Adapting a Popular Icon of “Carácter” to connect with Colombians authenticity

Challenge
Tecate is a highly established beer brand in Mexico, but in Colombia it faced low penetration and difficulty gaining traction in on-trade channels, where local mainstream brands strongly dominated consumption. The challenge was to find an underserved audience and build cultural relevance fast.

Strategic Insight
While many beer brands in Colombia focused on broad mainstream audiences, an important and passionate consumer segment was being overlooked: the fans of Música Popular. This audience embraces authenticity, emotional expression, and individuality—they are not afraid to be judged for being themselves. In one word: they have carácter.

My Role
Led the strategic identification of the growth audience, connected local culture with brand purpose, and shaped the activation platform to drive relevance and trial in priority cities.

Strategic Solution
Aligned the audience truth with Tecate’s brand meaning: a beer with personality, made for people with personality. This created a locally resonant platform around Carácter.

To bring it to life, we partnered with one of the genre’s most recognized artists, Jhon Alex Castaño, transforming his iconic sign-off from “Con sentimiento Jhon Alex” to “Con carácter Jhon Alex.”

Execution
Rolled out through on-trade activations in secondary cities, music-led experiences, local visibility, and a branded song collaboration designed to connect where culture and consumption meet.

Impact
The campaign was strongly embraced by the target audience and helped make Tecate the fastest-growing beer brand within Central Cervecera Colombia during the period.

Why It Matters
This project demonstrates how challenger brands grow by identifying ignored cultural communities and turning brand purpose into local relevance.