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Bottled Water in hot water

Posted in Advertising, Marketing, Branwell Johnson, Latest reporters' blogs February 18th, 2008 by Branwell Johnson

Bottled Water is the latest sector to come under fire from Green lobbyists after supermarkets, GM crops and airlines. The companies behind bottled water are being portrayed as dirty polluters ruining the fair planet from whence they source their oh-so-pure product.

Time for the industry to get its act together fast. The issue has been bubbling away for a while – plastic packaging plus unsustainable “food miles” are an obvious target, in some ways it’s amazing that Volvic, Evian, Vittel and their rivals were not taken to task sooner. But being criticised by the environment minster, Thames Water and on Panorama should make them sit up and take notice. The relevant trade bodies have not yet put forward a strong argument that can counter both the logic and emotion of the environmental message.

The bottled water market has been a lucrative one for several years but the boom time may be coming to an end. Britvic’s acquisition of Ballygowan last year may look like the, ahem, high water mark for the sector.

Interestingly, Coca-Cola is probably as aggrieved as the water brands as the company missed the big opportunity half a decade ago when it fumbled with Dasani. Now is hardly the right time to get back into the market, so all those rumours about Coca-Cola launching or buying a water brand may remain exactly that. Unless anyone can leak something (sorry).

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