At a time when tequila sales are growing and there is no shortage of new brands in the space, 818 Tequila has found success by hooking into cultural moments and committing to sustainability initiatives. Having a celebrity founder in Kendall Jenner hasn’t hurt either: The reality star also serves as the brand’s chief creative officer. 

Since launching in 2021, the brand has expanded quickly and now has a presence in 34 countries. Along the way, it has built a strong presence on social media, become a certified B Corporation and connected with Gen Z through a strong presence at Coachella and by putting its own spin on social media-driven trends like the espresso martini. 

“Part of that [growth] is a testament to the fact that we've created more than just a liquid,” said Chief Marketing Officer Kathleen Braine. “We've created a brand that has really resonated with our target consumer.”

Conscientious consumption

While recent data from Statista shows that Gen Z consumers are drinking less alcohol, 818 Tequila has found a way to build a relationship with this health-conscious, environmentally-minded, experience-loving demographic, including by dropping prices a year ago to make the range more affordable for its core consumers. 

The brand’s audience also loves social media. And despite not being able to promote the brand on TikTok due to the platform’s rules around how alcohol is advertised, 818 Tequila is still the most-talked about tequila brand there and the most-followed tequila brand on Instagram, per data shared by the brand. 

On the ecological front, 818 has implemented various green measures, like using sustainable packaging — from glass to corks to labels, repurposing agave waste into infrastructure and community projects in Mexico, using energy-efficient solar power and biomass in the production process, and practicing regenerative agriculture to transform agave fields into biodiverse farms.

Connecting with Gen Z over the environment is important as over 90% of Gen Z wants to buy from sustainable companies, with over three-quarters willing to pay more for these products, according to the PDI Business of Sustainability Index.

Tequila 818 tries to go a step further in its messaging to address how Gen Z wants not only to ensure what they’re buying was created in a way that’s not hurting the Earth, but that environmental awareness also extends to their own wellness and health, a major priority for the generation.

“[Gen Z views] consumption in terms of wanting to know what you're putting in your body and how it's made,” Braine said. 

Connecting online and offline

Outside of talking up how the products are made, the brand’s marketing messaging focuses on other areas of interest for Gen Z.

For instance, knowing that music festivals are a major attraction for Gen Z and millennials, 818 Tequila has been involved in Coachella for the last three years. The latest incarnation involved constructing a mini pop-up Western town where consumers could have the “influencer experience.” Invitations were set up on its Instagram account, with 1,000 spots reserved within 15 minutes of opening. Overall, the activation drove 1.3 billion social impressions and 90,000 social mentions.

“The surround sound activities of the festival become often as important as the festival itself,” Braine said.

The brand also keeps a tab on topical conversations and moments where it can insert itself in a way that makes sense. 

Take the espresso martini, which is having a resurgence in popularity among younger generations. For a recent collaboration with Chamberlain Coffee, founded by influencer Emma Chamberlain, the duo released a kit for making the drink, which sold out within four hours and was featured on menus in restaurants and bars. The partnership received more than 315 million social impressions and 1.6 billion earned media impressions.

The brand has its eye on other trends it can capitalize on as well. For example, it partnered with Rao’s Homemade earlier this year to herald tequila as an ingredient consumers can use in the kitchen when making pasta sauce. 

“Not only do we have an online community, we have an offline community,” Braine said.