URBB launches bottled water after drip-drip campaign

United Romanian Breweries Bereprod Romania has launched the Bilbor mineral water brand, available in still and sparkling varieties. Having been active to date in the beer and soft beverages markets, the firm’s bottled water comes after a EUR 10 million investment in a greenfield-type facility.

The water took two years to bring onto the market, mostly due to infrastructure issues and the difficulty of reaching the Bilbor location, situated in the northern part of Harghita county. Bilbor forms part of a golden triangle of mineral waters, along with Borsec and Tusnad. Deriving from a source spring that is 1114 metres high, the spring water is microbiologically pure, especially since the nearest towns and industrial activities are kilometers away.

Positioned as a premium brand, Bilbor’s launch was preceded by a teasing campaign which focused on the purity of the Bilbor area, without mentioning the bottled water itself. Promoted strongly by new media, mostly via popular blogs, Facebook and Twitter, but also by traditional channels, the campaign drew on the touristic attractions of the area. Rumors that URBB was launching a bottled water brand had been circulating in the press since early 2009.

Shachar Shaine, president of Bilbor Mineral Water, said that the product was aiming for a share of 5-7 percent of the bottled water market, estimated at a total of EUR 1 billion. But there is still considerable room for growth, he added. “We believe that there is still room in the water market. Romanians consume around 50 liters of water per capita yearly, a quarter of what an Italian consumes. The Romanian market has a very high potential, at least up to 100 liters,” said Shaine.

Bilbor plans to export 25 percent of its capacity, especially to the Gulf area. On the domestic market, 20 percent will be directed to HoReCa locations, while the rest will go to retail.

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Corina Dumitrescu