Top 10 Water Brands in the World 2023

In this article, we have prepared a list of top water brands in world 2023 using business parameter of revenue. These companies have prominent global packaged drinking water brands, which are available worldwide. Packaged drinking water has now become one of the biggest markets in the world. Bottled water bottles are now omnipresent and are significant contributors to the food and beverage industry.  These are mostly manufactured by main stream beverage companies, who have an extensive distribution network, strong marketing and excellent quality.

Top Bottled Water Brands in the World 2023 by Revenue:

Some of the biggest water brands are Aquafina, Evian, Dasani, PureLife, Bonafont, Fiji water, C'est Bon etc. are made by major beverage brands. The top bottled water companies have global distribution systems reaching out to customers across the globe with different brands in their portfolio. Here is the list of the top 10 water brands in the world 2023.

Rank 1. The Coca Cola Company (Dasani, Ciel, Kinley, Smartwater)

The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer, and marketer of nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, which is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Image: flickr.com/photos/dottieday/

Some of its hugely popular brands, besides Coca Cola, include Fanta, Minute Maid, Georgia, Sprite, etc. Bottled water brands bottled and sold by Coca Cola are Dasani, Ciel, Valpre, Glaceau Smartwater, and Vitamin Water ZERO

Dasani brand was launched in 1999 in US, after the success of Aquafina.

It was subsequently launched in Canada in 2001. Both the sources of Dasani are located in Canada, one in Alberta, other in Ontario. Ciel is the one of the top selling brand of mineral water, owned by the The Coca Cola Company. Currently it is being marketed in Morocco, Mexico and Angola. What makes the really big brand is the fact that Mexicans are the world's largest consumer of bottled water, in small individual bottles (1.5 liters or less) and jugs (large bottles of 20 liters). Ciel is purified, non-carbonated bottled water that has been enjoyed by consumers since 1996. Ciel was launched by Coca-Cola Mexico in 1996 in the selected states of Coahuila, Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Durango, Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi. Subsequently, it was launched in Mexico city in 1997 and in 2001 was released in the states of Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas part. In that same year, The Coca-Cola Company launched a version called Ciel Mineralized soda in several markets. Ciel Mineralized, bottled water, was available in Mexico in 2001. In 2002, together with the acquisition of Panamerican Beverages (Panamco) made by Coca-Cola FEMSA, The Coca-Cola Company acquired Panamco bottled watermark Risco, and converted it into Ciel, making the brand available in the states of Guanajuato, Puebla and Michoacan in Mexico Vercruz.

Revenue from Bottled water: ~4.6 Billion dollars

Rank 2. Pepsi Co. (Aquafina)

PepsiCo Inc., an American multinational food and beverage corporation, is headquartered in Purchase, New York, United States.

Image: company website

Its product mix (as of 2012) includes Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Tropicana, Lay’s Gatorade and bottled water brand Aquafina, amongst other hugely popular brands. Aquafina is a brand of purified bottled water. It was distributed for the first time in Wichita, Kansas in 1994, before being sold in the United States, Spain, Canada, Lebanon, Turkey, and the GCC countries.

Aquafina was first launched in the US in 1994, and with its unique system of purification and great taste, soon became the leading brand of bottled water in the United States. In India, Aquafina was first launched in Mumbai in 1999 and nationwide in 2000. Its appeal of the brand and distribution are its strengths. Aquafina goes through a purification process of state-of-the-art seven steps to give consumers of pure water and the perfect taste. Its ‘What a Body’ campaign grabbed eye balls and helped the brand to be projected as a modern and youthful brand in an otherwise undifferentiated category. In 2007, Pepsi admitted that contrary to its claims that Aquafina is obtained from mountain spring, it actually comes from tap water and goes through extensive purification techniques involving charcoal fibration, reverse osmosis and ozonation. In 2009, Aquafina represented 13.4 percent of domestic sales of bottled water in the United States, making it the number one bottled water brand in US.

Revenue from Bottled water: ~4.5 Billion dollars

Rank 3. Nestle Waters (Pure Life, Acqua Panna, Deer Park)

Nestlé S.A. is a Swiss multinational food and beverage company headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland and is among the top water brands in the world.

Image: company website

It is the largest food company in the world measured by revenues. Its products include bottled water, baby food, breakfast cereals, tea, coffee, confectionary, instant food items, etc.

Nestle Waters is the water division of Nestle. It owns nearly 64 bottled water brands in multiple countries. Approximately 7% of its sales are from bottled water. Some of its most popular water brands are PureLife (having the largest market share worldwide), Deer Park, Poland Spring, Acqua Panna, San Pellegrino, Perrier, springs, Water Park, Waterline.

