Harrogate Spring dominates bottled water rivals in consumer testing
In a straight shoot out, more than twice the number of consumers chose Harrogate Spring as the most premium looking bottled water over its nearest competitor, when tested against more established brands Strathmore, Hildon, Highland Spring and Abbey Well.
In the survey of over 2,000 UK consumers, conducted by ICM Research, Harrogate Spring Water also dominated in overall visual appeal (60 per cent of consumers preferred Harrogate Spring against 40 per cent for its nearest competitor) and most significantly, was chosen as the brand they would be most likely to order in a bar or restaurant.
The study was commissioned by Harrogate Spring Water to test consumer reaction to the brand and packaging within the foodservice and on-trade markets, following the rebrand from Harrogate Spa this year. The company’s focus within these sectors has resulted in a 15 per cent increase in turnover during the last 12 months, against a market backdrop which has seen five per cent growth for the category.
Paul Martin, managing director at parent company Water Brands Group, commented: “We’ve always been hugely confident about the visual appeal of our brand and have plenty of anecdotal evidence to back this up. That is why we wanted to test ourselves against the other major players in the on trade bottled water sector to see if this was borne out by consumers.
“We were prepared for whatever came back, good or bad, but the results have been compelling, significant both statistically and in supporting our business strategy. To fare so well within a category full of such established and respected brands was a real coup for us. We are a national brand with a distinctive, modern and stylish design and fantastic British credentials and that really resonates with consumers, especially in the on trade.
“While some people might not immediately recognise the brand equity of bottled water brands to consumers, in comparison to must-stocks like Coca Cola, this latest information really ought to make people ask themselves why they aren’t stocking Harrogate Spring. It’s what their customers want, as we’ve proved with this research.”
Harrogate Spring Water is based on a heritage of more than 400 years and is one of the most ethically-minded bottled water companies in the UK. It is well established among the top 10 bottled water brands in the UK and sells more than 50 million bottles a year throughout Britain.