Cultural positioning and strategic resilience

From local icon to the mainstream market

Abstract

The international corridor located on the US-Mexico border is recognized as a highly resilient community existing within the fast-emerging economy. This community comprises a cultural integration of American and Latinx cultures, which is evident within business and consumer practices. Accordingly, business and branding strategy is culturally oriented and culturally expressive. This paper presents two business cases that illustrate how cultural positioning is achieved with local brands that expand beyond the local context to the mainstream market. The two cases presented in this paper are Topo Chico and Laredo Taco. Each of these cases began within a cultural niche with recognized potential that translated to the mainstream American market, demonstrating strategic resilience along the way. The Topo Chico case shows perseverance in a bottle and the Laredo Taco case shows resilience combined as authenticity and innovation. The implications of the cases presented to demonstrate the value of a strong cultural positioning, strategic alliances, and a view to the longer term and farther horizon.