A bridge over troubled water: My Nestle Waters Journey

For a year (2009-2010), I managed the Nestle Waters brand group for a distributor. I secured a 5-year exclusive deal for S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna, even receiving a fancy S.Pellegrino tie! 😎

I was passionate about these brands, launching promotions, events, and negotiating with key HoReCa clients. I championed Acqua Panna, claiming it had the least minerals (not entirely true 😀) and was ideal for wine tastings (another marketing stretch 🤣). S.Pellegrino, a delicious sparkling water, remains a favorite, though I now prefer San Benedetto still water .

However, the "perfect pairing" marketing of these two brands felt forced for me. While S.Pellegrino is strong, Acqua Panna lacked brand identity and distribution. I even proposed to Nestle headquarters a non-carbonated S.Pellegrino, but innovation wasn't their forte. They've just simply said to me : "Boy, S.Pellegrino will always remain "frizzante", capisce " 🤌🏽

Perrier? Not a fan. It's aggressively carbonated, with gas artificially added! Though the iconic bottle shape and marketing are impressive (sometimes even daring- like "la main baladeuse campaign ") , Perrier-Vittel has faced fines for nitrate levels in the past.

Mon Apr-15-2024 13:55

Armen Nelson