Beverage Master: Island Brands – Leveraging Technology for Success
When entrepreneurs Brandon Perry and Scott Hansen launched Island Brands USA in 2016, their goal was to create a mainstream, easy-drinking beer with the highest quality ingredients. That was challenging given the hyper-competitive landscape and complexity of the three-tier system. But they were undaunted, and through ultra-strategic planning using branding and technology, they found a niche among “thrill-seekers, outdoor enthusiasts, and beer drinkers everywhere.”
By 2020, the Charleston, South Carolina company saw combined sales of its two existing brands—Island Coastal Lager and Island Active—grow 70% to $1.9 million in sales, according to IRI data. In 2021, sales grew 99% to $4.2 million. Today, Island Brands is the fastest-growing super-premium domestic beer in the Southeast U.S. and is poised to take an even bigger bite out of the competition this year.
“Publix Super Market, the largest and fastest-growing employee-owned supermarket chain in the United States, loved it in a big way and started putting it in every store,”