When two Los Angeles-based entrepreneurs, Andres Izquieta and Juan Charmelo Hidalgo, decided to build a beverage brand, they knew they wanted to do things a little differently. With their family roots in Ecuador, the duo aimed to create a product inspired by the blend of their cultures.
The Unique Beverage
They chose something they knew well: agua tropical, a type of herbal and floral water that people have been drinking in Ecuador for centuries. It became the true source for Izquieta and Hidalgo’s signature drink, Cheeky Cheeky Pom Pom, and their business model.
Logistical Challenges
Izquieta and Hidalgo faced significant logistical challenges at the start of their venture. Some of the challenges included product distribution, inventory management, working capital, and more. Where to invest in retail? When do you need to increase your investment in marketing channels? The beverage industry poses a big challenge.
Remote Collaboration
The team shares files and ideas and works on things collaboratively. They use Dropbox for everything from storing and sharing information to shared folders, and so on. For example, the Los Angeles team went out to understand the market and consumer. They took photos and videos and gathered some testimonials. Then they could organize those assets into structured subfolders, where a social media person could access and post them on social media within minutes.
Other Dropbox Products
They use DocSend when sharing sensitive or proprietary data because they want to monitor who is viewing those things. What the team loves about DocSend is that it gives you a place where you can password-protect files and share that data with important people. We get a report or email alert every time someone views it, which gives us an initiative to follow up with that person. We can be proactive and capable of closing the deal, whether it’s an investment, collaboration, or commission.
The Drink as a Blend of Cultures
They refer to their product as “reggaeton in a bottle.” What does that mean to you? It’s a mix of musical genres and subcultures within Latin culture. This is how we see our drink – everything from product creation to branding roots. We grew up in America, so we are influenced by American culture. But even within that culture, there are so many subcultures depending on your parents’ country of origin.
If you grew up, for example, in the United States and were of Dominican, Mexican, or Ecuadorian descent, you likely had many diverse friends within the Latin culture. You picked up some of their phrases, some traditions, some food, music, and so on. For me, reggaeton means more than just a music genre; it’s a representation of a mix of cultures. We see Cheeky in that way – as a vessel for much more.
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