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Forbes
10-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Is Your Small Brand Tired Of Expensive Ads? Try Meme Marketing Instead
Using memes in your marketing can really move the needle for your small brand. getty How'd you like to create a single meme that generates millions in value without spending a dime on ads? That's what happened to Saratoga Spring Water, and it wasn't even responsible for the meme. A few ago, a fitness influencer shared a video of his morning routine, which includes dunking his face into ice water that just happened to come from Saratoga's distinctive glass bottles. Saratoga didn't pay the guy; there wasn't a partnership agreement. Yet that single video became meme marketing gold, creating $1.8 million in earned media value for Saratoga. Primo Brands, Saratoga's parent company, saw its stock rise 16%. And Google searches maxed out at 100, the platform's highest possible index, representing a 1,379% spike. Unbelievable! One meme. Millions in value. Zero ad spend. Welcome to 2025, where a well-timed meme can generate more value than a Super Bowl ad. And honestly? That's good news when we're stretching every marketing dollar, competing against brands with massive ad budgets, and trying to cut through this ridiculously dense digital noise. But memes are jokes, right? They're not professional. Surely you can't use them for marketing. Look, I get it. I used to think the same thing. But here's what you're missing: Memes can be way more than entertainment. When you approach meme marketing with actual strategy, an understanding of meme psychology, and a genuine desire to build community, you might discover that it's one of the most cost-effective ways to build brand loyalty and drive growth you've ever seen. What are some of your favorite memes? Maybe you can use them as part of your meme marketing ... More strategy. getty Traditional advertising talks at customers. Memes invite them into an inside joke. Duolingo is a great example. When people started creating memes about Duo the Owl's aggressive reminder notifications (like 'Your streak is in danger!' and 'The owl is disappointed in you,') the language learning app could have ignored it. Stayed buttoned up. Kept on being educational. But the Duo team didn't do that. They leaned into the joke, hard, turning Duo's "menacing" persona into a character that defined the brand. Then they watched as the internet exploded. TikTok and YouTube started sending droves of new signups. Even today, Duolingo's posts still beat other category influencers in its space. Those results aren't due to coincidence. They're because of psychology. Research backs it up. People who see a brand's meme content feel way more connected to the brand than those who see typical brand promotional content. That's because memes create what researchers call "shared understanding and identity.' Meme marketing is a short cut to building that all important buyer trust. getty Basically, memes are a psychological shortcut to trust. And we desperately need that shortcut. So much corporate messaging sounds completely hollow. No wonder brands using meme marketing see engagement rates as high as 60%, which is way more than the measly 5% you'd get with traditional marketing imagery. Miguel Heinonen, who co-founded Whitefriar and studies the psychology behind memes, knows exactly why people (and brands) love them so much. "Memes work by using familiar visual patterns alongside emotional resonance," he says. "When the audience sees a meme that reflects how they feel or what they experience, it creates a sense of belonging and community." But here's what I found interesting: Heinonen also warns against trying too hard. "Brands often prioritize the ability to go viral over authenticity," he says. "A meme that feels like an over-polished ad will defeat the purpose." So there's the balance. Do it right? Memes can turn customers into insiders who "get it." They create tribal bonds that competitors can't buy with bigger ad budgets. They turn one-time buyers into word-of-mouth evangelists. Do it wrong? You've wasted your time. But there's a difference between knowing and doing. And that's where meme marketing strategy comes in. How the pros use meme marketing to create viral moments Tanner Kesel and Daniel Pessin, co-founders of the meme marketing agency, Aroma Media. Tanner Kesel and Daniel Pessin I'll admit that I've been a little obsessed with memes and viral marketing for years. But I'd never met anyone who actually had a system for it until Tanner Kesel and Daniel Pessin from the viral marketing agency, Aroma Media. These guys tell me they've generated billions of views for their clients. Not through some lucky accident or because they threw spaghetti at the wall until something stuck. The views rolled in because they figured out how to treat memes like cultural currency. And how to spend it. The meme marketing philosophy: Native community-building Kesel views cultural currency as the foundation of everything Aroma Media does. "We don't force brands to go viral," he says. "Instead, we create moments that allow them to slip into the feed like