La Croix Sparkling Water

LaCroix
Type Sparkling water
Manufacturer National Beverage Corp.
Country of origin La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States
Proof (US) 0
Flavor Pure (Unflavored), Berry, Cran-Raspberry, Lemon, Lime, Orange, Passion Fruit, Apricot, Mango, Pamplemousse (Grapefruit), Lemon-Lime, Coconut, Peach-Pear, Tangerine, Key Lime, Pomme-Baya (Apple-Cranberry), Cerise Limón (Cherry Lemon), Melón Pomelo (Melon Grapefruit), Kiwi Sandía (Kiwi Watermelon), Piña Fraise (Pineapple Strawberry), Mure Pepino (Cucumber Blackberry), NiCola (Cola)
Website www.lacroixwater.com

LaCroix or La Croix (/ləˈkrɔɪ/ (French: "the cross") is an American sparkling water distributed by National Beverage Corporation.

Sales records have never been publicly released, but market research suggests La Croix holds a 30% market share in sparkling water sales in the United States, double that of its main competitor, Perrier.[1][2]

History

In 1981, the G. Heileman Brewing Company of La Crosse, Wisconsin, introduced LaCroix as one of the first "Anti-Perrier" brands. Meant to appeal to sparkling water consumers who were put off by Perrier's "snobbish positioning", LaCroix marketed to its niche by imaging itself as an "all occasion" beverage.[3]

The beverage fared well in popularity and sales in the surrounding Midwest region for the following decade. By 1992, the brand was estimated to be worth US$25 million.[4] However, in the same year, due to Heileman's admitted lack of experience outside the beer market, it sold the brand to National Beverage (then Winterbrook).[4]

Since the early 1990s, LaCroix has been a fairly well-known product in the Midwest. Its sudden rise in popularity outside of the Midwest United States, however, has only been a recent phenomenon.[1][5]

In 2002, National Beverage sought to rebrand LaCroix and ended up settling on the design that was "least favored by management" but won over target consumers in a "landslide".[6] Instead of staying with the clean and simple designs like other water brands, they found that a more bold and colorful approach was more appealing to their audience. The "successful execution of the “anti-Perrier” strategy, in all its forms, has been a key factor enabling LaCroix to become one of the top sparkling water brands.[3]

In spring of 2015, with sugary soda sales plummeting to a 30-year low in the U.S.,[7] National Beverage saw an opportunity to expand their consumer base, subsequently launching a marketing campaign for the beverage on social media, specifically targeting millennials.[1] Their marketing efforts have since helped position LaCroix with mainstream news outlets as a healthier alternative to sugary soda, as well as a mixer for popular cocktails.[8][9][10]

Controversies

Sexual harassment

The company's billionaire CEO, Nick Caporella, was accused of sexual harassment by two former employee pilots who alleged inappropriate touching on more than 30 trips between 2014 and 2016.[11] One lawsuit was settled out of court in January 2018, and one was still pending as of July 2018.[12]

"All-natural" advertising

In October 2018 a class action lawsuit was filed by law firm Beaumont Costales regarding the "all natural" branding, claiming that La Croix uses synthetic ingredients including ethyl butanoate, limonene and linalool propionate.[13][14][15] The company responded that "all the flavor essences in LaCroix are natural."[14]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Peterson, Hayley (2015-10-08). "Sales are exploding for this little-known soda brand with a cult following". Business Insider. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  2. ↑ Kosman, Josh (2015-12-03). "'Sparkling' LaCroix sales drive acquisition talk". New York Post. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  3. 1 2 "LaCroix Sparking Water | Meridian Associates Inc. Success Story". www.meridianai.com. Meridian Associates. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  4. 1 2 Lazarus, George (1992-11-13). "Buyer Sparkles Over Lacroix Deal". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  5. ↑ Cepeda, Marlisse (2016-06-21). "Here's Why Everyone Can't Stop Drinking LaCroix". Country Living. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  6. ↑ Halpern, Ashlea (January 24, 2017). "The Secret History of the LaCroix Label". BonAppetit.com. Retrieved 2017-06-08.
  7. ↑ Kell, John (2016-03-29). "Soda Consumption Falls to 30-Year Low In The U.S." Fortune. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  8. ↑ Lian, Liz (2016-09-19). "14 Delicious Cocktails Made with LaCroix Sparkling Water". Kitchn. Retrieved 2017-10-05.
  9. ↑ Nelson, Libby (2016-06-20). "Why LaCroix sparkling water is suddenly everywhere". Vox. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  10. ↑ Choi, Mary H. K. (2015-03-03). "Letter of Recommendation: LaCroix Sparkling Water". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  11. ↑ Shoot, Brittany (2018-07-03) Fortune Magazine, 3 July 2018. CEO Behind LaCroix Brand Accused of Inappropriately Touching Airplane Pilots.
  12. ↑ Maloney, Jennifer; Maremont, Mark, Wall Street Journal, 3 July 2018. Billionaire Behind LaCroix Accused of Improper Touching by Two Pilots
  13. ↑ Is sparkling water like LaCroix actually good for you? Here's what experts say ASHLEY MAY, USA TODAY, 2018/10/08
  14. 1 2 Lawsuit Accuses LaCroix Seltzer of Containing Artificial Ingredients Used in Cockroach Insecticide Gina Martinez, TIME magazine, October 6, 2018
  15. ↑ LaCroix faces suit alleging it mislabeled its sparkling water as natural CNBC, Laura Galligan, 5 October 2018


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