Brands on the Rise is a regular Ad Age feature spotlighting the marketing and business tactics of successful challenger brands. Read other installments here.
Searches for “ranch water” first started to peak in May 2020, according to Google Trends. Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that, in April of that year, a company called Lone River Ranch Water sold its very first case.
The brand was an early entrant in the ranch water category, which now includes a host of brands that are inspired by bartender-mixed drinks made with soda water, tequila and lime. Lone River—which is made from carbonated water, alcohol from sugar, lime juice, agave nectar and other ingredients—has kept growing even as it fends off a growing list of competitors big and small. Among them, Heineken announced a Dos Equis ranch water in February 2021, and Molson Coors introduced a Topo Chico version in January 2022.
Just 11 months after that first Lone River case hit the market, alcohol giant Diageo acquired the brand for an undisclosed sum. At its core, the brand’s rapid rise can be attributed to a lean team that used DTC advertising methods on a wholesale product—and a little bit of West Texas branding.
Below, more on the brand’s origin story, its marketing methods and what might be next.