locals, not tourists." I love that analogy. The local-versus-tourist approach means understanding platform culture so well that your content feels like it was created by someone who lives there, not someone just passing through. "When you show up as a local, people don't feel like they're being marketed to," Kesel says. "They feel like they're seeing content from someone who gets their world." But according to Kesel's co-founder, Dan Pessin, the approach is meaningless without the second pillar: community building. And he says most brands miss this entirely. "Lots of brands try to go viral, but very few try to build a community," he says. "Trust and community are the most important things to establish on digital channels because they lead to views, likes, shares, and—most importantly for business—follows." This dual philosophy of showing up as locals while building genuine community is meme marketing's secret sauce. It's about real connection every time. The process: 3 steps to meme marketing 3 steps to building trust with meme marketing getty How does the Aroma Media team make meme marketing work? Here's where we get practical. The philosophy is a nice-sounding theory, but let's break it down into three concrete steps any brand can follow, whether you're a solo entrepreneur or running a bigger team. Step 1: Forensic analysis Before team Aroma creates anything new, they go into full detective mode to explore what already exists. Think CSI, but for content. "First thing, we look at the brand and its niche, competitors, and existing content," Kesel says. "We want to identify what's worked before to use as our building blocks." This step often reveals that a brand is sitting on viral gold without even knowing it. "We've seen it so many times where a brand has content that could totally convert if edited properly or given a real shot," Kesel says. And no, a real shot doesn't mean posting once on TikTok, getting 12 views, and declaring that social media "doesn't work for my industry." So where's this hidden gold? It could be something you posted six months ago that surprised you by getting lots of engagement, yet you never thought to follow up on it. It could also be that hilarious, totally meme-worth content is hiding within your Google reviews—which you haven't looked at in months. Or maybe the gold lies in that genuinely entertaining behind-the-scenes content you posted once to crickets because nobody saw it. You don't always have to create new content. You might be sitting on gems that deserve an audience. Step 2: Platform dialect translation Let's talk dialects for a minute. It's where many brands posting on social completely screw up. The thing is, you can't just take your content gold and copy-paste it everywhere. Each platform has its own vibe, its own language, and its own unwritten rules about what's cool. If you don't know that language, you might sound like your dad when he's trying to use slang. "That's pretty yeet, huh son?" Bottom line is that what TikTok users find hilarious may get you politely ignored on LinkedIn. And what excites people on LinkedIn may make TikTokers cringe so hard that they get kinks in their necks from physically recoiling. Step 3: Creative freedom requirements Although Kesel says that many promising campaigns die here, the final step is to let creativity fly. If you're a solo operator, no worries. You're both creator and approver. But if you're with a larger brand, you may need to do some internal politicking so corporate committees and approval chains won't strangle or kill your creative. When it comes to memes, creative freedom is a requirement. "Maybe a brand has no content, no social presence, or they haven't identified what works," Kesel says. "In that case, we focus instead on parameters—how creative we can get with the content. In other words, are we allowed to cook?" Creative freedom is non-negotiable. Kesel says it separates brands that succeed with meme marketing from those that don't. "That's why we're so selective about who we work with. If the answer to the cook question is 'no'—if a brand gives us zero creative control—chances are high that we aren't a good fit." The Stereo app: A meme marketing case study Aroma Media's work with the Stereo app is proof that meme marketing, done thoughtfully and ... More strategically, works. Kesel and Pessin walked me through their work with Stereo, an audio-first social app. And honestly? It's brilliant. "Stereo is one of my favorite case studies," Kesel says. "We ran multiple meme-focused campaigns across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The videos, watermarked with Stereo's branding, highlighted user-generated content." The strategy was genius because it showed how platform dialects work in practice while growing Stereo's community around the app's core value—authentic voice-based connection. Using meme marketing to tap into TikTok's absurdity dialect First, Kesel's team partnered with 250 of the biggest theme pages—massive accounts that curate and share content around specific topics. Their forensic analysis led them to an already successful format: People reading Reddit stories aloud while Minecraft or Subway Surfers