Nestle Pure Life is produced by Nestle Waters North America and is marketed in United States and Canada. It was launched in 1998 as the first multi-site bottled water under the Nestlé brand. Before 1998, Nestle Pure Life was named as Aberfoyle Springs, and was the product of Aberfoyle Springs since 1993. The brand has been sold as Nestle Pure Life since 2002. After buying the brand and facilities Aberfoyle Springs in 2000, Nestlé changed the name first, in 2002, to "Aberfoyle Nestle Pure Life," and then to "Nestle Pure Life Natural Spring Water". At present two different spring waters are sold by the Nestle’s Aberfoyle Springs: the Aberfoyle Springs Water that is available onsite, and another spring water originating and bought in from Cedar Spring Valley in Erin, Ontario. In addition, the spring water is bottled on site in Hope, British Columbia. In the United States, Nestlé Pure Life is a (filtered) purified water. In 2006 Nestle Pure Life became the leading brand of the group, and in 2008 became the leading bottled water brand in the world, with 5 million liters sold worldwide. Its unique selling point is the water purification process, in which each bottle is filtered through a quality process of 12 steps, enhanced with a unique blend of minerals.

Revenue from Bottled water: ~4.2 Billion dollars

Rank 4. Danone (Bonafont, Aqua, Evian)

Danone is a French multinational food-products corporation based in Paris.

Image: company website

It has four business lines: Fresh Dairy products, Waters, Early Life Nutrition and Medical Nutrition. Fresh dairy products represent 50% of the group's total sales, Early Life Nutrition 21%, Waters 20% and Medical Nutrition 7%. Its two most popular and top water brands include Bonafont and Aqua.

BONAFONT, an international brand leader for bottled water is known for high quality standards and great taste. In the USA, BONAFONT water is bottled and distributed by Palomar Mountain Premium Spring Water.In 1992, the Bonafont Company was founded by The Fontanet family in Toluca, Mexico, based on a Mexican investor project to develop the bottled water market. In 1994, to keep in line with the promotion of healthier water drinking habit, The Danone Group bought the Bonafont Company. Subsequently in 2001, The Bonafont brand, leader of the Mexican market in individual format, enters the Home & Office Delivery (HOD) business. Aqua is a brand of the Danone Group and is the number one mineral water brand in the world by sales volume. It is marketed in Indonesia, where it is number one producer of mineral water packaging in Indonesia.

Revenue from Bottled water : 3.9 Billion dollars

Rank 5. Nongfu Spring Co., Ltd

Nongfu Spring Co., Ltd., currently known as Nongfu Spring is operating as a bottled water company and has its headquarters in Xihu District Hangzhou, Zhejiang.

Image: company website

The company was established on September 26, 1996. During the same time as the setting up of NongFu Spring Water in 1996, the water consumption habit of Chinese consumers was changing and the move was towards drinking healthy water. Nongfu Spring Co. capitalized on the change and in little time three production sites were set up in Zhejiang to meet mounting market demand. Currently, NongFu Spring Co., with its 12 production facilities is one of China’s topmost companies in the beverage industry. The water has its origins in The “Lake of a thousand islands” or Qindao Lake. The lake is famous for its clear and drinkable water. In 2013, it was recognized as China’s largest bottled water suppliers having its operations throughout the country.

Revenue from Bottled water: ~3.8 Billion dollars

Rank 6. Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co. Ltd

Wahaha brand is one of the most recognized bottled water brands in China.

Image: company website

It is owned by the Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co. Ltd, essentially a privately owned group of companies which are the largest player in the beverage industry in China. Wahaha group was established by Mr. Zong Qing Hou. Wahaha brand water is available in a number of different products. The tag line of the brand is "Healthy Living, Healthy Water". In 1995, discussions began between Zong and Danone about a joint venture and an agreement was finally signed on 28 March 1996.

Wahaha natural mineral water comes from a single source located in the Changbai Mountain. The origins of the Wahaha group lies in the sales department of the District School Shangcheng Hangzhou, founded in 1987. The "Hangzhou nutritional Wahaha Food Factory" was created in 1989 in this school, to delve into the unexplored market of "liquid nutrient for the children ". The advertisement campaign for the brand was directed at the parents of single child, and was a runaway hit. Though there were thirty eight other producers of liquid nutrients in the market, this brand struck a special cord with the parents. 

Revenue from Bottled water: ~2.8 Billion dollars

Rank 7. CR Beverages (Holding) Ltd. (C’est Bon)

China Resources Beverage (Holdings) Ltd. or CR Beverage is a division of China Resources that sells various beverages including soft drinks, bottled water, tea and coffee.

