Cultural moments don’t show up on your product roadmap. They show up on your feed.
This is what happened with #WaterTok, a viral TikTok trend in which creators began mixing flavored powdered drink sticks and syrups into elaborate hydration “recipes.” What started as a quirky social trend quickly ballooned into a full-blown movement. Creators were stacking drawers with dozens of flavors, showing off Stanley cups filled to the brim with wild new combinations. Since its inception, the hashtag has crossed 2 billion views. And suddenly, stick packs weren’t just convenient, they were cultural.
For Jel Sert, meeting this moment didn’t require scrambling. With nearly 100 years in the business and the largest stick pack capacity in North America, the West Chicago-based company had spent years building the kind of operation that doesn’t need to catch up to trends. Instead, it moves with them.
Infrastructure Built for the Unexpected
While many manufacturers were still figuring out how to capitalize on #WaterTok, Jel Sert was already tuned in. By tracking creator behavior and listening closely to how the community talked about flavors, formats, and routines, they were able to produce new and highly relevant products, quickly.
Jel Sert’s expansive footprint of more than one million square feet of manufacturing and distribution space across multiple facilities is at the heart of that responsiveness. With flavor development, filling, packaging, distribution, and logistics strategically integrated across locations, Jel Sert is built for speed and coordination. That setup lets the team crank out 10,000 stick packs per minute, 24 hours a day. But speed is only part of the story. The real advantage is agility.
“Integration was key to our success with #WaterTok,” said Matt Ingemi, Chief Strategy Officer and Vice President of Business Development at Jel Sert. “We were able to spot the trend, get the ball rolling in our lab, and make a plan to be on shelves while others may still be in the exploratory phase. Our responsiveness isn’t easy to replicate, and it’s not something you can bolt on later.”
That responsiveness showed up in the flavors themselves. As creators posted recipes and restocked their drawers, Jel Sert followed the conversation. They launched crowd-requested flavors like Cotton Candy, Lemon Lime, and Unicorn. They focused on the flavors that resonated with the community and delivered on what Jel Sert does best: making products that are fun, approachable, and fast to market.
This kind of flavor agility isn’t new. It’s part of what has made Jel Sert a go-to for other brands looking to launch quickly or stand out on shelf.
“If a brand needs a sugar-free functional hydration mix, we can make it. If a retailer wants a nostalgic flavor concept with bold packaging, we’ve done it. If it’s a new idea that aligns with what we do best, we’ll explore and test it,” Ingemi said. “We’re not just reacting to trends. We’re building an infrastructure that lets others respond with us. Our agility isn’t just about speed. It’s about alignment, control, and readiness.”
Preparedness Is the Strategy
Moving fast doesn’t matter if the product cannot withstand scrutiny. Jel Sert has lasted nearly a century because of its commitment to trust, consistency, and quality.
Every product that moves through the system, whether it’s a trend-driven launch or a grocery store staple, goes through the same rigorous oversight. Jel Sert holds SQF Edition 9.0 certification with an excellent rating, is certified organic by QAI, kosher, and NSF-certified, and licensed as a bonded distillery, brewery, and winery.
“We have an obligation to safeguard our partners’ reputations. One slip in manufacturing can undo a lot of trust,” said Ken Wegner, President of Jel Sert. “Every product gets the same rigorous oversight, whether it’s a brand-new #WaterTok flavor or one of our legacy lines. We don’t compromise on that, ever.”
That consistency is especially crucial now when consumers aren’t just drinking products; they’re filming them, sharing them, and reviewing them in real-time.
What to Ask Before You Pick a Manufacturing Partner
If your product plays in a fast-moving space or you’re trying to enter one, you need more than just capacity. You need a partner that can keep pace with the moment and help you stay ahead of the next one.
Before you commit, it’s worth asking a few key questions:
- Can they support rapid development timelines without sacrificing quality?
- Do they develop and test flavors in-house?
- Are they able to deliver at scale if your product takes off?
- Can they be flexible if the market shifts?
And beyond those questions, look for signs of real-world responsiveness. The best partners can:
- Offer efficient product development services based on decades of experience
- Offer complete turnkey services from concept to commercialization
- Anticipate the demands of projects and independently lead
- Provide commercial support rooted in the experience of an established CPG
If you’re not hearing a confident “yes” to all of the above, it might be time to keep looking. Throughput matters, but readiness wins.
Looking Beyond the Trend
Yes, #WaterTok created a moment. But for Jel Sert, it wasn’t just about being part of it. It was about proving that being ready isn’t luck. It’s structure. It’s process. It’s commitment.
They’re not chasing what’s next. They’re building systems that make room for whatever comes next. So, when the next cultural wave hits on TikTok, in retail, or somewhere unexpected, Jel Sert is ready to help brands act while it still matters.
To learn more about Jel Sert’s stick pack capabilities and how they help brands move quickly, visit www.jelsert.com.