gameplay run in the background. But here's the twist. Instead of someone reading aloud random Reddit posts, the team created what looked like voice messages within Stereo's app interface. "We knew this format was getting millions of views consistently," Kesel says. "But instead of just copying it, we made it feel native to Stereo's voice-first experience." So TikTokers still saw the popular gameplay footage they were used to watching. But instead of hearing someone read text-based Reddit stories, they listened to audio that appeared to come from Stereo users sharing wild, entertaining stories. The content held to TikTok's beloved absurdist format while subtly promoting Stereo's voice-based social interaction. Every video included Stereo's watermark, branding the entire experience. "For TikTok's brain-rot loving audience, we applied the familiar absurdity but made it feel native to Stereo," Kesel says. "Stereo's community grew because the videos made viewers feel like they were discovering a cool app where people share entertaining stories." Mimicking Instagram's aesthetic dialect for meme marketing Aroma Media leans on what it calls "the WTF factor" as a key element of meme marketing. getty Next, the team targeted Instagram using what Kesel cheekily calls the WTF factor. "We teamed up with influential theme pages on Instagram to promote screen recordings of real conversations happening inside the Stereo app," he says. "Captions like 'The people on Stereo say the wildest things!' really appealed to users. And for Instagram's aesthetics-focused users, we delivered shock value but kept the visual appeal clean." Kesel says the conversations they featured were incredibly outrageous. Lots of WTF factor, as promised. "The whole goal was to make people feel like they were missing out if they weren't on Stereo," he says. "We built community by creating FOMO around the interesting conversations happening on the platform." Thanks to meme marketing, celebrating billions of views, and counting Within two months, the TikTok approach garnered more than a billion views, a number that'd make traditional advertisers weep with envy. And the Instagram WTF factor campaign? It brought in the best cost-per-install results of any campaign Aroma Media ran for Stereo, proving that shock value—when executed thoughtfully—translates directly to business metrics. Notice I said business metrics , not vanity metrics. Each piece of content felt native to its platform, borrowed from successful formats, and led with Stereo's value prop. "We achieved billions of views by applying creative twists to existing trends," Kesel says. "We didn't create new meme formats. We hijacked existing ones and made them feel native to each platform." Speaking of results, Pessin says he's tired of hearing that meme marketing doesn't drive them. "Lots of people assume meme marketing doesn't lead to sales," he says. "And while results are hard to attribute directly, the assumption is entirely untrue. Successful meme campaigns have some of the highest ROIs I've ever seen." Just remember that viral moments and community building are two sides of the same coin. "Almost anyone can go viral," Pessin says. "But you can't forget that the goal is to capitalize by converting a viral moment into a loyal following. That following will, in turn, create a sustainable moat between you and your competitors." Aroma's systematic approach covers strategy and execution. But there's one more element that can make or break even the best-planned meme campaign: timing. The speed factor (and why timing beats perfection for meme marketing) Speed is important in meme marketing, so keep your trendspotting glasses on! getty Emily Reynolds gets it. She's the founder and CEO of R Public Relations, and about a year ago, she started throwing memes out onto social. The results? She says they were immediate and pretty impressive: 68% higher engagement and 90% follower growth. But she also discovered something that'll save you from looking like a complete tourist trying to fit in. "It's speed," she says. "Speed is the most important factor. If your posts arrive even one day late to a trend, they can do more harm than good." Her advice? Start with what she calls "timeless classics"—meme formats and content themes that don't expire overnight. Think universal workplace humor, Monday motivation posts, or evergreen formats like before-and-after comparisons and expectation-versus-reality content. "Build your confidence with content that has staying power," she says. "Once you're comfortable creating and posting quickly, you can dive into real-time trend-jacking where timing is everything." Your meme marketing action plan Here's your meme marketing action plan getty We've covered a lot of ground here: Memes are brain hacks that build trust. To use them, you have to slip into feeds like a local. Localize content and formats that've already worked—or that could work. work. Jump in fast when you spot a trend to capitalize on. Use your newfound status as a meme-worthy brand to build community. Now comes the fun part. Now, you get to do something with all your new knowledge. Whether you're running on a shoestring budget or just fed up with expensive ads, these steps will help you use memes to build a real community. And, hopefully, to grow like crazy while you're at it. 1. Be a content archaeologist Before creating your first meme, play detective with your existing content. Chances are, you're sitting on meme gold somewhere. Dig through old posts that surprised you by getting way more engagement than usual. Find that old customer testimonial that literally made you laugh out loud. Scroll through your phone looking for behind-the-scenes moments that could present your brand as genuinely human instead of as a corporate-speaking robot. Sometimes you'll find your best viral material hiding in plain sight. 