Image: company website

It is also known as China Resources C'estbon Food & Beverage. It is headquartered in the north area of the Hi-tech Park in Nanshan District, Shenzhen and is one of the top water brands globally. The regional offices are in Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Shenyang, and Shenzhen. The various brands owned by the group include C'estbon water, Afternoon tea, Fire coffee, Jialinshan, Magic, and Zero Pascal.

C'est Bon in French translates to "It's good," which means good health to enjoy life. Water is marketed in green label which connotes coolness and freshness that is experienced when water is drunk. C'est Bon water echoes the three most important element of a clean, healthy water: odorless, tasteless and colorless. C'est Bon currently is available in 80 CL, 50 CL Single serving cups and 1.5 lt Single Serving Bottles.

Revenue from Bottled water: ~1 Billion dollars

Rank 8. Tingyi (Cayman) Holding Corporation (Master Kong)

Tingyi Holdings Corporation is a subsidiary of Ting Hsin International Group, a Taiwanese-owned company is based in Tianjin, China.

Image: company website

It specializes in the production and distribution of beverages, instant noodles, bottled water, soft drinks and baked goods. Founded in 1996,it owns the hugely popular brand Master Kong. It was founded in 1996.

Master Kong Mineral Water was launched by Ting Hsin International Group in 2014 and caters to the needs of affluent consumers. A Taiwanese owned company, Ting Hsin International Group is based out of Tianjin, China. It was founded in 1996. One of the top water brands in the world, Ting Hsin International Group, possessed a trade volume share of 12%. However, the volume of its iconic brand Master Kong trade dropped by one percent. At the same time, owing to a change in trend the Chinese consumers were shifting from artificial mineral water to natural mineral water. Master Kong was not in line with the trend and lost market share. To maintain its leadership position, the company launched a product of natural mineral water and highlighted the high quality of water in the Changbai Mountains. However, due to long-term partnership of the brand with low priced mineral water, it will take some time to establish a brand image of quality among consumers.

Revenue from Bottled water: 0.4 Billion dollars

Rank 9. Fiji Water

Fiji Water is a brand of bottled water, produced and marketed by Natural Waters of Viti Ltd.

Image: company website

They are derived, bottled and shipped from an artesian aquifer in Viti Levu, Fiji. 90% of the sales come from US markets. Natural Waters of Viti Ltd was founded in 1996 by David Gilmour. He found a substantial artesian aquifer on the north side of Viti Levu, Fiji's main island and the soft and unique taste, mineral content and isolation of the water source convinced him that he had found the purest water available on Earth, and he decided to bottle the same. In 2004, the company was purchased by Stewart and Lynda Resnick. Currently, Fiji water is distributed throughout the world and is one of the leading brands available in topmost hotels, fine restaurants and retail locations, besides direct delivery.

Revenue from Bottled water: 0.3 Billion dollars

Rank 10. Bisleri International (Bisleri, Vedica)

Bisleri International Private Ltd. produces bottled drinking water, Bisleri, a brand of mineral bottled water so popular in India that the brand is used as a generic term for mineral water.

Image: flickr.com/photos/dottieday/

It was established by Felice Bisleri, who first thought of selling bottled mineral water in India. It has its origins in Italy, at a place called Nocera Umbra, from the springs called Angelica. In 1965, Bisleri was first launched in Mumbai in glass bottle containers. In 1969, it was bought over by Parle. In 1995, Jamhshed J Chaunhan started expanding bisleri operations to international market and subsequently, Bisleri ventured into Europe

Currently, Bisleri has 36% market share in bottled drinking water in India. It is available in eight pack sizes - 250ml cups, 250ml bottles, 500ml, 1 liter, 1.5 liter, 2 litre, 5 litre, and 20 litre. It’s operating throughout the India sub-continent and is one of the leading bottled water seller in India. As of 23 October 2012, Bisleri is manufactured at 18 locations/plants and has 13 franchisees & 58 contract packers throughout India. In 1991, Bisleri introduced as an economy pack a 20 liter jar for use at work and home. Subsequently in 2000, it launched ‘Bada bisleri’, a 1.2 liter pack. Four major products of Bisleri are Bisleri, Vedica, fine mineral water brand, Bisleri soda and Urzza, an energy drink.

Revenue from Bottled water: ~0.25 Billion dollars

Ranking Criteria for Water Brands

1. List of water brands was made

2. Annual reports revenue segmented data was analyzed for top water brands

3. Revenues of the companies from the ‘Bottled water’ segment was considered

This article has been researched & authored by the Content & Research Team which comprises of MBA students, management professionals, and industry experts. It has been reviewed & published by the MBA Skool Team. The content on MBA Skool has been created for educational & academic purpose only.

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