Schweppes & The Owned Media Funnel

Hi friends,

You know what? at the start of the year, I decided to start a newsletter. 

Well, technically, I procrastinated for a whole year and then started one in 2025. 

And today this is the last edition of the year. 

Boy, so many copy hunts, research, learning, and implementation. 

And most of all, the FUN of writing this for you. 

I cannot believe 34 editions in total and I stuck to it. 

Thanks for being the part of my journey and for enjoying my writing (I believe you are, haha)

Now shall we move to the edition?

In 1953, Schweppes was dying in America. Tonic water was boring. Summer-only. A mixer, nothing more.

Then David Ogilvy met Commander Edward Whitehead.

Whitehead wasn't an actor. He wasn't a model. He was the actual President of Schweppes USA. 

A real Navy Commander who grew his beard during World War II because naval rules said you couldn't have just a mustache.

Ogilvy looked at him and saw something everyone else missed.

In 1950s America, beards were basically illegal in corporate culture. Clean-shaven was the law. But here's this dignified British officer with a full beard, an accent that screamed sophistication, and a briefcase labeled 

"The Secrets of Schweppes."

Ogilvy didn't just make ads. He made Whitehead a character.

The billboards called him "The Commander" and "Ambassador from the House of Schweppes." 

They positioned him as this worldly, aristocratic figure who knew things you didn't.

That December ad with the snow? Pure genius.

The problem: Tonic water was seen as a summer drink. Gin and tonics at the beach. That's it.

The solution: Show the Commander in winter gear, asking if you'd love Schweppes in December like you did in May.

No desperate pitch. No "Buy now!" Just a sophisticated question that planted a seed: Maybe this isn't just a summer thing.

The copy was minimal. "Patrician little bubbles." "Schweppervescence." Words that made you feel fancy just reading them.

But here's the real magic: They weren't selling tonic water. They were selling British sophistication. Heritage. The feeling that you were part of an exclusive club.

Between 1953 and 1962, Schweppes sales in America jumped 517%.

Whitehead became the second most-recognized Englishman in America. Behind only Winston Churchill.

Because Ogilvy understood something most brands forget: In a world of identical products, the person selling it becomes the differentiator.

People didn't buy Schweppes. They bought into Commander Whitehead's world.

Where do your leads come from?

If you said "referrals" or "directories like IndiaMART," I need you to hear this:

Referrals are great. High quality. Warm.

But you can't scale them. You can't turn up the dial when you need more revenue next quarter.

And directories? You're renting land. Competing on price with everyone else on the same page. Zero brand equity. Low-quality price shoppers.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: Traditional B2B businesses survive on referrals and directories for years. Sometimes decades.

But they don't scale.

The businesses that do scale? They build an owned media funnel.

Let me break it down.

TOFU (Top of Funnel) – Awareness

This is where strangers discover you exist.

For most B2B businesses, this means SEO and content. But here's what's changing in 2025:

Buyers aren't just Googling anymore. They're asking ChatGPT and Perplexity for recommendations.

So if your content isn't optimized for LLMs (Large Language Models), you're invisible to a massive chunk of potential buyers.

The goal here? Get found. Blog posts that solve problems. Location pages for local search. Social content that drives traffic back to your website.

You're building awareness with people who have a problem but don't know you exist yet.

MOFU (Middle of Funnel) – Consideration

Here's where most B2B companies mess up.

They think short, punchy copy works. It doesn't.

In B2B, purchases are high-ticket and technical. Engineers and procurement officers need details. Specs. Proof.

This is where long-form content wins. Case studies. Technical breakdowns. High page time signals trust.

Most of your traffic will be "dark." They'll read, lurk, and disappear without filling a form.

That's normal. B2B buyers do research for months before they're ready to talk.

Your job? Offer lead magnets. Not just brochures. Think calculators, checklists, and technical guides. Things that prove your competence.

And track behavior. Who's viewing pricing pages? Who downloaded your case study? Who spent 10 minutes on your product page?

Because that tells you who's actually considering you.

BOFU (Bottom of Funnel) – Decision

Someone's checked your pricing. Read your case studies. Downloaded your materials.

They're ready to talk.

But here's the mistake: Asking for too much too soon.

Keep your inquiry forms simple. Name, email, and company name. That's it.

Don't ask for a budget or timeline upfront. That kills conversions.

The Magic: Email Nurture

Here's where B2B businesses separate themselves.

Most companies get a lead and... nothing. Or they spam them immediately.

The smart move? Build a nurture sequence.

Welcome series (3 emails over 6 days):

Then monthly emails. Because B2B sales cycles are long. Six months. Twelve months. Eighteen months.

You need to stay top of mind without being annoying.

And here's what wins: Case studies. Not "Happy holidays from us!" But "How we helped Client X cut costs by 40%."

Because in B2B, trust is everything.

Why This Matters

Referrals are unpredictable. They're a lagging indicator of past success, not a lever for future growth.

Directories are rented land. You build nothing.

But an owned media funnel? That's an asset you control.

You can turn up ad spend. Create more content. Optimize conversion rates.

It's predictable. Scalable. Yours.

The question is: Are you building an asset? Or are you renting?

Your homework this week: Map where your leads actually come from. Then ask yourself: What happens if that source dries up tomorrow?

Talk soon,

Alen