The challenge

Del Fruto saw an opening in Mexican soft drinks: a category dominated by international giants, but with clear nostalgia and pride around homegrown brands. The open question was whether that pride translates into purchases and price, or whether it stays sentiment. Would drinkers actually switch? Would they pay more? And if so, for what format, flavor, and price? Guessing at a product launch is expensive. Del Fruto wanted the answer first.

The study

Del Fruto ran a study through SegmentOS with 371 Mexican soda drinkers, screened as regular buyers of the category. The study covered how and where they buy, what they value versus what frustrates them, their appetite for Mexican brands, how much more they would pay for a premium version, the flavors and formats they wish existed, and a head-to-head test of three concrete product concepts.

What the data showed

The appetite for Mexican brands is real, not just sentimental. 62% of drinkers factor in whether a brand is Mexican when they choose, and 55% say they would switch from their usual soda to a heritage Mexican brand if it were easier to find. Preference is not the barrier. Availability is.

They will pay a premium. 46% of drinkers would pay at least 10 pesos more for a premium Mexican soda (special glass bottle, artisanal flavors), and 23% would pay more than 20 pesos more if it is genuinely worth it. Only 13% would not pay any premium at all. That is a rare signal in a price-sensitive category.

There is clear demand for things the category does not offer. Asked what they wish existed, drinkers pointed to regional and seasonal flavors like tamarindo, jamaica, and guanabana (46%), a premium returnable glass bottle in the style of the 90s (27%), and an intermediate size between a can and the standard bottle (25%).

The barriers are physical, not emotional. The two most common category frustrations are price increases (36%) and warm soda at the point of purchase (36%), and "served cold" is the single most important attribute drinkers named (4.45 out of 5). For heritage Mexican brands specifically, the weakest link is availability, being there, cold, when and where people shop.

One concept won decisively. Of three propositions tested head to head, a premium Mexican soda in a 330 ml glass bottle with a regional-edition label, priced at 16 pesos, won with 47%, well ahead of a reduced-sugar option (21%) and a discounted home-delivery pack (19%). The market pointed at a specific product.

Why it matters

In one study, Del Fruto turned "there might be an opportunity in Mexican sodas" into a validated one: proven appetite (62% value Mexican origin), proven willingness to pay (46% will pay a premium), a clear format and price the market prefers (a 16-peso premium glass regional edition), and a clear obstacle to beat (distribution and cold, not desire). That is the difference between launching on a hunch and launching on evidence.