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The bottled water industry is worth billions worldwide, and Hongkongers are buying their share. We asked water expert Bobby Gurung, manager at Prince Hotel’s water hub Bubbles Bar, for the inside scoop on the world of designer water, and how you too can take plain old H20 and sell it to the masses.

Read the other features:
Bottled up
Tapping the market

THE CHECKLIST

It must taste great
Sounds obvious, right? According to Gurung, who has heard it time and time again from her customers, taste is one of the key factors in selling water. “The most important factor is that [it] must be refreshing – without a strong after-taste,” says Gurung.

The science to this is H20 that is pH balanced (7.2-7.4 – just like the human body), acid free, and contains the right mix of mineral content. The good stuff includes iron, zinc, sodium, and even silica. You can take the high road, and get your minerals the natural way from a volcano, underground lake or Alpine mountaintop. Or you can be lazy and add it in later.

Wet water, not dry
Water is supposed to quench thirst. Heavy mineral waters, such as volcanic water from Japan, leave the mouth devoid of moisture, and thus ‘dry’ after drinking. Skip this counterintuitive oddity and go for ‘wet’ water, which has a light, soft texture, and quenches your thirst.

You have never heard of where it’s from
And that’s what makes it hot... or cold. Follow the likes of Fiji and Evian and get your water from someplace exotic. Glace Rare Iceberg Water is from Canada’s icy wastes near the North Pole. And yes, the water comes from actual icebergs.

Jordan Valley’s water hails from a desert oasis. Apparently it once was rainwater, which came down from the mountains of Hebron, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem some 500 years ago, making it holier than thou. If that wasn’t enough of a selling point, the Jordan Valley is also the lowest point on earth.

Name game
When choosing a name, even a resort town or spa will do, as long as it’s in Europe or North America, and preferably has either a famous or obscure name. Or perhaps opt for a fancy French name like Badoit or Chateldon, or something that requires foreign language skills to pronounce. Or get straight to the point, like Texas’ Famous Crazy Water.

Story tellers
French firm Wattwiller claims their water has a soul, which begs the question: could drinking a soul really be good for you? Meanwhile, many South African firms claim their country’s aqua comes from the ‘cradle of life’. Regardless of the story, it seems an intriguing, possibly mythical, background is essential for marketing any commercial water.

It’s hard to beat Pellegrino though, which claims there are historical records proving their water has healed the sick, and that even Leonardo Da Vinci himself drank their self-proclaimed ‘miracle’ water. Just don’t be lame like Denmark’s Iskilde (a retired insurance broker and his wife found a spring. The end.)

Old is the new new
Speaking of age, a golden rule of thumb is the older the water the better. Think brands such as Fiji and VOSS, they’re all-natural artesian waters, which by definition mean that they come from a source deep within the earth, and have never been in contact with the air – supposedly protecting it from environmental pollutants and other contamination. Old water is like antiques; the more ancient, the more you pay. For instance, 10 Thousand BC water has been locked in an icy glacier for – you guessed it – 10,000 years. It costs on average US$30 for 750ml at restaurants.

“Health” benefits
Of course drinking water is good for the body (we are, after all, made mostly of it). But what else can it do for you? It seems the right water can not only refresh, but also give you a thrill. “Minerals act with the chemicals in your body,” says Gurung. “So water with heavy mineral, such as Tynant for example, can give you a [natural] high.”

Elsewhere, Vitamin Water’s two-in-one function has garnered fans the world over, so much so that rapper 50 Cent has his own blend (though rumours he added extra lead to the mix remain unsubstantiated). You definitely have to give these marketing people props, as taking vitamins with water isn’t exactly a new concept.

Hey there good lookin’
If there’s one lesson to be learned from Bubbles Bar’s best selling water, the Norwegian VOSS, it’s that the golden rule of being attractive – or being seen with attractive people – sells water. Not only does it come in a stylish, cylindrical bottle, but it’s also regularly seen in the hands of celebrities such as Beyoncé, Will Smith and Cate Blanchett. Yep, that old trick still works.

Go glass
“A stylish package can really make water sell,” confirms Gurung. “You can find water everywhere, but packaging makes the difference. [Consumers] need to be like, ‘Wow what is this?’” Indeed, plastic bottles can look cheap, which is the reason to go glass like Voss, while tinting the bottle, as with Tynant’s lovely cobalt blue, can also turn heads. However the real reason may be that plastic bottles can be easily warped in hot environments, potentially leaving nasty chemicals in your precious water. If you must go plastic, just make sure you’re still cute. While tall glass bottles say elegance, plastic bottles such as Canadian brand ‘1’, with its short teardrop design and clear swirl top, put up a good fight.

Build loyalty
Make sure your drinkers want you, and only you. Because once they’ve started, they might be hooked on you – forever. Gurung, who swears on drinking bottled water, and has not drunk tap water for more than a decade says, “I’ve never been sick in the past 11 years. And I really do believe it’s [because of the] water.”
In the end, bottled water is like religion: it’s all about believing. Whether it’s actually better for you or not is beside the point, people will buy it regardless. So get out there and find yourself a body of water to bottle – you already know how to sell it.

Bourree Lam

10 Thousand BC www.10thousandbc.com
Badoit www.badoit.ch
Chateldon www.chateldon.tm.fr
Evian www.evian.com
Famous Crazy Water www.famouswater.com
Fiji Water www.fijiwater.com
Iskilde www.iskilde.dk
Pellegrino www.sanpellegrino.com
Tynant www.tynant.com
Vitamin Water www.vitaminwater.com
Voss www.vosswater.com
Wattwiller www.wattwiller.com

Read the other features:
Bottled up
Tapping the market