A Century-Old Sparkling Water from Mexico Starts Bubbling in the U.S. Caroline Covington - Marketplace
go to original August 11, 2016

Topo Chico has been around for more than a century (Nathaniel F/Flickr)

When it comes to sparkling water, Perrier and San Pellegrino likely come to mind. Those European brands have long been go-tos for lovers of fizzy water in the U.S. But this Mexican sparkling water has captured the palates of many in the South, especially in Texas.

The brand is more than 120 years old and has been in the U.S. since the 1980s. But fandom didn’t start until just a few years ago. David de la Garza is Topo Chico’s marketing manager for the U.S. and said the growth in popularity was no accident — the company has had its sights set on the mainstream market for some time.

“It’s something that has been the works for over 30 years now,” De la Garza said.

Originally, Topo Chico sold its products primarily in Hispanic stores. But starting in 2012, the company made its official push into the mainstream market. Over the last year, the company has reported a double-digit growth in sales volume.

So how did Topo Chico do it? Social media has been one element of Topo Chico’s growth strategy. In part, it’s used to tell the brand’s story, which is based on the legend of a sick Aztec princess who was healed by water from a hidden spring outside modern-day Monterrey, Mexico. The brand has been bottling water from the spring since 1895.

Read the rest at Marketplace

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!