Danone launches luxury Badoit sparkling water
Multinational food-products corporation Danone is embarking on the global launch and rebranding of its premium sparkling water brand Badoit, specifically targeting the high-end hotel and restaurant business.
The company has been “looking for a sparkling accompaniment” to its still water brand Evian for the past five or six years, Evian Volvic Export general manager Elio Pacheco told Hotelier Middle East.
“After our research, we realised we had a brand in our midst that we owned, which is Badoit,” said Pacheco, adding that until now, Badoit was only available in France.
“We have been able to increase capacity to take it to the export market,” he said.
The development of the brand has included the creation of a new PET bottle — to meet the needs of resorts with outdoor and poolside restaurant operations — and a new label and product identity designed to reflect Badoit’s “delicate bubbles” and reputation as “the champagne of water”.
“It’s not overly carbonated; first and foremost it’s one of, if not the only, premium sparkling brand in the market that is naturally sparking from source, which is a key differentiating feature of Badoit,” explained Pacheco.
“Certainly in the premium segment it is the least carbonated sparkling water brand, which allows it to be consumed in a fine dining environment — it doesn’t compete against fine haute cuisine.”
He said that hotels and restaurants will, therefore, be able to make Badoit the most expensive water brand on their menu.
“We had to get the pricing architecture right — what price should come out that provides superior margins to the F&B managers. By margin, I don’t mean percent, I mean absolute margin. We feel that this product is so special, so different from the other alternatives, that we can price it higher,” explained Pacheco.
“The objective for Evian was to be in the top tier of hotels, which it is. And right now there has been another brand typically in there. We decided to launch another product that is better, we believe, than our competition and be as good as Evian and Badoit is that so of course our real push is to take both and have it at a higher price therefore making maximum margin,” he added.
“We are focused on top tier hotels and restaurants around the world. And we believe it will be a huge success and eventually the benchmark in terms of sparkling water,” asserted Pacheco.
Badoit is available in the Middle East through a variety of distributors including Armada Distribution in UAE; Arrow Food in KSA; and Ali Bin Ali in Qatar.