering before launch or chasing a viral moment often leads to shaky foundations. It might feel like progress, but it deals real market learning. In the end, it’s consumers who decide what role your brand plays in their lives. The objective is not perfection – it’s clarity. When a brand is memorable, recognisable, and easy to describe, it earns the right to grow.

At Onfire, we work with brand owners to uncover what makes them different. Our approach is to cut through the noise and embrace what’s unapologetically authentic. A strong product – whether it’s fizzy, fruity, or functional – drives repeat purchase. But it’s the story behind the product that earns attention, builds emotional connection, and turns customers into advocates.

Too often, we see brands trying to appeal to everyone. That might deliver a sales spike but it’s rarely sustainable. Fast forward a year, and many of these brands have rebranded, repositioned – or disappeared altogether. By contrast, the brands that endure are those that focus. They hone in on a specific audience, usage occasion, or channel. Their story is told with such clarity and conviction that it sticks. These brands win unpaid visibility, create new conversations, and often reshape the categories they’re in. They also have the resilience to withstand failed launches, missteps, or moments of being out of sync with the market. They hold their course, iterate with purpose, and deepen relevance over time. These are the brands we aim to build – distinct, meaningful, and built to last.

And yes, sometimes a brand breaks through quickly – Liquid Death is a good example of that. But even then, we’re seeing the limitations of speed, especially as their international rollouts face challenges. For most, success is slow-earned. It’s a long game built on insight, consistency, and storytelling.

Take our work with Pacific Island Beverages in Fiji. In a market dominated by global imports and a few legacy locals, our client saw a unique opportunity to establish a modern, homegrown brewery that locals could claim as their own.

To announce this, their first retail brand needed to really resonate with local consumers. Together, we created Forged, a range of RTD cocktails designed around local culture. The name speaks to familial bonds, friendships and sociability, part of the fabric of Fiji lifestyle. The larger 500ml format wasn’t about volume – it reflected how locals consume this style of drink: with others, often sharing one can amongst a group. We respected category norms where appropriate but anchored the brand in a purpose-built story. Forged now leads in multiple retail categories and is expanding organically into the tourism and hospitality sectors. That success didn’t happen overnight – it was built through strategy, local insight, and brand clarity.

Strong brands avoid the temptation to chase trends. A good name invites curiosity. A great story builds connection. A distinctive size or shape creates new relevance. Truly exceptional brands stay focused, patient, and committed to their narrative.

If you’re building – or rebuilding – a beverage brand and want to go beyond the hype, we’d love to help. Reach out for a chat.