Vitamin Water

History and Introduction In the early 1990’s, when Manhattan was hit by water contamination, Bikoff set out to buy bottled water and found that except for the brand name, there was very little difference between the different brands of bottled water sold. Bikoff was looking for additional nutritional value rather than plain water. Finding none, he started conducting an in-depth study about different companies making bottled water. He found that he could use vapor distillation to create an alternative to bottled water. Bottled water was generally procured from springs and contained some dissolved minerals, which could be removed using vapor distillation. Bikoff then came up with the idea of starting a company that could offer a healthy alternative to soft drinks and plain water. He decided to name the company Glacéau; a combination of the words glace (ice) and eau (water) which signifies clean water. Bikoff started the venture in the year 1996, from his father’s office in Queens, New York. He worked with R&D professionals to develop the company’s first product Glacéau Smartwater, which was sourced from glacial aquifers in Connecticut, vapor distilled, and supplemented with electrolytes. With his previous expertise on packaging, he asked his team to design a 20 ounce bottle instead of the conventional 16 ounce bottle. Another unique aspect of the bottle was its sport cap. With the popularity if the packaging, several beverage manufacturers started using caps on the bottles. Bikoff then got the bottle redesigned and the bottle was made available in half liter, one liter, and one and a half liter sizes. The next product was Fruitwater, introduced in 1999. This was Smartwater with the added flavor of fruits and it was sugar free. Fruitwater was the first non0carbonated water with a fruit flavor. The water was subjected to pasteurization due to which it had a long life though no preservatives were added. Fruitwater was available in several flavors including