John Shahidi joined the TBPN podcast during their live broadcast from the New York Stock Exchange, where he discussed the continued growth of Happy Dad and the strategy behind expanding the brand in retail.

John appeared around the two-hour mark of the episode and shared insight into Happy Dad’s early performance in 2025 and how the company approaches marketing and in-store presence.

Happy Dad Off to a Strong Start in 2025

Despite a cold start to the year across much of the United States and the typical slowdown associated with Dry January, Happy Dad still delivered strong growth to begin the year.

“Happy Dad in January was up 31 percent year over year,” John said during the conversation. “And this is dry January by the way.”

He noted that the weather made the performance even more notable.

“Ninety percent of the country was pretty much frozen, including Florida,” he said. “And Happy Dad’s not really a cold-weather product.”

Why Happy Dad Focuses on Retail Visibility

John also discussed one of the core strategies behind Happy Dad’s growth. Instead of over-investing in traditional marketing placements, the brand focuses heavily on retail execution and visibility where customers are actually making purchase decisions.

“With Happy Dad, you go on a Friday or Saturday to buy the product,” he explained. “You might as well spend money in the store with displays, decorating the stores, or putting up neon signs.”

He added that brands often spend marketing dollars in places where consumers are not in a buying mindset.

“If you’re sponsoring a podcast that’s live at 8 a.m. on a Tuesday and you’re an alcohol company, the customer is going to forget about you by the time Friday or Saturday comes around,” he said.

Instead, the brand prioritizes trade marketing and strong in-store presence.

“That would be my tip with any CPG brand,” John said. “Focus on trade marketing. Focus on proper displays and being seen in the store.”

A Retail-First Approach to Growth

The strategy reflects how Happy Dad approaches expansion in a competitive alcohol market. Strong in-store execution, eye-catching displays, and retail partnerships help ensure the product stands out when customers are ready to purchase.

As John explained during the interview, visibility at the moment of purchase matters more than awareness created days earlier.

“Trigger them at that moment,” he said. “When they’re actually in the store and ready to buy.”

Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDal3GPkV2A