When Tola Alade set out to launch his premium rum brand, DÒDÒ, he was quoted a staggering £105K to bring my vision to life. But instead of being deterred by the high costs, he found a way to do it for just £600—by leveraging creativity, strategic partnerships, and community-driven momentum.
Here is how he turned an April Fool’s prank (his unusual idea of producing a plantain-infused rum started as a joke) into a thriving rum brand, proving that you don’t always need massive funding to start—just a great story and the resourcefulness to make it happen. 🚀🥃
Alade writes:
I was quoted £105k to launch a rum brand
…but here’s how I launched DÒDÒ for just £600 🤓
🥃 Product Development
What we were quoted: £2K for recipe development
What I paid: £600
How we did it: Partnered with a distillery in Scotland and flavouring experts (Tastepoint by IFF) who believed in our vision – s/o to 🚀 MAHBIR Thukral. They supported the development our unique plantain-infused recipe alongside the distillery.
📣 Brand Design & Marketing
What we were quoted: £12K for branding + £36K/year for PR
What we paid: £0
How we did it: Brand identity, packaging, website and social content designed by yours truly. Built organic hype through waitlist, pre-orders and cultural storytelling. Used the initial buzz to secure press coverage without paying for PR.
📦 Production & Bottling
What we were quoted: £30K minimum order for 4k bottles
What we paid: Small batch cost for 250 bottles (paid for by pre-orders)
How we did it: Started with a limited first batch of 250 bottles to test the market. This reduced our upfront costs and created FOMO. Sold out with zero marketing spend!
🚚 Distribution
What we were quoted: £25K for distributor setup
What we paid: A fraction of original quote and paid for by pre-orders
How we did it: Built a direct-to-consumer model through pre-orders and waitlist. Used password-protected launches to create exclusivity and manage inventory.
What we could have spent: £105K+
What we actually spent: Under £1K
Key learning: Sometimes the best marketing is authenticity and building in public.
Our April Fool’s prank resonated so much with people that they demanded we make it real. By listening to our community and being resourceful, we turned a joke into a premium rum brand that’s now expanding to batch #2 👉🏾 https://www.drinkdodo.com/
The moral?
Start small, be nimble and creative and let your community guide you.
You don’t always need huge capital to launch – just a good story (lucky ours came unexpectedly from a prank) and the determination to make it happen.
Share with someone who thinks they need massive funding to start a brand, launch a product or venture 🙏🏾
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