From Bartender's Verdict to 2 Billion Bottles: The Man Who Invented Baileys - David Gluckman
David Gluckman is the drinks industry legend who created Baileys Irish Cream, Tanqueray Ten, Cîroc, The Singleton, Sheridan's, Aqua Libra and more during his 40-year career at IDV (now Diageo). He's the author of "That Sh*t Will Never Sell" — the book named after the verdict a colleague gave when he first tasted the muddy-brown liquid that went on to sell over two billion bottles.
In one of the most candid, funny, and idea-obsessed founder conversations we've had, David takes us inside the real, messy process of inventing the brands that ended up in millions of homes worldwide — including the flops nobody remembers alongside the wins everybody does.
What you'll learn in this episode:
Chapters
00:00:00 Welcome to the Show: Meet David Gluckman, The Man Behind Baileys
00:02:31 The Fear Factor: Why Creative Work is a 24-7 Obsession
00:03:56 The One Answer Philosophy: Why 48 Ideas is 47 Too Many
00:06:00 The Hard-Looking Bastard: Designing for the Sales Force
00:07:41 Ciroc and Grape Vodka: The Story That Got Away
00:13:19 The Consumer Research Problem: Why 9 Out of 10 Means You Have Crap
00:15:53 The Singleton Strategy: Selling Single Malt to Blended Whiskey Drinkers
00:18:00 Burn the Boats: Why Plan B is for Losers
00:19:12 The Smirnoff Black Challenge: Getting a Michelin Star for KFC
00:24:35 The Australian Rum Disaster: When Ego Kills a Great Idea
00:29:24 The Power of One Word: Finding Vitality in Roger's Thesaurus
00:33:48 Setting Trends Not Following Them: The Birth of Alcopops
00:37:12 The Baileys Secret: Why Passion Beats Product Every Time
00:39:53 The Baileys Mystery: How a Brand Survives 51 Years of Bad Marketing
00:41:47 The Final Question: Is Your Product Really Good Enough
#Entrepreneurship #BrandBuilding #FounderStory #Baileys #DrinksIndustry #ProductInnovation #Marketing #Bootstrapping #WeHaveAMeeting
About David Gluckman:
Creator of Baileys Irish Cream, Tanqueray Ten, Cîroc, The Singleton, Sheridan's, Aqua Libra and more. Spent 40 years at IDV (now Diageo) building some of the world's most recognisable drinks brands from scratch. Author of "That Sh*t Will Never Sell" (2nd edition), a book about the ideas behind the brands, told by the person who had them.
Connect with David:
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-gluckman-7a7bb29
🔗 Book & more: https://www.thatshitwillneversell.com
🔗 Author site: https://davidgluckmanauthor.com
Hear more from the Hosts:
🔗 Jack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b
🔗 Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b
Brought to you by Nooks:
The AI-powered platform helping teams automate outbound sales and book more qualified meetings.
Learn more at https://www.nooks.ai/wehaveameeting
Subscribe to We Have a Meeting:
New episodes every week with founders, sales leaders, and entrepreneurs who've built it from the ground up.
