Flow is looking to elevate its presence in the premium water market by emphasizing its mineral properties.
The brand’s new elevated sustainable packaging, by agency partner Jackman, is set to debut this summer across North America, alongside a new brand platform.
Flow founder and CEO Nicholas Reichenbach says the brand goes through a yearly engagement through consumer insight against its growing base, and adjusts its messages and product innovations accordingly. In this case, an adjustment was made to better appeal to a more premium buyer.
Reichenbach says the brand’s packaging is now using a pearl colour to make it look more upmarket. For the “Flow” wordmark, the brand is opting for ‘Yves Klein blue,’ an eponymous creation by the Nouveau réalisme French artist, and what Reichenbach calls a radiant blue that is “elevated and punchy.”
Its insights reveal buyers are drawn to its core SKU, and purchase the product because “it is a mineral-rich spring water,” reflected in the new packaging’s “mineral spring water” descriptor. Historically, the brand has billed itself as “alkaline-based spring water.”
The company’s earnings report, unveiled Monday, shows that a key part of the brand’s transformation is to focus on its core and most profitable SKUs, like its original Flow water and its streamlined four-flavour water assortment, delisting its vitamin-based products.
Flow is looking to resonate with both the active lifestyle consumer, who want electrolytes and minerals-based beverages, along with its core wellness-conscious customer who already appreciates its alkaline properties.
To drive purchase, Reichenbach says it is doubling down on advancing the packaging design and sustainability, as these attributes are core to how the B Corp brand was founded and gained traction.
With its new Tetra Pak packaging, it replaced a portion of interior lining with renewable sugar cane in between the water and paper board. The liner itself, Reichenbach says, is now 100% recyclable in North America.
The new Tetra Pak carton replaces traditional polymers with bio-based ones, and contains post-consumer recycled content for the first time. Flow’s new package is also designed to have the lowest carbon footprint to date, which the company says is seven times lower than glass.
This summer, Flow is introducing its new brand platform, grounded in Flow’s aspiration to empower consumers to embrace their best selves. More details about the creative behind the upcoming platform have yet to be revealed.
The platform will be designed as a way to further connect with Flow’s community and target consumers through above-the-line communications, tailored retail initiatives, influencer and creator collaborations, consumer events, and more.
Flow can be found at all grocery banners, natural and conventional in its home base of Canada, with a market share of 7%. It was also recently listed in 600 Parkland gas/convenience locations.
NKPR is providing communications support.
