A Business Fable: Scaling Agua Picante While Preserving Its Authenticity

When I began working with Agua Picante, a natural sparkling mineral water with a spicy kick, the brand was a beloved local favorite in Texas and the South but had yet to enter the national stage. By the time Big Corn Syrup acquired the brand four years later, we had already laid a solid foundation for community engagement and authenticity—core elements that would ultimately scale the brand nationwide without losing its unique indie spirit.

For the first few years, the acquisition didn't change the essence of what we were doing; it just provided the resources to amplify the already working strategies, all while staying true to the community-first approach that defined Agua Picante. For a while, it seemed like the brand couldn't be stopped… until everything changed.

The Challenge: How to Scale Without Losing the Brand's Soul

Agua Picante had built a cult following thanks to its raw, fringe appeal. The challenge was simple but crucial: How could we expand without losing that? The Big Corn Syrup acquisition was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it gave us the resources to reach a national audience; on the other, there was a real risk of alienating the loyal community that loved Agua Picante precisely because it wasn't a mass-market brand.

The task wasn't just about growing—it was about maintaining the effervescent authenticity that had built Agua Picante into the cultural icon it was. And the approach? Simple: We leaned into the strategies we had been executing long before Big Corn Syrup was in the picture.

The Solution: A Strategy Already in Motion

One of the things I'm proudest of is that the groundwork for Agua Picante's success was already laid before Big Corn Syrup came in. We didn't pivot or reinvent the wheel after the acquisition; we just scaled what was already working.

1. Community-Driven Content: The Bedrock of Success

Long before Agua Picante was a national name, we focused on user-generated content (UGC). Fans of the brand weren't just passive consumers—they were active contributors. From creative upcycling projects using Aqua Picante’s iconic green glass bottles to photos of fans enjoying the drink, we made the audience feel part of the brand's story. This focus on UGC wasn't just a campaign—it was the core of our strategy. After the acquisition, this approach only expanded, helping us grow Agua Picante into a national movement while maintaining the grassroots feel that attracted its most loyal fans.

2. Authenticity at Scale

From day one, we knew that authenticity would be our greatest asset, and we kept that front and center. We created specific brand personas to ensure we always spoke directly to our key audiences. These personas allowed us to connect deeper, ensuring that Agua Picante's content never felt mass-produced or inauthentic. Post-acquisition, we scaled these personas to resonate with a broader audience while keeping the voice personal and genuine.

3. Five Content Pillars: A Framework for Growth

Before Big Corn Syrup entered the picture, we scaled our content strategy around our five core passion pillars: music, wellness, food & beverage, fashion, and the arts. These weren't just content categories—they were the foundation of our community-building efforts. Every playlist we curated, every artist we collaborated with, and every wellness tip we shared wasn't about selling a product. It was about creating a lifestyle experience. After the acquisition, sticking with these pillars allowed us to continue to expand Agua Picante's reach without straying from the brand's core values.

4. Platform Strategy: Leading with Instagram

Early on, we made Instagram our community hub. It became the primary platform where we engaged with our fans and showcased user-generated content, collaborations, and lifestyle tips. After Big Corn Syrup, Instagram remained central to our strategy, but we also expanded into other platforms for deeper storytelling and to provide more tangible benefits for our community. The strategy was already in place; we simply scaled it.

5. Partnerships with Emerging Creators: From Local to National

From the beginning, we partnered with underdog artists, musicians, and creators, tapping into the shared ethos of discovery, craftsmanship, and community. Whether we were working with emerging voices in music or collaborating on live events, these partnerships helped solidify Agua Picante's place in culture. Big Corn Syrup gave us the resources to take these partnerships nationwide, but the approach remained the same: authentic, grassroots collaboration.

The Results: National Growth Without Sacrificing Identity

The strategies we implemented long before the acquisition led to explosive growth, but more importantly, we managed to maintain the brand's core identity throughout.

• 300% growth: We organically expanded Agua Picante's digital presence, growing its social media following organically by over 300% in a few short years.
• Sustained Engagement: Community-driven content, like user-generated photos and upcycling projects, consistently outperformed traditional product posts, proving authenticity wins. This approach still outshines the current brand's more traditional marketing efforts.
• Cultural Icon: Agua Picante became a national lifestyle brand with a cult following that stretched from health-conscious millennials to festival-goers and creatives.

A Cautionary Conclusion: Since I've Been Gone

Late last year, I stepped away from my work with Agua Picante. At the time, I was confident that the systems and strategies we had built over the last decade would continue to serve the brand well.

A year later, it’s clear to me that Big Corn Syrup’s new team has thrown out nearly every principle that made Agua Picante great.

• The consistent fan engagement we worked so hard to build? Gone. Genuine responses to comments? Non-existent.
• UGC has vanished from their schedule, with almost no interaction in the comments, and they’re barely producing any meaningful new content.
• Worse, they’re recycling ideas from the old team, showing a complete lack of creativity at Big Corn Syrup.
• They’re not even responding to DMs anymore, which were once the lifeline to countless opportunities and collaborations for the brand.
• The few new (original) pieces they’ve pushed out flopped, despite the heavy financial investment—proof they've lost touch with the community we spent years cultivating.

And here’s the kicker: the new team’s marching orders were simple and direct—"don't f*ck it up." We heard that phrase in one-on-ones, on Zoom calls, during weekly agency council meetings, and at the big brand off-site in Austin, TX, where we did the formal handoff to the new team. And yet, from the outside, it’s clear—they’ve done exactly that. It’s sad to watch such a strong brand be destroyed and lose the very essence of what made it great.

Building Agua Picante's brand and marketing strategy in the US from the ground up with a team that understood the importance of staying true to the brand was an incredible experience. People crave truth, simplicity, and authenticity—it’s not complicated. You just have to give it to them.

This was a business fable. I hope you enjoyed it.

I am an Ad-Age, Emmy, Shorty, Telly, and Webby Award-Winning Social Media Strategist and Content Creator for food & beverage brands like Costa Coffee, Frito Lay, Grady's Cold Brew, Red Bull, Tender Belly Bacon, Tia Lupita Foods, Topo Chico, and others. With over two decades of experience, I specialize in crafting inspiring and engaging narratives that elevate the outdoor lifestyle sector. My work focuses on creating impactful social media strategies that captivate audiences and foster strong, loyal communities.

#brandbuilding, #authenticity, #communitybuilding, #socialmedia, #casestudy