Topo Chico Hard Seltzer is starting off 2022 the way it ended 2021: red hot.
The brand surged in the 10 months following its March release, winning a 2 share in the U.S. despite being distributed in just 16 markets and posting impressive share numbers in key markets like Texas, Colorado and Chicago.
Not only is the hard seltzer available nationally in the U.S. this month, it’s set to launch its highly anticipated Topo Chico Ranch Water Hard Seltzer in select markets, too.
“We’re incredibly excited to take Topo Chico Hard Seltzer to all 50 states. The excitement from consumers is there,” says Alan Bremerkamp, Molson Coors’ director of marketing for hard seltzers. “Throughout last year, people continued to ask where they could find the brand. They drove across state lines to find it. Now they’ll be able to bring it home from their favorite store.”
In what Bremerkamp describes as one of Molson Coors Beverage Company’s largest innovation launches ever, Topo Chico Hard Seltzer will be available nationally in a 12-pack variety pack containing its four core flavors (Strawberry Guava, Tangy Lemon Lime, Exotic Pineapple and Tropical Mango), as well as standalone 24-ounce cans of Strawberry Guava and Tangy Lemon Lime, and 16-ounce cans of Tangy Lemon-Lime.
Topo Chico Hard Seltzer has already posted impressive growth in the 16 markets where it was sold last year. Now that the brand is available nationally, Molson Coors believes it can be a top-three hard seltzer in the U.S. At 4.7% alcohol by volume, 2 grams of sugar and 100 calories, Topo Chico Hard Seltzer is inspired by Topo Chico Mineral Water. It blends spiked pure-filtered sparking water, natural flavors and added minerals for a crisp, refreshing taste.
As the brand moves into new markets, Molson Coors wants to replicate the same success it saw in its first year by driving brand awareness from the get-go. Topo Chico Hard Seltzer is tripling its media spend from last year, building out a marketing strategy that includes its first national TV spot, digital and out-of-home ads, as well as increased sampling events.
“We know we have a lot of work to do to introduce people to Topo Chico Hard Seltzer,” Bremerkamp says. “Our field team is aggressively sampling the brand. It has the highest repeat rate of any hard seltzer in the last two years. We know people love it. They just need to try it first.”
A new ad campaign builds on last year’s effort, which featured local legends. The new iteration is colorful, playing off the panache of Topo Chico Hard Seltzer’s packaging and focusing on the hard seltzer’s inspiration and added minerals for crisp taste, concluding that “legends never stop refreshing.”
“One of the things that sets Topo Chico Hard Seltzer apart is its differentiated branding,” says Bremerkamp. “When you think about the packaging and branding of other hard seltzers out there, you get lots of whites. But Topo Chico Hard Seltzer really pops with yellows and greens and Latin-inspired flair.”
Introducing Topo Chico Ranch Water Hard Seltzer
With Topo Chico Ranch Water Hard Seltzer, the brand is tackling another staple of Southwest culture. Inspired by the taste of the Ranch Water cocktail, with notes of tequila flavor and real lime juice, Topo Chico Ranch Water Hard Seltzer comes in single-flavor 12-packs of 12-ounce slim cans, tapping in at 4.7% ABV and 100 calories. The launch is supported by a combination of online video, paid social and influencer marketing.
Inspired by the Texas cocktail that uses Topo Chico Mineral Water, Topo Chico Ranch Water Hard Seltzer stands apart from competitors, Bremerkamp says: “When you’ve got the name, the credibility and the history of the brand, these really help to differentiate Topo Chico Ranch Water Hard Seltzer.”
Topo Chico Ranch Water Hard Seltzer is launching initially in nine states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, New Mexico, Tennessee and Texas, where Ranch Water cocktails are popular. The national expansion and new product launch are just the beginning of a busy year for Topo Chico Hard Seltzer.
Also on deck for the brand is the unveiling of a margarita variety pack in the spring. Each of the four tropical flavors in the Topo Chico Hard Seltzer Margarita Hard Seltzer Variety Pack, including Signature Margarita, Tropical Pineapple, Strawberry Hibiscus and Prickly Pear, will come in 12-ounce slim cans, and weigh in at 100 calories and 4.5% ABV.
And later in 2022, Topo Chico Hard Seltzer is slated to make its debut in Canada, a market in which Molson Coors is having runaway success with 2021’s introduction of Vizzy and Coors Seltzer.
“People are incredibly excited to get their hands on Topo Chico Hard Seltzer. They want to try something different, and that’s what this hard seltzer brings,” Bremerkamp says. “Once they try it, they love it.”
Molson Coors produces, distributes and markets Topo Chico Hard Seltzer as part of a brand authorization agreement with The Coca-Cola Company, which acquired the Topo Chico brand in 2017.