How I Built This with Guy Raz Don Vultaggio: AriZona Beverage Company - The Snap Decision That Outsmarted Snapple
49 snips
Sep 1, 2025 In this engaging conversation, Don Vultaggio, co-founder of AriZona Beverage Company, shares his journey from beer salesman to iced tea mogul. He recounts the pivotal moment that sparked his idea for using tallboy cans, which turned AriZona into a billion-dollar brand. Don discusses the challenges of maintaining independence in a market dominated by giants, the importance of innovative packaging over traditional advertising, and his desire for the company to remain a family-run business for generations to come.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
The Split-Second Idea
- Don saw Snapple cases fly off a truck in winter and decided right then to enter the iced tea business.
- That single moment triggered the creation of Arizona iced tea in 1991–1992.
The Can Came From Their Home
- The Arizona name and turquoise/pink can came from Don's wife's Santa Fe/Phoenix-style home design.
- Eileen designed the big Z logo and the bright colors that made the can pop in coolers.
Use Your Distribution Edge
- Leverage existing distribution relationships to get shelf space for new products.
- Place trial cases in varied stores, use point-of-sale signs, then measure sell-through to expand.