Turning Water into Wine: Marketing Start-up Seeks to Change the Way Consumers View and Use Water

Soho Waterworks is Tapping an Unmet Need in Bottled Water

Marketing Program Gives Regional Bottlers A Leg Up on Industry Giants

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Dec 01, 2020, 09:00 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Soho Waterworks™, a start-up water distributor, is making waves with a mission to redefine the standards of drinking water. The company is marketing exceptional products few have heard of – naturally sourced waters that are critically acclaimed for purity and taste. Soho Waterworks has launched a retail marketing campaign to educate millions of Americans about the health and wellness benefits of these fine waters.

Naturally sourced waters from pristine artesian wells, deep ocean salination, naturally filtered aquifers, and glacial water, are renowned for their premium quality and health benefits, but have been mostly confined to international tasting competitions and high-end restaurants. Few have been available for wide distribution to retail stores in the United States. However, interest in these products is growing as consumer demand for sustainable, healthy ingredients surges.

Highly praised for both taste and superior natural ingredients, naturally sourced waters provide hydrating qualities not found in conventional bottled water. Although superior in available health benefits, premium waters have struggled, historically, to reach the broader market and are limited in supply by virtue of small-scale operations and limited marketing resources.

A New Model

Soho Waterworks is elevating the profile of regional bottlers by partnering as an independent distribution consultant with a marketing program that is helping to expand the supply of these products to reach more dining room tables and restaurants. The company's innovative, made-to-order promotional program allows niche luxury water bottlers to capture an expanded share of the $18 billion bottled water market by serving as their outsourced marketing partners.

"We offer some of the world's purest, naturally sourced waters a comprehensive marketing solution to become a company with national demand," said Angela Cooper, Chief Executive Officer of Soho Waterworks. "What the suppliers lack in size, we compensate for in sophisticated marketing, sales resources, and relationships. We offer a uniquely personalized, one-on-one, white-glove consulting service otherwise unavailable in corporate beverage distribution. Soho Waterworks highlights product attributes, tells the story behind the water source, and drives distribution with the digital and retail marketing programs essential to grow brands."

Soho Waterworks' services include a full complement of public relations and digital as well as social media marketing targeting individuals, retailers and high-end restaurants and institutions. The company also produces exclusive events for bottlers combined with promotion directly to retail outlets. Soho Waterworks serves as an extension of the bottler's marketing department, providing regional brands access to markets on a scale they could not otherwise achieve.

Alaska Glacier Products (AGP) is a bottler benefiting from a relationship with Soho Waterworks. Sourced from Alaska's Eklutna Lake, its glacier water is characterized by exceptional taste, and contains 94 milligrams of total dissolved solids (TDS) which provides enhanced health benefits for consumers. AGP's glacier water is internationally acclaimed for its taste and has won numerous water quality awards. In fact, it is the only water from the United States to have received a medal at the 2017 Gourmet Waters International Competition in Lyon, France.

"Soho Waterworks is providing us with the resources to achieve national distribution," said Sara Randall, Brand Marketing Consultant to Alaska Glacier Products. "As a regional bottler of premium water, we can't reach all markets in the United States. By merging disparate parts of the supply chain into one, cohesive distribution service, Soho gives us leverage to penetrate markets with sales and promotional platforms we simply couldn't afford on our own."

Growing Market

The bottled water industry has grown steadily as consumers increasingly rely on the convenience of bottled water. Growth is also being driven by the challenge of availability of accessible, safe drinking water in developing countries. Naturally sourced water has been a small segment of the industry, representing 12 percent of overall sales. But the sector's share of the market is expected to increase by 15 percent through 2025 as consumer education about fine water grows.

Traditional bottled water distribution relies on an archaic business model that is dependent upon requests from prospective customers. Soho Waterworks turns that standard on its head with its True Cost Pricing™ business model, featuring a proactive, market-driven approach, emphasizing clarity in all phases of the process. Soho Waterworks' qualitative customer pricing model can also match bottlers' products to the purchasing trends and consumer preferences based upon regional demographics, with a transparent pricing strategy crucial for regional bottlers to increase market exposure.

Healthier Choice

Retail and convenience stores are dominated by mass-marketed bottled waters lacking in the health benefits characteristic of fine waters. Research even suggests that mass-marketed waters are simply filtered tap water lacking any health-enhancing minerals. Some are pumped full of excessive amounts of sodium and other fillers that can deprive the body of essential nutrients, because they are produced on such a large scale and in such massive quantities, with such long distribution cycles. By contrast, naturally sourced waters, such as mineral water, can enhance consumer health with high quantities of calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and sodium that are vital to in the nourishment and replenishment of active bodies.

"When consumers learn what they are putting into their bodies, they will switch to naturally sourced water," says Cooper. "We're talking about what the body needs versus what big beverage companies think will sell. We are disrupting this paradigm by providing bottlers of naturally sourced water public awareness campaigns that drives demand. Once consumers understand the difference in the quality and how it affects the body, they will appreciate how fine water has a positive impact not just on their health, but their relationship with the planet and each other."

Soho Waterworks already has a robust pipeline of companies looking to take advantage of their distribution services. The company has received a strong and positive reception and expects to announce additional agreements in the coming months.

Plans include rolling out partnerships with sommeliers from Five-Star and Michelin-rated restaurants, public symposiums on water quality, a charitable arm to help disadvantaged communities, a subscriptions service, and a possible rating system for bottled water. The company is also leading a public policy initiative to pass a national bottle recycling law.

Consumers and retailers interested in purchasing Soho Waterworks fine waters, can contact the company at following email address: [email protected].

About Soho Waterworks

Soho Waterworks is a Water as a Service^TM (WaaS) company, providing a one-of-a-kind marketing and distribution platform helping regional water bottlers increase their retail footprint and market share. The company's customized sales and marketing solutions allow bottlers of naturally sourced water to project a bigger image and reach more prospects through a tailored and integrated marketing, communications, and sales services. As a company aspiring to be a leader in fine water sales, distribution, and merchandising in North America, the company has set a goal to change the way consumers think about bottled water. Soho Waterworks is fully committed to transparency and sustainability in the sourcing, development, distribution, and marketing of bottled water. For more information about the company's products and services, visit their website www.sohowaterworks.com or call 1-800-432-0166.