Topo Chico: Building Brand Strategy for the world’s most undifferentiated category

Client: Topo Chico/The Coca-Cola Company

Challenge: Brand Strategy

My role: Project Lead, Strategy Director

Agency: BAMM

Tools: Mobile Diary, IDIs, Affinity Mapping, Storytelling

March 2024

New York, New York 

Background

Topo Chico is a niche, premium mineral water with global ambitions. As New York City alone consumes as much mineral water as the rest of the country combined, our exploration began with a fundamental question: how can Topo Chico position itself to authentically connect with New Yorkers?

Challenge

• Objective 1: Grow brand presence in New York City.

• Objective 2: Establish an authentic connection with New Yorkers.

• Objective 3: Differentiate Topo Chico in a highly competitive market. 

My role: As strategy director, I led the project, designing the research strategy and developing insights-based recommendations with a team of two junior members. Reporting directly to the client, I guided implementation across global regions.

Approach: Low-Impact Observations Online and In-Person

Step 1: Contextual Understanding

To grow a brand means to lean into its uniqueness. Deep contextual understanding is crucial to success, but consultants often come and go. Only by closely observing the context in which people enjoy their water, were we able to reveal deeper insights. This involved projective exercises, mood board design, and water diaries.

Step 2: Ethnographic Deep Dive

We asked participants to record all the drinks they consumed in the day and reflect on their drinking habits over five days. By day three, participants typically forgot they were being observed, providing more authentic insights. To ensure an enduring picture of the brand audience, we went beyond traditional reports—directing a movie, welcoming viewers into the world of the customers, the "Truth Seekers."

*Truth Seeker is Topo Chico’s persona, a type of customer the brand seeks to recruit.

Step 3: Brand Occasion Auditing

All waters—premium, tap, boxed, and bottled—are chemically the same. Provenance differentiates products in the premium segment. We audited brand occasions through mobile ethnography, where participants documented when they enjoyed Topo Chico. Unlike any other sparkling water brand, Topo Chico cues night occasions, especially social hangouts.

Results

Result 1: Unique Social Energy

Participants, like Kearan (24, Topo Chico drinker), highlighted Topo Chico's crisp, refreshing taste that enhances social energy. This insight positioned Topo Chico as the go-to choice for social gatherings, particularly in the evenings.

Result 2: Authentic Identity

Building on its Mexican provenance, Topo Chico's "Sourced in Mexico" label evokes vibrancy, authenticity, and a welcoming spirit, resonating with New Yorkers' desire for genuine experiences.

Result 3: Strategic Recommendations

• Distribution Strategy: Focus on local availability in artisanal grocery stores, coffee shops, and bodegas.

• Packaging Strategy: Introduce a resealable bottle to cater to New Yorkers' on-the-go lifestyle without compromising its premium feel.

• Brand Partnerships: Go indie by collaborating with smaller creators in film, art, and music. (e.g. A24 and Korean cinema, not Disney). 

Conclusion

Understanding who we are and where we belong opens new opportunities, unlocking passion points and relevant partnerships in music, art, and photography. Collaborating with indie creators in these fields will help Topo Chico resonate with the desire for intellectual inspiration and authenticity among our audience.