The Infatuation's Fifth Employee is Making Beer With Tom Holland
An interview with Jackie Widmann, BERO's Head of Marketing.
Make Yourself at Home is a series of conversations with the people behind your favorite food, drinks, movements and destinations — the experts who have mastered the art of making you feel like you’re right where you belong.
When Jackie Widmann left her job at AB InBev to join Tom Holland at BERO, she was following a familiar instinct — the thrill of building something from the ground up. She first experienced this excitement in her early days at The Infatuation, but the decision to make the move to BERO went beyond reliving startup energy. Jackie was riding the cultural wave that's turning happy hours into mindful drinking across the U.S. "Even while I was at AB, I noticed I was drinking a lot less alcohol," Jackie says.
I talked to Jackie about working with Tom Holland, being part of the founding team at The Infatuation, and the growing movement towards mindful drinking. Here’s what she had to say.
On leaving alcoholic beer and joining BERO: I was really inspired by the idea of getting started with a founding team again and helping build a brand from the very beginning. I had that experience one other time very early in my career at The Infatuation as employee number five. If I was going to leave my corporate role, I knew it had to be for a category I was passionate about and wanted to help build.
On taking the leap: We talked about the non-alcoholic beverage space a lot during my time at AB InBev. It’s a category that has always intrigued me, but while I was working on the innovation team, I focused on other areas like spirit-based seltzers and hard teas. But I did notice that I was drinking a lot less alcohol while I was working there — so making the move to BERO felt like a natural fit and next step for me. And the data speaks for itself. There really has been a huge shift in consumer behavior and drinking culture in the U.S. It felt like a massive opportunity.
On getting hired as employee number five at The Infatuation: I was lucky to work with so many amazing consumer brands during my time at The Infatuation. We built experiential moments — like our food festival EEEEEATSCON — and integrated 360 campaigns for brands like Nike, Don Julio, JetBlue and American Express. I also worked directly with celebrities and business execs to build thought leadership panels and curated events. After being in that space for five and a half years (and taking on interesting roles elsewhere) I was eager to dive into a new position. I wanted to take my experiences in marketing and beverage, and apply them in a new capacity, and that’s exactly what I’m doing at BERO.
On working with Tom Holland: Tom has been an incredible partner as we’ve built this brand. He knows his fans better than anyone, and he has amazing ideas. In one of our pre-launch meetings, he asked if we could get a BERO delivery truck so he could come along with a driver and sales team and make deliveries to NYC bars and restaurants. We captured some behind-the-scenes footage of that moment during our launch week, and the clips ended up airing live on Late Night with Seth Meyers. People loved seeing Tom in action as a true member of the team.
On Tom's commitment to sobriety: Tom is one of the most authentic celebrities and humans out there. He’s really focused on building a brand that represents inclusion and enjoyment, and that’s what he’s all about as a person, too. So many people have resonated so deeply with Tom’s journey with sobriety and wanting to live the best version of their lives. And I mean it when I say Tom is one of the kindest and most inclusive people I’ve ever worked with.
On drinking BERO creatively: It’s been so fun to see on social. Whether it’s movie nights, happy hours with friends, parents watching their kids play sports on the weekends, or even a shower beer, BERO is truly a beer that does both, and we love to see how our consumers enjoy it.
On changing party culture: We really want to change the messaging that exists in the non-alcoholic space right now. It’s not about giving anything up or making sacrifices. We want BERO to enrich social experiences and add to the ability to do more and live fully. It isn’t a substitute.
On positioning BERO to appeal to the sober-curious and non-drinkers: Whether you’re fully sober, “damp,” or dry, we aspire to be the leader in premium non-alcoholic beer, championing inclusivity and finding the balance between indulgence and moderation. Hopefully, the great taste of our beer will keep people coming back for more, but it’s the messaging around expecting nothing less out of life, and being a Beer That Does Both — as well as the branding — that brings people in and sparks that curiosity.
On forecasting the evolution of drinking culture: Consumers are just drinking less, period. Whether it’s for health reasons or otherwise, people want to feel good but not have to sacrifice the occasions and the outings with friends and loved ones. BERO can hopefully become the gold standard for finding that balance. We know some of our customers aren’t completely avoiding alcohol, and we believe BERO can be the perfect accompaniment to a martini or glass of wine. It allows us all to enjoy the moment and be present for the people around us.
Thank you for reading the first issue of Make Yourself at Home. This is just the beginning, and I’m so glad you’re here. 🍻
Go Jackie!!!!!