Earl Giles: repositioning a craft beverage company for growth

The brief

Earl Giles started by hand-squeezing ginger in a loft apartment. A decade later, they'd grown into a 20,000 sq ft drinks emporium with a restaurant, distillery, THC beverage line, and B2B consultancy business. Revenue had scaled by over 250x since launch.

The problem? Their brand and digital presence hadn't kept pace. The existing identity had been built around the restaurant, and no longer reflected the full scope of the business or its diverse product portfolio. They needed a brand world that could represent all four business pillars (Restaurant, Production, Consultancy, and D2C retail) and translate consistently across packaging, marketing materials, and digital channels.

The project was phased in two parts. First, a full rebrand to establish a cohesive visual identity and brand world that better represented the business as it exists today. Then, a dual-website build on Shopify Plus to bring that brand to life online, with dedicated D2C and B2B experiences that properly showcase each area of the business.

The ambition was significant: growth plans that would see revenue roughly double by end of 2026, with a significant new contribution from direct-to-consumer sales.

My role

I joined Earl Giles as their marketing consultant and project manager, acting as the bridge between their internal team and external agency partners. My scope covered:

Agency sourcing and selection. I helped Earl Giles identify and evaluate project partners for brand development (Intertype Studio), website build (Quickfire Digital), and SEO migration (StudioHawk). This included reviewing proposals, coordinating pitches, and advising on partner selection.

Project management. I oversee the website project internally for Earl Giles, managing timelines, coordinating deliverables, and ensuring communication flows smoothly between all parties. I act as the primary client point of contact for Quickfire throughout the build.

Scoping and discovery. I travelled to Minneapolis for a two-day workshop to scope the branding and website requirements in detail. This included stakeholder interviews, facility tours, and collaborative sessions with the leadership team to define project priorities.

Content architecture. I developed a comprehensive content schematic covering page specifications across both D2C and B2B websites, documenting functionality requirements, content needs, and ownership for each section.

Marketing strategy. I created their marketing communications framework using a Hero-Hub-Help model to structure campaign planning. I also defined eight audience personas across their business pillars and established four content pillars tied to their brand positioning.

Digital marketing planning. I developed strategy for SEO, social media (covering both B2B and B2C audiences), and email marketing to support the website launch and ongoing growth.

External stakeholder management. I manage relationships with the branding agency, web developers, and other external partners, ensuring deliverables meet project requirements and brand standards.

Creative c/o Intertype Studios

The challenges

The main complexity was scope. Earl Giles operates across multiple business models with different audiences: local diners, national THC consumers, wholesale buyers, and enterprise clients seeking consultancy. The brand needed to flex across all of these without losing coherence, and the website architecture and content strategy needed to serve each audience without becoming unwieldy.

There was also a mindset shift required. The team needed to move from thinking "we're a restaurant with some products" to "we're a beverage company with a restaurant." That repositioning influenced everything from brand hierarchy to site structure to messaging.

Working remotely from Birmingham with a Minneapolis-based client required careful coordination around time zones and clear documentation to keep everyone aligned between calls.

Deliverables

• Agency evaluation and partner recommendations for brand, website, and SEO workstreams

• Detailed project brief for Shopify Plus website covering D2C and B2B functionality

• Content schematic mapping all pages across both sites with ownership assignments

• Wireframe feedback and functionality requirements documentation

• Marketing activation calendar aligning product launches, seasonal campaigns, and content

• Social media strategy with audience personas, content pillars, and platform guidelines

• Hero-Hub-Help framework for campaign planning

• Ongoing project management and agency coordination

Status

The project is ongoing, with the website launch targeted for April 2026. I continue to project manage the build, coordinate agency deliverables, and support the internal team with content planning and launch preparation.

Services: Project management, marketing strategy, agency coordination, content planning, digital strategy

Duration: October 2025 - ongoing

Location: Remote (Birmingham, UK) with on-site workshop in Minneapolis