International Bottled Water Association | MEDIA RELEASE | November 5, 2014
IBWA Renews Support of Michelle Obama’s Drink Up Campaign
Alexandria, VA – The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is proud to announce that it is continuing its support of the innovative and successful Drink Up initiative, run by the Partnership for Healthier America (PHA) and supported by its honorary chair First Lady Michelle Obama. The initiative encourages everyone to drink more water (bottled, tap, or filtered) more often.
IBWA has been supporting Drink Up since its launch in September 2013. “IBWA has long promoted the many benefits of drinking water and the Drink Up initiative is an important and beneficial effort that promotes these healthful messages which benefit all Americans,” said Joe Doss, IBWA president and CEO.
“As part of our continued support of Drink Up, we are pleased to announce that Drew Nannis, PHA’s Chief Marketing Officer, will speak to IBWA’s membership at our Annual Business Conference and Trade Show in November. We look forward to strengthening the ties between our two organizations.”
The Drink Up effort continues to be a positive and successful one. In July 2014, the First Lady announced that research from Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS) showed that Drink Up’s online ad campaign generated a three percent lift in sales of bottled water among those exposed to the campaign, equating to almost $1 million in incremental retail sales of bottled water.
These findings support a larger growth trend in the bottled water market. According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC), currently number two, bottled water is predicted to be the number one packaged beverage sold in the United States by 2020.
“When it comes to packaged beverages, more and more people are choosing bottled water. And, as people make the smart decision to choose bottled water, it becomes vital that this safe, healthy, and convenient product remain available where other drinks are sold,” said Doss.
“One of the simplest changes a person can make is to switch to drinking water instead of other beverages that are heavy with sugar and calories. For those who want to eliminate or moderate calories, sugar, caffeine, artificial flavors or colors, and other ingredients from their diet, choosing water is the right choice – whether from the tap or in a bottle. Bottled water is a smart decision and a healthy choice when it comes to beverage options.”
According to the BMC, approximately 31 percent of what Americans drink is water. Of that, more than 50 percent is bottled water, which is comprehensively regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a packaged food product.
For more information about bottled water, please visit www.bottledwater.org.
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Media Contact:
Jill Culora
jculora@bottledwater.org
703.647.4609
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters, including spring, mineral, purified, artesian, and sparkling. Founded in 1958, IBWA’s membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, to set comprehensive and stringent standards for safe, high-quality bottled water products.
In addition to FDA regulations, IBWA member bottlers must adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is a mandatory annual plant inspection by an independent, third-party organization.
IBWA is proud to be a partner with Keep America Beautiful and a supporter of Drink Up, an initiative of former First Lady Michelle Obama and the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), which encourages Americans to drink more water more often – whether from the tap, a filter, or in a bottle. Choosing water is always the healthy choice.
