How Pals became Pals

Business Is Boring

Pals is the pastel-coloured RTD that somehow made ready-to-drink drinks cool for the first time. But it wasn’t always assured to be a success, in fact, it started with a wine brand that was very hard to make a business from, a lot of learning, and a sense that there had to be a better way.

This week on Business is Boring, we sit down with Nick Marshall and Mat Croad, two of the co-founders of Pals, to unpack how they turned an overlooked, over-sugared category into a cultural icon. We go deep on what it takes to build a brand people love, how they’ve resisted the typical “grow fast, sell out” script, and why category creation is the new brand advantage.
From first sell-outs in the Mount, to Halloween costumes and B Corp ambitions—this one’s a masterclass in modern brand building, from two pals who just knew there had to be a better way.

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