Will celebrity tequila brands survive the category reset?
Some will. The 2023-2026 category reset is winnowing celebrity tequila brands down to the ones with real distribution, real volume, and real brand equity beyond the founder. Most second-tier celebrity labels will be sold, merged, or quietly discontinued.
Some celebrity tequila brands will survive the 2023-2026 category reset. The ones with real distribution, real volume, and real brand equity beyond the founder will keep growing or get acquired at strategic prices. The second tier (launched 2020-2023, low volume, heavy paid media) is mostly facing a sale, merger, or quiet wind-down. The category went from a gold rush to a buyer's market in 18 months. Diageo's reported review of celebrity-backed labels, Pernod's portfolio rationalization, and the agave price collapse all point the same direction. Liquor Bets runs markets on named celebrity tequila brand transactions and category volume forecasts.