The real challenge was not simply launching a new product, but adapting an entirely new category to a very different consumer culture.
Unlike Germany, Italy had almost no flavored water consumption habits, and most consumers were already used to drinking bottled mineral water rather than tap water. This meant there was no natural market reference for the product. The original German communication focused heavily on “no sugar” and “no calories,” but those messages alone were not enough to create demand in Italy. We had to reposition the product around experience, curiosity, lifestyle and hydration habits rather than functional substitution.
As Country Manager Italy, I led air up’s launch and expansion in Italy, overseeing growth, localization, team building and market performance in a category that did not yet exist locally.
Building the local marketing structure- Hiring and leading a local team of 10 people-Creating the localized social media strategy- Developing the influencer marketing ecosystem- Adapting the global brand positioning for the Italian market- Owning the Italian market P&L and growth budgets- Driving customer acquisition and market expansion- Leading air up’s expansion from DTC into the first Italian retail partnerships
Case study
From 0 to one of air up’s strongest European markets.
Growth, localization, creator strategy & retail expansion.
Key Result
€25M annual revenue reached within 3 years from launch.
Market Impact
Built and scaled the Italian and Spanish market operation
Ecosystem
Localized creator collaborations activated.
Leadership Scope
The biggest lesson from air up was understanding that scaling is not only about performance marketing.
Real growth happens when you adapt a product to local culture, create emotional relevance, and build behaviors that did not previously exist.
Next selected work.
(2016-25©)
