Graza's Success, Wet Martinis, and Coach Goes Full Downtown NYC

secret service takes nyfw by storm

WHAT’S GOOD!!! I just ran 5 miles from Williamsburg to the Lower East Side and back and there’s no better feeling than returning to my laptop with plenty of juicy topics to write about. Let’s get into it—

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In Today’s Newsletter

• How Graza Took Over Your Countertop

• The Wettest Martini You’ll Ever Have

• The Presidential Debate

• Coach Goes Full NYC

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How Graza Took Over Your Countertop

• In the few years since it launched, Graza has become the darling of the countertop, inspired copycats, and made a f*ck ton of money selling olive oil in a squeeze bottle.

• Their CEO reports they’re on pace to sell $60M worth of product this year.

• A lot can be said about its meteoric rise— but there’s no doubt Graza is on to something. They essentially reinvented the category.

• Previously, olive oil was mainly sold in dark, glass bottles with packaging designs that harkened back to the European countryside. Its safe to say it was ripe for disruption.

• After successful stints in the DTC and food industries, their founder, Andrew Benin, sought out to create something that would stand out.

• Taking inspiration from the squeeze bottle’s you’d find in restaurant kitchens and tapping Gander to create the now iconic packaging illustrations— he created two versions of Graza— one for cooking and one for drizzling.

• In a new profile, Bloomberg writes extensively on the trend of CPG brands elevating their packaging to standout to consumers.

• For example, home cleaner brand, Method, opted to use minimal, transparent packaging that would look good on someone’s countertop, as opposed to stuffed away under the sink.

• The entire category of ‘Shoppy Shop’ (c/o

  Emily Sundberg
  ) type brands is propped up on the hypothesis that consumers can be swayed to purchase based on packaging alone (the wine bottle effect)

  Packaging provides a shortcut for feeling confident in those purchasing choices, absent real information. — Amanda Mull

• I would also argue Graza has done an incredible job building their brand beyond just their distinct, bright, utilitarian packaging.

• They’ve been strategic with influencers, activations, collabs, and getting their olive oil in places where consumers go.

• A few months ago, I interviewed Kendall Dickieson, who runs Graza’s social media. She shared some incredible insights you need to know if you work in brand marketing or are just curious how Graza got so big—