2. Learn platform dialects Homework for meme marketing: Spend some time lurking on your social channels. getty Here's more homework. Spend a week lurking on each platform (but don't be a creep). Just observe. What makes TikTok users lose their minds laughing versus what gets LinkedIn people nodding thoughtfully? What makes YouTube commenters roast someone in the replies? Pay attention to everything—the comment styles, what humor lands, how things look visually. It's like learning the local slang before you move to a new city. Another pointer: Don't simply copy-paste the same content to every social channel. That's tourist behavior. Localize your content so it matches each platform's vibe. 3. Be human (or give your team permission to be) Set clear guidelines so you or your team can quickly hijack trends without waiting for approval from five different departments. Speed beats perfection in meme marketing. Every single time. If you're a solo act, great. You already have permission covered. But it might be your biggest challenge if you're part of a bigger organization. Then again, it might also be your biggest opportunity. 4. Go after community, not just metrics, with meme marketing Even more than metrics, you want to grow community through meme marketing getty Creating a meme doesn't mean you have to play the class clown. Yes, you do have to be entertaining. But what matters more is making your audience feel like you get them. Before posting, ask yourself: Does this meme touch on something people are experiencing right now? Will it make them feel seen? Or is it just me chasing whatever's trending because I think it might go viral? The brutal truth is that viral moments disappear fast. But community sticks around and helps you pay the bills. 5. Start small and niche Don't try to appeal to all of your audiences right away. Start by creating memes that touch on a single persona's pains, pleasures, and experiences. Master a small corner of the net before reaching for the world. Better to be beloved by 1,000 than ignored by 100,000, right? 6. Embrace the strategic cringe Embrace the cringe factor—meme marketing comes with lots of it! getty Sometimes, a good meme makes you slightly uncomfortable, especially when it's your logo in the watermark. If you've never hesitated before posting, or if your legal team has never sent you a "Hey, are we sure about this?" Slack message, you're probably playing it way too safe. You need to find the sweet spot between edgy and authentic, between clever and stupid, and between making people laugh and making them unfollow you. Yes, push some boundaries. But make sure whatever you post matches your brand's personality and not just some random idea of what you think is cool. Nobody wants to see an accounting firm posting multiple dozens of screaming goat memes come tax time. Final thoughts on meme marketing Look, you and I both know that meme marketing is more than a tad risky. Your brand might occasionally look ridiculous. Your legal team (or your mom) might have minor heart attacks. You may have to give up some control and trust that being human is better than playing pretty. But as the meme masters have figured out, when everyone's screaming for attention and trust is hard to come by, the brands that make people laugh, feel seen, and want to hit the share button will be the ones that win. Meme marketing is a great way to get there.
Japan Times
16-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Influencers take bigger bite of ad pie as economic turmoil tightens budgets
Ashton Hall's morning routine involves dunking his head in iced Saratoga Spring Water. For the company that sells the bottled water — Hall's brand of choice for drinking, brushing his teeth and submerging himself — that's fantastic news. "We're so thankful to this incredible fitness influencer called Ashton Hall,' Saratoga-owner Primo Brands's CEO Robbert Rietbroek said on an earnings call after Hall's morning routine video went viral. "He really helped put our brand on the map.' Primo Brands, which wasn't affiliated with Hall when he made his video, is among the increasing number of companies benefiting from influencer cosigns. Handbag-maker Coach, once synonymous with mall discounts, has become a Gen-Z status symbol and saw sales soar thanks to TikTok influencers expanding their collection of purses adorned with little cherry or pretzel charms. With economic turmoil squeezing ad budgets, content creators are seen as better value than