“Even though there was a lot to learn as first-time founders but I think our lack of experience has led to innovation and belief we can do it.” @DeeCharlemagne #DTCPOD“Storytelling is really powerful especially in a world where most brands are focused on performance marketing.” @DeeCharlemagne #DTCPOD“One of our first meetings was writing down the values of our company as much as it was writing down the recipes for our product.” @DeeCharlemagne #DTCPOD“We traveled around in an AVEC-branded 1995 Chevy van and that content outperformed our fancy photo shoots.” @DeeCharlemagne #DTCPOD“For gaining press, research your targets and share why the product is relevant to them and why it’s relevant to their audience.” @DeeCharlemagne #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:05] About AVEC  [03:50] How Dee and her co-founder, Alex, got into CPG[06:30] Where AVEC’s name comes from and the brand story[10:40] The elements of a great brand story[13:35] How to create sustainable growth and brand equity[14:50] Dee’s strategy for generating press for your brand[18:00] Culture and brands that have inspired AVEC[22:00] Dee on overcoming challenges AVEC has faced[24:25] What’s next for AVECBuilding brand equity starts with a great brand storyDee Charlemagne, Co-Founder of AVEC, joins the DTC POD to talk about brand storytelling. A little about AVEC - it’s a premium mixer that’s all-natural, made with real juice, botanicals and spices, and low in sugar and calories.Before AVEC, Dee worked at agencies and publishing companies. Her experience there allowed her to understand how brand communities are built.AVEC leans heavily into storytelling in its own brand, even with its name. AVEC means “with” in French. An aspirational goal for AVEC is to have people order drinks with liquors and its flavors (i.e. Tequila AVEC Yuzu & Lime).Many eCommerce businesses today are focused on performance marketing. While this is important, AVEC likes to lean more into storytelling.One of the first meetings Dee and her co-founder, Alex, had revolved around brand values. These are incredibly important to build brand equity.It’s important to give your brand personality (and be personal)In addition to writing down brand values, Dee thinks brand personality is important. Dee suggests writing down three words that describe your brand.The best brands are part of culture. Think about how your brand can take things from culture and include it in your story.Pick cultures that share the same values as your brand and draw from those. For example, Supreme draws heavily from the skateboard and hip-hop culture.As you add personality to your brand, it’s also important to be personal yourself. Dee and Alex put time every day into crafting media relationships. They even hand-deliver items themselves.Relationships should also not be transactional. Having a very honest approach can go a long way to building brand trust and brand equity.By continuously putting time towards building relationships, AVEC has been able to gain a lot of press.Stay tuned as Dee also talks about how AVEC has tapped into their local community to grow, what challenges they have faced and overcome, and what’s next for the brand.If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn. Mentioned Links:AVEC’s website: https://avecdrinks.com/AVEC’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avecdrinks/