Recently, I led a workshop on “Marketing Fundamentals,” in partnership with the Silicon Valley SBDC, to a cohort of small business owners and executives. The workshop was timely because we’re living in a challenging time for marketers (and business owners), where we have a vast amount of technologies and tools at our disposal, clamoring for mindshare as well as their utilities in our marketing toolbox.
In my workshop, I highlighted Evian mineral water as one of the iconic brands that stood the test of time due to the consistency and authenticity in their stewardship.
Evian’s clear blue bottle
Given one of the focused topics in the workshop is about the 5 Ps in marketing, I used Evian’s brand as a user case because it has been steadfast in delivering on its brand promise, combined with cohesive messaging and packaging that work together to break the clutters in distribution channels.
Powerful Branding & Marketing Tenet
Evian’s brand promise focuses on two-words: Live Young; it’s also the brand’s tagline. These two words carry the entire brand. In three seconds on any retail shelf space,
you see the Alpine source and the clean bottle. It shouts out that “You’re not buying hydration. You’re buying a feeling of being refreshed, youthful and alive.”
Everything Evian does is engineered to land that feeling instantly:
The bottle — Elegant, curved, minimal. Before you taste it, the shape tells you this is different from everything else on the shelf.
The name — Évian-les-Bains. French. Alpine. Instantly sounds expensive and pure.
The visual — Mountains. Blue. No clutter.
The positioning and tagline — “Live Young” doesn’t explain the product. It promises a feeling.
The origin story — “Filtered through glacial rock for 15 years” makes you feel like every sip has been perfected by nature itself, always natural mineral water.
Elevating Brand Portfolio to Increase Consumer Appeal
Evian’s elegant glass bottles
The company has added its iconic Evian glass bottles with elegant touches to include celebration at restaurants and homes. They also added limited editions annually to keep surprises in the wrap for consumers. They partner with iconic sport athletes such as Carlos Alcaraz. Carlos joined the Evian family as a global ambassador, embodying the brand’s energy, ambition, and Live Young spirit.
Sustainability Actions Speak Louder than Words
On top of being an exemplary brand, Evian is a socially-responsible company.
The company’s sustainability actions support these 3 pillars:
1. Packaging and Recycling
2. Source protection
Evian’s Limited Edition Mineral Water
3. Climate impact
On packaging and recycling, Evian has transitioned from a linear to a circular economy of sustainable packaging. As of May 2024, 100% of Evian bottles* manufactured for sale in the US are made from 100% recycled PET.
On source protection, Evian also has created the Water Institute by Evian to train future hydrogeologists so they can help Evian treat the source and water cycle with respect. The hydrogeologists collect samples to ensure that the aquifer (underground water source) is regularly replenished.
On climate impact, Evian is working to reduce carbon footprint on transportation of their bottles. For example, knowing that train transportation carbon footprint is 10x smaller than those of trucks in France, Evian transports about 90% of their bottles from factory to warehouses by train.
Carlos Alcaraz as Evian’s global ambassador, embodying energy, ambition and Live Young spirit.
Steadfast Brand Stewardship
Evian’s actions and dedications in making their product sustainable and doing all they possibly can to protect the water source and preserve the environment speak volumes about their brand stewardship. That’s why consumers never forget a brand whose fundamentals are unshakable, and whose presence reminds us about what an iconic brand would do to stand strong, evolve innovatively and thoughtfully to stay relevant in this modern world.
*Excludes labels and caps
All brands and trademarks are properties of respective owners
Source: Evian.com, claude.ai
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