Written by Jennifer English
Our vision is the world’s first spirit, owned exclusively, by everyone.
– Garrett Green, Founder
Visionary entrepreneur Garrett Green practices patience and perseverance, things he perfected during his competitive days as a rising amateur golfer at IMG Academies. Green, founder of next generation, super-premium spirits brand, ONE ROQ Vodka also sees an opportunity in this unprecedented food & beverage landscape, before his competitors.
“To say we live in changing times is an understatement,” said Green during one of our recent zoom conversations and product tastings. It is undeniable that our world is renegotiating the terms of our daily lives, and in true American spirit, visionary entrepreneurs like Green are rising to meet the challenge and opportunity of this moment with innovations which portend our food and beverage future.
It is not far fetched to think Green appears to own a crystal ball in which he saw big changes being forecasted for the premium spirits industry which align with our times. Green, (who he is) relaunched ONE ROQ in 2018, has a championship history in consumer products branding.
Prior to founding ONE ROQ, Green had a successful career in consumer package goods including 14 years of professional marketing, manufacturing, and investment experience within the consumer goods industry.
My multiple conversations with the thoughtful, knowledgeable Green, felt more like fascinating TED Talks than interviews. I discovered he is a revolutionary and passionate brand builder. On display were his elements of thinking, strategy, finesse, power, and discipline, which are not only hallmarks of a champion golfer but also success factors for entrepreneurs.
Turning back to golf, which is a very social game, the nature of the sport exists in a duality. On one side is solitary journey of the player in an environment and culture of nature of sociability. Conviviality is an important an aspect of golf as a lifelong sport. It was one of the formative, character building experiences that seems to have prepared Green for this adventure in entrepreneurship.
According to Green, “Spirits are the very source of conviviality. Toasting together is an essential practice in virtually every culture of the world.” In fact over 75 million cases of Vodka are consumed in the United States each year, ranking the U.S. 6th on the global Vodka consumption list. It is no surprise that Russia is the top consumer of Vodka with over 17 shots consumed by each Russian every month. Vodka loving countries like Poland and Ukraine are also in the top 3 consumers. But the Premium category of global vodka brands is populated by mega brands controlled by what Green calls a small group of “vodka establishment” manufacturers. The owners profit handsomely, usually by buying young, fast-moving brands with scalable marketing strategies. Prior to ONE ROQ, Green claims, “the luxury- American vodka category was void of real contenders.”
“Traditional business models treat consumers as non-equity subjects” said Green, explaining how the unique ONE ROQ business model was born. Traditional business models require large capital outlay from private sources (the rich) to fund long-term, customer acquisition (lifestyle advertising) schemes. Green explains, “Traditionally, just a small group of elite owners believe products themselves are enough to satisfy consumers, while they–the owners–enjoy the otherwise “real” lifestyle and financial rewards of that product.”
ONE ROQ’s paradigm– shifting business model bridges the brand and club member by making them owners and including them in the privileges of ownership, driving more meaningful and permanent customer relationships that center not just on enjoyment of a superior brand, but through immediate, lifestyle experiences, and long term financial rewards. According to Green, “ONE ROQ allows retailers or bartenders to focus on differentiated talking points that foster curiosity in independent and financial-minded consumers.”
In a sense, this makes every consumer not just a brand owner but a Brand Ambassador. This distinction is made uniquely with ONE ROQ and is an essential aspect of the brand’s growth strategy, differentiation, and early success. Since October, 2019 over 2,700 ONE ROQ Club member/ owners in the United States and International markets have invested/joined. Along the way, ONE ROQ/Green has scored sponsorships with the likes of ESPN/X-Games, special order programs with Total Wine & More, National direct-to-home reach with
1-877-Spirits.com, special events with Rand Luxury, and soon to be announced, private jet and helicopter services to support its next-generation, brand experience and Membership platform.
HOW IT WORKS
Discovery is an important consumer connection point for any brand. For ONE ROQ, consumers discover ONE ROQ Club online through ONE ROQ’s digital advertising, and word of mouth from existing members, retailers or bartenders.
Enrollment is the process where consumers become member/owners and receive immediate access to privileges, rewards, experiences, super premium product, content, and tools.
Member Incentives to join ONE ROQ Club provide consumers with active methods to share the Super Premium product and use tools to help grow the brand and the value of their Membership investment.
Carry Requests are live submissions made by new ONE ROQ Member/owners that want to have ONE ROQ placed at their favorite local on-premise retailers and other hospitality venues for their personal consumption, pride of ownership, and enjoyment. This is a powerful consumer experience ONE ROQ creates while also serving to eliminate uncertainty many retailers face when evaluating new products for shelving
The innovation and genius of the ONE ROQ model lies in the benefits of its Club as well as the cultural values they represent to consumers. Specific technology features of ONE ROQ’s model also enable retailers to become more confident buyers because ONE ROQ has verified customers/owners that have requested their stores for carry. ONE ROQ has 1000s of Member-backed Carry Requests to offer National distributors and retailers the opportunity to capitalize on ONE ROQ’s compelling approach to revolutionizing the premium vodka category, but perhaps also, the spirits market at large.
ONE ROQ Vodka is distilled from mid-western American Corn and pristine Colorado Rocky Mountain water using traditional continuous column distillation and a proprietary resting process to create its signature smell, color and taste. ONE ROQ features Non-GMO, Gluten sulfite & sodium free–the recipe for the increasing health and allergy conscious consumer. Bottles retail between $27.99 and $32.99 SRP (750/1L) in-store, and between $32 and $50 online (Member/non-Member) which can be found through ONEROQClub.com. ONE ROQ Vodka earned First Place Gold from the San Francisco SIP Awards and 93+pts during the 2020 Proof Podcast.
Consumers are becoming more thoughtful about brand choice– ONE ROQ is creating a new criteria for which to base that choice. – Garrett Green, Founder
ONE ROQ is not merely promising to re-invent the way premium brands are launched into the marketplace. The dynamic ONE ROQ Club ownership- experience proposition is actually forging the future of branded products, and they will lead this category, like Redbull created/led “Energy,” and VitaminWater created/led “Vitamin-enhanced.” ONE ROQ membership is driving corresponding sales growth (they are up over 600% in their first year), brand recognition, product trial, product adoption, trade stimulation and Member referrals. In other words, the proof of ONE ROQ Club’s success is found in the sipping, sharing, and sales to date. According to Garrett Green, who sees the concept as “driving the ONE ROQ Club through an experience of Together. Together as ONE ROQ Club members, together as owners, brand builders, ambassadors and most importantly, clinking our glasses together in the spirit of conviviality.”
