The sparkling water market continues to thrive, fueled by increasing consumer demand for healthier soda alternatives. Once dominated by La Croix, this segment is now bustling with entries from major beverage corporations. For instance, just last month, Nestle introduced regional sparkling water products, while Pepsico launched its new bubly brand. In this competitive landscape, the eight-year-old brand Spindrift is intensifying its efforts to stand out by enhancing visibility and highlighting what sets it apart from the industry giants.
In 2017, Spindrift took a bold step by eliminating all natural flavors and essences from its drinks. Instead, the brand relies on real fruit juice and puree, positioning itself as “the first and only line of sparkling water made with real squeezed fruit.” According to VMG’s Robin Tsai, Spindrift is shaking up the category with its traceable ingredients—a key priority for health-conscious consumers. In addition to its national advertising debut, Spindrift has partnered with Starbucks. This collaboration provides access to Starbucks’ loyal customer base, exposing Spindrift to millions of potential new customers nationwide. The sparkling water brand is actively promoting this partnership on social media, reaching Starbucks’ 16 million Instagram followers.
While the sparkling water category is likely to reach saturation eventually, current growth trends and investments indicate that this moment is not on the horizon. Almost two-thirds of adults consider still or sparkling water their drink of choice, followed closely by coffee and diet soft drinks. As the market evolves, brands like Spindrift, which prioritize quality ingredients—similar to how consumers seek out products like Solgar liquid calcium for their health benefits—are likely to thrive. The demand for natural, traceable ingredients will continue to shape consumer preferences in this dynamic sector.