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El Jefe Global is close to completing its DSD distribution map for US behind its El Jefe and La Jefa Latino-oriented energy brands even as it expands into Mexico via Electrolit partnership, its cofounder/CEO Ryan Marsh told us today. Heading into World Cup hosted in US, Mexico and Canada, co recently inked deal to back Mexican national soccer team. It's in negotiations for other sponsorships including with unidentified MLB team, and its activation mix ranges from boxing and rodeo to clay shooting. It's out seeking sampling opportunities where it can distribute at least 10K cans, as in recent soccer friendly between Mexico and Australia at a packed Rose Bowl. Ryan was speaking on phone from NY, where he was kicking off Honickman Group's Pepsi NY house as part of concerted push into Northeast, as we'd reported last wk (BBI, May 28). His sales & distribution leaders Marty Jay Zirofsky and John Blair separately told us today that key piece of that regional puzzle is informal Northeast Independent Distributors Assn (NIDA) that reaches from Philadelphia north to Maine, including likes of High-Grade, Fischer-Thompson and Seaview in NJ and New England houses like Mancini in RI. Marsh predicted that US map will be completed within next coupla mos, with retail partners like Kroger ready to pick up brands in regions once they nail down their DSD coverage. Among other partners, per sales leaders, are Pepsi bottlers in Texas, Ariz and Pac NW, Anheuser-Busch houses in Mich, SC, Ga and parts of Pac NW and Molson Coors houses in Minn. Zirofsky and Blair confirmed that brands are shortly headed into Honickman's Canada Dry operations in Philadelphia and DC too. Focus is on c-stores and liquor stores. Circle K has installed standalone coolers for brand in some locations, Marsh said.Marsh will be familiar name to some BBI readers via his earlier stewardship of Original NY Seltzer, tho he said one hard lesson he learned is that margin structure in NA bevs doesn't work well outside energy category, where he's decided to play now. While his experience as brand owner has been limited, Marsh has been intimately familiar with bevs via his core biz, First Class Nevada, which operates vending machines and micromarkets across thousands of the nation's workplaces, with energy a key category he curates. In recent years he sold some of his Calif operation to Aramark, enabling him to self-fund El Jefe launch without recourse to outside financing. Asked whether his status as a gringo might lessen his cred as purveyor of Mexican-themed brand, he pointed to his partner in creating brand, Alex Corral, who has history of helping brands like Topo Chico and Toyota's Tundra connect with American Hispanics. In his own co, which serves as a testbed for El Jefe, he said it's clearly resonated across demos, both Hispanic and non.The brand is characterized by striking masked boss figure that Marsh said he created himself with assistance from graphic designer. It's got more than a hint of Liquid Death tropes with sinister graphics and flavor names like Killer Peach and Sinister Razz. The look has been pooled out into impressive array of merch from cowboy boots to belt buckles and jackets, all centered around mysterious boss of brand name. Co also has produced 4 music albums, mainly of Spanish-language tunes that often are played at activations like Rose Bowl friendly. Core line is zero-sugar entry with moderate 150 mg caffeine dosage that won't run afoul of regs in Canada and Mexico that require warnings for highly caffeinated brands. Co recently turned heads by augmenting that 16-oz core line with a 12-oz sleek-can sibling called La Jefa that overtly seeks to appeal to women (BBI, Jan 15). Tho co launches new market with El Jefe, La Jefa quickly follows and often proves to turn at 3X the rate of core line. Because it fills a Hispanic niche most often serviced by legacy brands like Monster, El Jefe has been able to crack Pepsi bottlers and other houses that already have commitment to core supplier's energy plays. In the case of Pepsi NY, part of sprawling Honickman Group, that house doesn't have access to PEP's two star performers in energy, Celsius and Alani Nu, only declining Rockstar.As we recently reported, brand just launched in Canada via Beverage World as partner. Next up is Mexico, where Marsh said he's forged partnership with Electrolit that will immediately take it to over 10K retail doors. Also in mix is Pharmacia de Guadalajara and its 3K doors. Chile also is on list. Among current overseas markets, Marsh takes reassurance that countries with little Hispanic influence like Australia seem to embracing brand in early days.El Jefe continues to build out org to support the expansion. Latest aboard: Mike Rigney, as natl accts dir. Based in Philadelphia, he's AriZona vet who in recent years has mainly worked on Lance Collins efforts like Core Nutrition and Zen WTR. But Zirofsky said most new hiring is at street level as co aims to maintain lean orientation while closely supporting its newly enlisted distributors.

As It Completes National DSD Map, El Jefe Energy Expands Activation Plan; Sister Brand La Jefa Showing Early Explosiveness, Founder Marsh Says; Rigney Joins Leadership Team

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