Taste Radio

Hugh Thomas and Joe Benn say the best insights and feedback about their brand come from an “Ugly Mob.” It may sound unseemly, but the mob is actually a group of loyal consumers of Ugly Drinks, a flavored sparkling water brand co-founded by Thomas and Benn. Based in the U.K., Ugly made its U.S. debut earlier this year via a direct-to-consumer platform and at independent retailers in metro New York. Despite differences in the British and American beverage markets, Thomas and Benn use a similar playbook for acquiring consumer insights in both countries, one rooted in a constant digital presence and interaction with its fans and customers. “We always have known that this is a digital brand and we think digital first and our consumer does as well,” Thomas said in an interview included in this episode. “In the U.K. we’ve developed a strong social media following with millennials and Gen Z consumers and we knew when we launched in the U.S. that was going to be something that occurred as well; that’s how the brand ha