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.

To view the complete research document, please click here.

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British Bottled Water Springs In To Action

Harrogate Spa Water, one of the fastest-growing UK bottled water brands, will now be known as Harrogate Spring Water as bosses unveil the brand new identity for the British bottled water this week.

The re-launched product, which will be on shelves in March, features the new name and packaging, both subtly redesigned to emphasise the benefits of spring water whilst retaining the British provenance of the product and its strong spa heritage.

The re-brand comes after another successful year for Harrogate Spa, which saw it grow ahead of the market for the eighth year running. The UK bottled water market also moved back into growth overall, with UK bottled waters outperforming imported alternatives.

Paul Martin, managing director at parent company Water Brands Group, commented: "Harrogate Spring Water is from the original British spa town and we're incredibly proud of that heritage, but we wanted to highlight the water's source so our customers realise that they're getting the full benefits of a British spring water too.

"We now feel we have come of age and grown into a truly national brand so the time is right to align ourselves with the other major players in the bottled water sector. We're a modern, stylish and distinctive brand that sources over 98 per cent of our packaging from within 70 miles of the source in Harrogate. This is something we're immensely proud of, so we wanted to make more of communicating our British credentials, as we continue to keep our food miles to a minimum while simultaneously investing to keep the UK market thriving."

As well as the change of emphasis from spa to spring, the new packaging will feature a discreet Union Jack symbol to communicate the British nature of the product. The brand will also continue its golf sponsorship deals for both the British Women's Open and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, as it seeks to support British sporting excellence.

Harrogate Spring Water is based on a heritage of more than 400 years and is now established among the top 10 bottled water brands in the UK, with more than 50 million bottles a year being sold throughout Britain. Water Brands is one of the most ethically-minded bottled water companies in the UK, and the Harrogate brand is already a popular choice in national supermarket chains Asda, Waitrose and Tesco, as well as being listed in the second-largest UK cinema chain, Vue.

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Top hotel group chooses Harrogate Spa Water

Cedar Court Hotels, Yorkshire's biggest independent hotel group, has chosen Harrogate Spa Water for its four four-star hotels and York's first five-star hotel, Cedar Court Grand, which opens in spring 2010.  The deal is worth around 80,000 bottles a year.

John Horvath, group general manager of Cedar Court Hotels, selected Harrogate Spa Water for its quality, regional roots, and sophisticated black and silver bottles which are a suitably stylish fit for the hotels.  He said: "This deal enables us to meet our internal brief to source locally whenever possible. Harrogate Spa Water's slightly sweet flavour makes it a very versatile drink - a crucial consideration given the range of situations in which we will serve it."

Paul Martin, managing director of Waterbrands, added: "We're looking forward to supplying Cedar Court Hotels as the company has a lot in common with Waterbrands - they're independent Yorkshire companies offering premium brands, and we're both continuing to perform well during this difficult trading period.  Cedar Court has ambitious plans, not least creating York's first five-star hotel, and we're proud Harrogate Spa Water had been chosen to contribute to its success."

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Harrogate Spa goes to the movies

Vue is the second-largest cinema chain in the UK and operates 641 screens which welcome 32 million customers every year.  Zoe Farmer, head of retail at Vue Entertainment, said "At Vue we strive to give customers the best possible experience and a premium brand like Harrogate Spa Water fits well with our passion for quality."

While the bottled water market is seeing sales decline by around five per cent due to three poor summers in a row and a number of campaigns to persuade people to drink more tap water, Harrogate Spa Water continues to outperform the market.

Paul Martin, managing director of Waterbrands, the parent company of Harrogate Spa Water, commented:  "We're thrilled that Harrogate Spa has been selected by one of the leading names in the leisure industry.  The contract will increase brand awareness among a whole new audience and help us maintain our upward sales trend." 

 Caption:  Pictured at Vue, Clifton Moor, York, are Neil Robertson, senior national account manager for Waterbrands, and Rob Parker, the cinema manager.

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The Grocer Fast 50

Harrogate Spa Water has been named as one of the UK's fastest growing food and drink companies by a leading industry publication.

The company was ranked 14^th in The Grocer Fast 50 list, a summary of the UK's highest-achieving grocery businesses.

Paul Martin, managing director of Waterbrands, welcomed the listing as further proof that Harrogate Spa Water is bucking the trend in declining sales across the bottled water market.

Paul said: "This is fantastic news and a real boost for our business. We were the only bottled water and one of only two beverage brands on the list, which shows that Harrogate Spa Water is going from strength to strength despite the recession and three relatively poor summers. The fact we are outperforming so many more companies from all categories of the grocery market is a real testament to the quality of our product and strength in our brand in what is a very crowded market.

"We are confident that Harrogate Spa Water will continue to thrive and outperform other market players. It has proved to be an appealing brand to customers because of the water quality, distinctive brand design and 450-year heritage, resulting in volume growth which has been ahead of the market every year for the last four years."

The Grocer Fast 50 list ranks the fastest growing private food and drink businesses in the UK by total annual sales growth over a three year period, with sales exceeding £5 million in at least one of those years.

Harrogate Spa Water, Britain's original spa water, was first bottled in 1571 and the brand was revived in 2002.

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