other marketing areas. "While it's true we are seeing brands begin to pull back in marketing expenditure as a whole, the creator economy is surging,' said Kenny Gold, head of social, content and influencer at Deloitte Digital. The global influencer marketing industry is projected to grow 36% between 2024 and 2025 to reach $33 billion, Statista data shows. "This year will be the first year that advertising revenue on user generated content and platforms actually outpaces the ad revenue on professionally produced content,' said Kate Scott-Dawkins, WPP Media's global president of business intelligence. "That's a big deal.' Unilever's recently appointed CEO, Fernando Fernandez, said he will hire 20 times more influencers as part of a social-first marketing strategy because consumers are "suspicious' of corporate branding. The owner of Dove soap and Hellmann's mayonnaise plans to dedicate as much as 50% of its ad budget to social media, up from 30% before. While fashion, beauty and accessories lead the way in employing influencer marketing, the strategy is gaining ground among consumer goods companies amid economic turbulence who are increasingly relying on influencers to position their products as premium, said Ruben Schreurs, CEO of media analytics firm Ebiquity. Griffin Johnson, a social media influencer with nearly 10 million followers, takes a selfie in Louisville, Kentucky, on April 30. | Jon Cherry / The New York Times With the expense of TV advertising, brands are starting to look at maximizing their reach more effectively, according to Alex Burgess, global president of The Goat Agency, which counts Unilever as one of its biggest clients. Globally, brands increased investment in influencer partnerships by 49% in 2024 and content creators topped social media marketing budgets, taking up a quarter of the total annual spending on average, according to Deloitte research. Influencer marketing spending is expected "to continue to accelerate,' said Scott Morris, chief marketing officer of social media management company Sprout Social. Within the last year, Publicis Groupe bought Influential, the largest influencer marketing company in the world by revenue, and BR Media Group, a leader in Latin America that works with 80% of the region's biggest influencers. Publicis' backing of players like Influential is a "strong indicator' that influencer marketing is no longer a niche, said Oliver Lewis, CEO of The Fifth, an influencer marketing agency recently acquired by digital media company Brave Bison. "They have to be very acquisitive because if they don't acquire these capabilities across their network, they'll be left behind,' Ebiquity's Schreurs said. Companies often favor smaller, independent, topic-specific influencer agencies that can connect them to creators with a strong reach and a defined audience. The appeal is the direct line to consumers. "It works because it feels personal, relevant and real,' Sprout Social's Morris said. "These are qualities that traditional advertising often lacks.' "People trust people more than they trust brands,' said Rahul Titus, global head of influence at WPP-owned Ogilvy. "Authenticity sells.' This resonates with Gen Z digital natives in particular, a cohort with $450 billion in global spending power. Micro-influencers — creators with 10,000 to 100,000 followers — "exert great influence' on the "the savvy and cynical' Gen Z, Jay Sinha, an associate professor of marketing at Temple University's Fox School of Business, wrote in a paper. Barbie collector and online influencer Noemi de Lama, known as 'Mistik,' at her home in Gijon, northern Spain, on April 12 | REUTERS As social commerce — where people buy and sell on social media platforms like TikTok Shop — becomes mainstream, brands want to create content with an "easy onward journey to purchase,' said Jessica Tamsedge, EMEA CEO of Dentsu Group's influence division. That flexibility, affordability — they're cheaper than celebrities — and direct impact, compared with the uncertain results of shooting a TV ad or setting up billboards, is appealing. "Unlike more traditional channels, we're not weighed down by long lead times or heavy production guardrails,' said Nick Rogers, founder of influencer marketing agency The Cast, adding that campaign messaging can be adjusted, influencers recast and creative direction altered very quickly. That immediate feedback loop comes with a key risk: "When it goes wrong, because it's social, it goes wrong very quickly,' Ogilvy's Titus said. German sportswear maker Adidas was forced to publicly cut ties with Kanye West in 2022, highlighting the risk of trusting a public figure with unlimited access to a phone. One way around that may be the emergence of AI-generated influencers, some of which have large followings on Instagram, TikTok or OnlyFans. Meta Platforms plans to fully automate ad creation with AI, including imagery, video, text and audience targeting, the Wall Street Journal has reported. "It's going to be very interesting to see how much value there is in being human versus an AI when it comes to engaging audiences,' Ebiquity's Schreurs said, adding that influencers' livelihood may be at risk from the shift. When it comes to concerns over brand safety, clients could look more favorably on an AI-generated influencer where everything can be controlled and there are no skeletons in the closet, WPP Media's Scott-Dawkins said. For now, the growth runway remains clear for influencer marketing. "What used to be seen as a bolt-on is now right at the center,' The Fifth's Lewis said.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Top Chef' Season 22 finale: Kristen Kish brought to tears as chefs present their final dishes in Italy
