Coca-Cola Enterprises has launched a new sports cap packaging format for its bottled water brand, Glacéau Smartwater, following a £14 million investment at its manufacturing site in Northumberland.
The investment has helped to build a high-speed, fully automated water processing and bottling line that will more than double production capability for Glacéau Smartwater to 56,000 bottles per hour, from the previous line’s capability of 18,200 bottles per hour. The line will support production of the new sports cap format for the brand, which Coca-Cola said is today worth more than £21 million.
The new sports cap, which will be available on 850ml packs, will hit shelves this month and has been introduced to tap into consumer demand for instant consumption formats, where Glacéau Smartwater is ranked among the five largest brands. It is being supported by a £5.5 million Life Distilled marketing campaign, which kicked off in April, to help retailers capitalise on the growing popularity of bottled water on the go.
The campaign utilises out-of-home and digital advertising and will run across the UK throughout the spring and summer.
Opened in 2014, the site in Morpeth is Coca-Cola Enterprises’ only facility to produce Glacéau Smartwater that uses spring water from an underground aquifer – also the source of Schweppes’ Abbey Well brand. This is then vapour distilled before electrolytes are added to give smartwater its crisp, clean taste.
Jane Buckley, operations director for Coca-Cola Enterprises Morpeth, said: “This is an exciting milestone for our Morpeth operations. At CCE we are dedicated to supporting local manufacturing across the country and this latest investment in new production technology, is a statement of our ongoing commitment to the Morpeth region.
“Here in Morpeth we have a proud history of producing high quality water for consumers across Great Britain, and Glacéau Smartwater has been a successful addition to this portfolio. Its unique, vapour distilled proposition stands it apart from other bottled water brands. Bottled water with sports caps are in growth, ahead of the rest of the instant consumption water sector so this latest innovation offers real room for our retail customers to capitalise on this trend.”
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