“It was never just tin.” The phrase was issued by Gabriel Rochael, founding partner and factory director of Xeque Mate, when asked about the reasons for developing, in addition to other drinks, a fashion laboratory, an audiovisual production company and opening three bars – businesses that can be much less profitable than selling the drink made from mate, rum, guarana and lemon Xeque Mate.
For Rochael, an important part of Xeque Mate’s branding strategy was built organically, rooted in the underground cultural scene of the capital of Minas Gerais.
“It emerged from this cultural movement that has been happening in BH over the last decade. We worked with event production. We always sought to be close to the cultural scene – because we believe that art adds value”, explains Rochael.
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Today, in addition to the manufacturer Xeque Mate Bebidas, the group is made up of three units of the Mascate bar, in Belo Horizonte, the creative music and audiovisual ecosystem Xeque Mate Estúdios – which recently produced a video by singer Chico César – and the urban fashion laboratory Lab Xeque Mate.
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For him, the connection with local artists and the production of cultural content are marketing strategies that transcend time: “If you stop to think about it, making a music video with an artist that mentions Xeque Mate is an eternal marketing action, because it is independent of maintaining a payment to a sponsor, for example. In 20 years the brand will still be there in the clip, in the song.”
For Rochael, this sense of community is one of the protections of Xeque Mate’s intellectual property, alongside the quality of its products.
On the fashion front, one of the brand’s launches this month is a street wear collection in partnership with a small Coroa Clothing brand. –
Keeping an eye on trends
In the drinks segment, Xeque Mate is launching a new Mascate Drinks line, developed thinking about the global trend of ready-made cocktails – the trade in alcoholic drinks of the ready-to-drinks (RTDs) should reach US$85.5 billion in 2030, according to InsightAce Analytic – but without forgetting to look at the Xeque Mate community. There are two very tropical flavors: watermelon with raspberry, rum, hibiscus and lemon, and passion fruit with cashew, rum and coconut water.
Continues after advertising
“The development of the Mascate Drinks line products took more than three years, reflecting the company’s care and dedication to delivering a differentiated experience to the consumer”, says Rochael.
