Hydration beverage producer Electrolit has named former Red Bull senior director of marketing Christian Patiño Webb as its new CEO.
Patiño Webb comes to the company from Unilever, where he served as VP of marketing for SmartyPants Vitamins. He began his career at Procter & Gamble where he spent seven years, moving up from a finance and sales intern to become an associate brand manager for Herbal Essences. He later held executive level positions at Natural Hemp Company and Brandable, as well as spending five years at Red Bull.
“It is an exciting opportunity to lead a brand with the legacy and momentum that Electrolit has and even more with the potential moving forward,” said Patiño Webb said in the release. “My focus for the company is to take the brand from a regional to a global landscape, becoming a talent incubator, and continue driving growth for beverage industry behind best in class innovation.”
A subsidiary of Mexico-based Pisa Pharmaceuticals, Electrolit was originally created in the 1950s as a medical-grade rehydration solution. The brand launched in the U.S. in 2015, positioning itself as both a sports drink and a hangover recovery beverage, and has now established a nationwide footprint – in over 30,000 doors across the country as of 2020.
According to IRI, Electrolit is now the fourth largest brand in the U.S. sports drink category, up 103.8% to $309.2 million in retail dollar sales for the 52-weeks ending June 12, 2022. Comparatively, Powerade ranks directly above the brand, up 3% to $1.25 billion, but private label drinks trail behind it, increasing 66.8% to $56.6 million in the same period.
The brand has continued to target mainstream consumers through its marketing efforts. In May, Electrolit partnered with Mexican racecar driver Pato O’Ward for the 2022 season and mountain climber Juan Diego Martinez Alvarez. In June the company announced a new omnichannel campaign including TV ads, billboard, transit center displays, social media and influencers. The campaign intends to further Electrolit’s appeal to active consumers, featuring athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
Last year, Electrolit introduced a sugar free zero calorie line in Berry Blast, Lemon Breeze and Fruit Punch Splash flavors, intended to meet consumer demand for low sugar drinks.