Building Sanzo - A CPG Success Story

In the competitive world of beverage brands, few stories are as unique as that of Sanzo, an Asian-inspired sparkling water brand that has been making waves in both retail and DTC. Sandro Roco, the founder and CEO of Sanzo, recently sat down with us to share insights into his journey, offering a candid look into the ups and downs of scaling a beverage brand.

Finding Focus: Clarifying Vision Amid Challenges

After raising a funding round, Sandro felt a shift in his approach to running the business. The experience of securing investment not only provided some breathing room but also led to new strategic clarity. He explained, "It's like weird, I'm five, six years in and I think only now I'm actually starting to really get it."

Roco highlighted how this newfound financial breathing room is helping shape Sanzo's future: "We've just gotten a lot more clarity on what I think this company and brand needs to do in a way that's reinvigorating. Like at the end of last year... raising in a tough environment, things of that nature. But we got it done."

The focus shifted from day-to-day survival to building a long-term strategy. "Obviously we're still heavily executing, but a lot of what we do as a team to execute is guided by now how I think about the business strategically over the next few years.”

Bringing Vision to Execution: The Hustler's Tale

Sandro's story is not just one of vision, but also of relentless hustle and execution. "You might have this great vision, but that doesn't mean that's getting product in the store. It doesn't mean it's merchandised properly. And these are things that you just learn, frankly, by doing it," he emphasized.

Roco attributes much of Sanzo's early success to an unyielding commitment to learning every aspect of the business. He shared, "I came into this business without any previous experience in CPG (consumer packaged goods) and really wanted to learn it from the ground up."

One unique approach Roco took was leveraging the power of relationships with other founders. He explains how he got valuable insights by cold-emailing emerging brands he saw on shelves. "I would go on their websites, I would go on their Instagrams and just literally cold email or cold DM the account. And a lot of times... the folks behind the screen were most likely the founders."

He used his own e-commerce and growth marketing background as a bargaining chip. "I'd almost be like, 'Hey, I'll trade you some knowledge on e-com... if you teach me a little bit about distribution or where to find a contract manufacturer.'"

Building Relationships with Manufacturers

In the world of beverage suppliers, building solid relationships with contract manufacturers is key. Sandro highlighted the delicate balance of securing production capacity while maintaining a mutually beneficial relationship.

"There's a song and dance between the brand and the manufacturer, especially the really credible manufacturers. They actually hold leverage because they can dictate whether your product is made or not."

Sandro used his network to obtain warm introductions to reliable manufacturers, stressing the importance of being recommended by existing clients to establish credibility.

The Importance of Showing Up

One of the most critical lessons Sandro shared was the importance of being physically present at production facilities. "Literally for the first up to almost a dozen production runs, I was physically at the facility," Roco recalled. This helped him ensure product quality and consistency.

Roco was surprised to find that only about 10% of founders are actually present at their production runs. "At the earliest stages, my biggest thing would be like, I don't know what is more important right now for an early-stage founder than to actually be there where your product is being made," he emphasized.

Roco added, "Being present at production runs doesn't take genius, it takes caring. Anyone can do it, but so few people do. And I think a lot of times people self-limit by not realizing the degree to which caring and truly being fully in it is a differentiator."

About Sanzo:

Sanzo is the first Asian-inspired sparkling water brand in the U.S., featuring unique flavors like Calamansi, Lychee, and Alphonso Mango. Founded in 2019, the brand is now available in over 2,000 retailers and online.