When water originates in a subterranean spring and flows to the surface it is considered natural spring water. Natural spring water retains each of its minerals. Bottled spring water is better suited for human hydration needs, and that is important for your good health. This water lacks the salt, sugar, flavors, impurities and toxins found in most water.

This has led to the biggest new fad– indeed, a whole new industry– all kinds of bottled waters. The first 2 pages of a Google search on bottled water, lists many websites for water from any pure spring in the country, each claiming to be the purest and best tasting. This leads to the newest and most popular way to get your logo, brand, and slogan into the marketplace. It’s bottled natural spring water that is imprinted with your company’s logo or trade mark on custom made labels. This type of marketing is referred to as private labeling.

Bottled water with customized labeling is now readily available as an advertising and marketing device on many websites. This is a clever, affordable way to market your company name, logo, or message to your customers. Savvy marketers always watch for the newest and most creative idea; with the new health fad of always carrying drinking water with you, custom labeled bottled waters or sparkling waters have become a widespread and pouplar innovation. Sparkling waters can also be flavored with aromas.

Public relations teams in every business market are thinking of all kinds of ways to capitalize on this trend. A creative PR consultant will find it hard to run out of ideas. Politics, business, charities, churches, sports, and even family events are just some of the possible fields for this new PR tool.

The most unique form of branding that I found? Private label bottled water for wedding guests. Individualized labels can be made for weddings, cocktail parties, engagement parties and outdoor events, all with private labels with the name of the bride and groom and the wedding date.The label can be designed to match the other items commonly ordered for weddings, such as napkins. Want to make private labels instantly for free? Just go to freelabelmaker.

I guess you could even use this device to announce the birth of your first son – private labeled bottled water named after the baby. I am sure if I sit here long enough, I can think of a million more ways to use private labeled bottled water, but I am sure you already get the idea .

In 2006, by claiming that Soda Club bottles were company property, not the customer’s (per standard customer contracts), Sodastream tried to stop a competing enterprise from refilling said bottles of carbon dioxide (CO2).

This failed in Germany, and now could very well do the same in most countries.

This market niche does need competition, for the sake of the environ­ment (bottles should be refilled in the store, an operation that takes a mere 20 seconds); and for price, which could easily be halved. More info about refilling – and home refilling – of carbon dioxide bottles for home sodamakers here.

Consider that sparkling water made at home already costs a fraction of store-purchased carbonated beverages; nevertheless, things could be a lot better.

Here are the facts from bundeskartellamt in Germany:

http://www.bundeskartellamt.de/wEnglisch/News/Archiv/ArchivNews2006/2006_04_13.php

April 13, 2006

Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court confirms immediate enforceability in the Soda-Club case

Soda-Club GmbH, Wiesbaden (“Soda-Club“) may not use its dominant position abusively. Soda-Club had prevented competing suppliers from refilling CO2 cartridges for water carbonating machines by claiming its ownership of the cartridges.

In February 2006 the Bundeskartellamt prohibited this conduct. Soda Club opposed the Bundeskartellamt’s immediately enforceable decision by applying to the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court for interim measures. In provisional proceedings the court has now confirmed the Bundeskartellamt’s decision in all material respects. Soda-Club is dominant in the market for refilling CO2 cartridges. Hindering competitors from refilling CO2 cartridges represents an abuse of this dominant position. By this conduct Soda-Club prevents consumers from taking advantage of alternative refilling possibilities. Only the obligation to point out on labels on the company’s own cartridges that it is admissible to have them refilled by competitors was seen by the Higher Regional Court as a disproportionate measure.

Although Soda-Club can still appeal against the Higher Regional Court’s decision to the Federal Supreme Court, the Higher Regional Court’s decision implies that the numerous small and medium-sized bottling plants can now start to compete with Soda-Club and refill all cartridges circulating in the market.