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Bev Forum this week brought formal unveiling of Arih noodles & bevs platform that 4 days earlier had sent 42 sku's into every Walmart in the country with hope of riding momentum of BTS boy band and K-pop fervor generally. Tho we'd fleshed out some details in coupla prior stories as partners undertook social media teasers and Beverly Hills popup (BBI, Apr 22 and 24), the Forum brought principals of massive undertaking onto main stage in persons of Walmart svp pantry Melody Richard, Young Hwa "Movie" Kim helming jt venture called HYM between band's label Hybe and major Korean food player HY, and incubation partner LA Libations, whose cofounder Danny Stepper had styled this biggest launch effort by far in Libations' 2-decade history. Secret effort was a year in the works, stemming from Richards' request to Stepper to bring her something special, and on exclusive basis. For BTS, it's first brand launch, tho group has previously undertaken partnerships with likes of Coca-Cola and Starbucks. For those who know Stepper, everything is huge, of course. But how big a deal is this for Walmart? Huge! It "required a level of detail that's never been done at Walmart, 3 categories at the same time, 42 sku's," Richard recalled, referring to 2 bev lines and 1 noodle line, offered in single packs and multis. BBI description last wk as an "avalanche" was accurate, she indicated. But it's bigger than that. Richard made it clear she views this as key test of gigaretailer's digital-first strategy, which allows little room for error. That involves a complex matrix of fulfillment centers, depots and stores, with assurance that 95% of Americans can get delivery in 3 hrs or less, including 1 hr or less for express items. "The only way to do that is digital," she said. So to the extent that partners succeeded in stoking demand for Arih, starting with effort to "create FOMO" 2 weeks before items hit stores, it would intensify the stress test of system.No surprise, then, that panelists described often-tense discussions in which Richard felt bound to yell at Stepper periodically that "Retail is detail!" On one call, "I barely could say hello and she said, 'Dude, you got problems,'" Stepper recalled. "It happened a couple of times, actually." Progress was monitored on all-hands calls every Tues over course of development.Stakes also are high for Korean food player HY, best known here for its Yakult yogurt brand. Tho Kim kept his remarks relatively terse, we understand this is first prong of planned major push into US market for HY, which has sought more prominent presence for decades. (Joint venture name HYH is amalgam of HY and Hybe.) Who better to hitch that to than BTS? For Walmart it's testbed not only of digital-first strategy but broader aim for retailer to show the agility that's not expected of the gorilla in the room. "We're willing to try hard things," Richard said. "I feel I work for the world's largest startup." Simultaneous launch of 42 sku's of "a brand most American shoppers had never heard of" seems to meet that challenge.Among misfires, partners couldn't pull launch together in time for debut of BTS' new album as band members returned from their mandatory military service and started to restoke fan base, the "army." "At first Walmart was pretty upset that this was not launching the same day the album was launching," Danny recounted. "You don't think of Walmart as being flexible, as being understanding, and they're tough and they have to be." But partners soldiered on until time came for Richard to bring in regional vp's to meeting in Bentonville, Ark. Had they bought in? "We literally cannot order enough," Stepper recalled them conveying.In early days, there have been some encouraging signs. Idea of creating 7 of every product type has stoked enthusiasm among BTS army, with some assembling "rainbow" baskets of all 7 because it's not overtly clear which represents which band member. They "don't know which is which, so they're collecting them. The customer engagement has been absolutely beautiful," Richard reported.There's a bit more to story. How did Libations come up with the idea to meet Richard's request? Credit LinkedIn, Stepper confessed. He cited his decision in past year to get active on platform to "a really obnoxious" extent. That brought avalanche of inbounds to which he always felt bound to respond. One came from woman with entertainment background whom Stepper, who's also a film producer, assumed was pitching a script or other entertainment concept. Her cryptic come-on required "heavy NDA" that Stepper was willing to sign but rated as a no-go with retailer of Richard's clout. "That's not gonna happen," he warned pitchwoman. "But it did." By Stepper's account, it was Richard who got the joke first, not him. Tho "I did not totally see it in the beginning, she got it right away, way more than I did." With Walmart believing, "I became a believer real quick," he said to ripple of audience laughter. So here's another lesson: "LinkedIn is such a powerful tool when used correctly."

BEV FORUM: For Walmart, Massive Arih Launch Reps Key Test of Digital-First Strategy; Yelling 'Retail Is Detail!' at Poor Danny

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