There Is More to Drink Than Consumers Think

8 in 10 Americans Are Unaware of the Variety and Number of Branded Bottled Waters

by Dr. Michael Mascha

Bottled water is just emerging as part of the fine dining experience in the United States. One of the reasons is that only a few types of bottled water are served in restaurants or available in supermarkets.

Thus, water drinkers think that bottled water is just water, and that there are a limited number brands to choose from. This view is supported by a recent survey conducted by FineWaters™ that found that 84 percent of those queried said there were less than 30 brands of bottled water worldwide.

In reality, the number is closer to 2,800. On the FineWaters site, the growing list of bottled waters includes more than 400 brands from 15 countries.

Only Four Percent Thought Cited More than 100 Brands of Bottled Water

The September 2004 survey, conducted by Synovate for FineWaters, found that even among primary grocery shoppers in the household – which were roughly half of the 1,208 respondents – only four percent of them said there were more than 100 brands of bottled water.

A few of other interesting findings emerged from the survey:

Younger consumers are less aware. Despite their hip, in-the-know image, younger consumers are more likely to believe there are fewer brands of bottled water. Approximately 60 percent of those aged 18 to 24 said there were less than 100 brands of bottled water.

Older consumers are more bottled water savvy. Those aged 55 to 64 emerged as the most bottled water savvy, although not by much (5 percent cited 100-plus brands, against 3.5 percent overall).

Those with higher incomes are twice as aware. Those respondents in household with incomes in excess of $75,000 were most likely (5.4 percent) to indicate there were 100 or more brands of bottled water – about twice as many as any other income group.

Northeast has highest awareness. Those living in the Northeast exhibited the greatest level of bottled water awareness, on a regional basis. Northeasterners were least likely to identify 10 or fewer brands – 45 percent vs. 52 percent for the entire sample.

Higher education means greater bottled water awareness. Education also correlated to increased bottled water awareness: nearly seven percent of those with post-graduate degrees placed themselves in the “100-plus brands of bottled water” camp, a greater number than high school and college graduates combined.

Bottled Water Brands Have Unique Characteristics

Bottled water, like wine, has its unique identity that is defined by its origin – whether springs, wells or glaciers. Bottled water deserves some intelligent attention and a prominent place on our tables

Paying attention to the differences in bottled water can be an epicurean delight if water is paired with the right food, served in the right stemware and enjoyed at the right temperature.

What’s unfortunate is that bottled water drinkers are only exposed to a few of the major brands. The survey makes the lack of availability of different bottled water brands abundantly clear.