We've come to the end of Top Chef Season 22 (on Hayu in Canada), which started by featuring Canada's robust culinary scene. But moving to Milan, Italy to close out the season, it was a tense finale to finish a unique season. Up for grabs was the $250,000 grand prize, provided by Saratoga Spring Water, the official water of Top Chef; Delta SkyMiles Diamond Medallion Status, and a $125,000 flight credit to spend on travel with Delta Air Lines. The chef were also competing for a feature in Food & Wine magazine and an appearance at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. As the finale began, the three remaining competitors chose sous chef for their last challenge. They had to make "the best four course progressive meal." Bailey worked with Lana, Shuai chose Paula, and Tristen had Zubair on his side. They had seven hours to prep and cook in total, split with five hours on the first day, and two hours before service the next day. After their first day of prep, the competitors got to enjoy a meal prepared by Kristen Kish, Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons. They also got to open up to each other about the experience of being in the competition, from both the competitors and judges perspective. Just hours away from presenting their final dishes, each chef really felt the pressure of the clock. Joining the judges table was Italian chef Carlo Cracco, Sarah Cicolini of SantoPalato in Rome, Top Chef alums Richard Blais and Gregory Gourdet, Food & Wine Editor in Chief Hunter Lewis, Santiago Lastra of Kol restaurant, Genie Kwon and Tim Flores from Kasama, and chef Clare Smyth from the restaurant Core by Clare Smyth. Bailey — Polpo e mozz, tomato dashi and giardiniera — Richard said it was "dumb and brilliant" to put mozzarella and octopus together Shuai — Panpuri with scarlet shrimp, aji verde, salsa macha and gazpacho verde — Clare said the dish was a "flavour explosion" Tristen — Monkfish with pickled turnips, tempura broccoli and baccalà mbongo — Tom said the fish looked undercooked, but didn't eat undercooked, it was just on the line The first course dishes were so impressive, Tom went into the kitchen to give the chefs some encouragement. Bailey — Porcini and robiola anolini alpini with cabbage, pecan and brodo — Clare said the dish was "wholesome" and Kristen said the pecans give it something unique Shuai — Soup dumpling raviolo with pork and king crab, charred leek vinaigrette and lardo — Hunter said it had great balance, but the dumpling needed more soup Tristen — Pollo "dorengo" with injera shrimp toast and shellfish jus — Santiago said it was "next level" and Genie said the star was the shrimp toast, while Tom added that it was perfectly seasoned Bailey — Blacked orata with calabrian chili crunch, whipped tahini, brussels sprouts and beets — Genie said her fish was a little overcooked, but appreciated the creaminess of the tahini, and Gail said it was missing a brightness Shuai — Tangcu ossobuco with sweet and sour sauce, radicchio, long beans and grits — Clare said it was "rustic" and Kristen said the amount of dairy in the grits took over Tristen — Oxtail milanese crépinette with carolina gold rice grits, curry butter and bone marrow gremolata — Gregory highlight the great oxtail and Carlo said it was "perfect" Bailey — Torta di pizzelle with zucca, mascarpone cream and espresso stracciatella gelato — Clare said Bailey "brought it home" and she got a real sense of Bailey's style Shuai — Ambrosia pear and orange jello, pistachio, Italian meringue and coconut — Gregory was impressed by how light this "cool" dessert was Tristen — Tropical root vegetable cake with chutney, charred plantain cream and cassareep sorbet — Carlo called Tristen "a chef," but Richard said this dish "got off the tracks" and was too spicy, while others at the table enjoyed the dish more Kristen got emotional after the final course, getting choked up, with tears in her eyes, as she told the chefs to "embrace it all, feel it all and celebrate all of your accomplishments." After the judges deliberated, Tristen was crown the winner of Top Chef Season 22, really telling a story with his food and his dishes, with the goal of progressing Afro-Caribbean cuisine. "I'm essentially trying to un-colonize colonized dishes," Tristen said as he went into crafting his final menu on the show. In a tearful ending, Tristen said he misses his dad so much, after his step-father died while he was on the show, but concluded the season by saying how happy he is that he stayed in the competition.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The big winner at Milken this year? Saratoga's viral water bottle.
Saratoga Spring Water, in its distinct blue glass bottle, was everywhere at the Milken conference. The brand went viral earlier this year because of the influencer Ashton Hall. The CEO of the brand's holding company spoke at the power-player-packed conference. Last spring, the billionaire Michael Arougheti had two light beers in hand and a good reason to celebrate — he had just become the co-owner of the Baltimore Orioles. Arougheti, the CEO of investment manager Ares, was in Pickles Pub, a popular bar for fans near the team's iconic stadium, offering to buy everyone a beer. The short video of a joyous Arougheti in Pickles was played Tuesday to the amusement of his fellow panelists, Todd Boehly and Michael Milken, at the latter's namesake global conference. Milken, a big healthcare donor whom George Washington University's public health school is named after, had one critique. "We're going to try and give you more healthy things to hold up," Milken said. After spending three days traipsing around the ritzy Beverly Hills hotel where the conference is held, it was pretty obvious what that drink would be: Saratoga Spring Water. The glass blue bottles — a 24-pack of 12-ounce bottles costs more than $40 on Amazon — were omnipresent during the conference, with tables laden with them around every corner. Panelists, including Boehly and Arougheti, sipped them onstage. Hotel employees clearing trash cans in common areas sometimes needed backup to get the glass-filled utility trash bags out of their containers. The brand, which is a part of the beverage conglomerate Primo Brands, went viral earlier this year thanks to the influencer Ashton Hall, whose morning routine supposedly includes dunking his face into a bowl filled with several bottles of the distilled spring water. The company's chief marketing officer previously told Business Insider that Hall's use of its product wasn't an ad but that it was enjoying the attention nonetheless. Hall's TikToks didn't come up during the conference, but the conglomerate's CEO, Robbert Rietbroek, spoke on a panel at Milken. The CNBC anchor Sara Eisen introduced him by saying that "we're all drinking his waters." "Our mission is to hydrate a healthy America," Rietbroek said, sitting next to a small side table with several of his "beautiful blue bottles" on it. He added that the decrease in alcohol consumption had given Saratoga a boost. "We're seeing an expansion of bottled water through the first quarter of this year," he said, despite economic worries. He said consumers were on the hunt "for alternate drinks," but at Milken, they were the house pour. Read the original article on Business Insider Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Insider
09-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
The big winner at Milken this year? Saratoga's viral water bottle.
Arougheti, the CEO of investment manager Ares, was in Pickles Pub, a popular bar for fans near the team's iconic stadium, offering to buy everyone a beer. The short video of a joyous Arougheti in Pickles was played Tuesday to the amusement of his fellow panelists, Todd Boehly and Michael Milken, at the latter's namesake global conference. Milken, a big healthcare donor who George Washington University's public health school is named after, had one critique. "We're going to try and give you more healthy things to hold up," Milken said. After spending three days traipsing around the ritzy Beverly Hills hotel where the conference is held, it was pretty obvious what that drink would be: Saratoga Spring Water. The glass blue bottles — a 24-pack of 12-ounce bottles costs more than $40 on Amazon — were omnipresent during the conference, with tables laden with them around every corner. Panelists, including Boehly and Arougheti, sipped them onstage. Hotel employees clearing trash cans in common areas sometimes needed backup to get the glass-filled utility trash bags out of their containers. The brand, which is a part of the beverage conglomerate Primo Brands, went viral earlier this year thanks to influencer Ashton Hall, whose alleged morning routine includes dunking his face into a bowl filled with several bottles of the distilled spring water. The company's chief marketing officer previously told Business Insider that Hall's use of their product was not an ad, but they were enjoying the attention nonetheless. Hall's TikToks didn't come up during the conference, but the conglomerate's CEO, Robbert Rietbroek, spoke on a panel at Milken. CNBC anchor Sara Eisen introduced him by noting that "we're all drinking his waters." Rietbroek said, "Our mission is to hydrate a healthy America," and that the decrease in alcohol consumption has given Saratoga a boost, he said, sitting next to a small side table with several of his "beautiful blue bottles" on it. "We're seeing an expansion of bottled water through the first quarter of this year," he said, despite economic worries.
