La Croix Sparkling Water
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![]() 355ml can of LaCroix Orange | |
Type | Sparkling water |
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Manufacturer | National Beverage Corporation |
Country of origin | La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States |
Introduced | 1980 |
Website | www |
LaCroix or La Croix (/ləˈkrɔɪ/ lə-KROY[a]) is an American brand of sparkling water that originated in La Crosse, Wisconsin, by G. Heileman Brewing Company and is now distributed by National Beverage Corporation. The available flavors include various fruits and fruit blends.[4]
History
[edit]![]() | This section is written like a personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay that states a Wikipedia editor's personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic. (October 2023) |
In February 1980, the G. Heileman Brewing Company, of La Crosse, Wisconsin, introduced LaCroix as one of the first "Anti-Perrier" brands, meant to appeal to sparkling water consumers who were put off by Perrier's "snobbish positioning", LaCroix marketed to its niche by imaging itself as an "all occasion" beverage.[5][non-primary source needed] Its name is pronounced like the St. Croix River, which forms most of Wisconsin's western border.[6]
The beverage fared well in popularity and sales in the surrounding Midwest region for the following decade. By 1992, the brand was estimated to be worth US$25 million. However, in the same year, due to Heileman's admitted lack of experience outside the beer market, it sold the brand to National Beverage (then Winterbrook).[7]
In 2002, National Beverage sought to rebrand LaCroix and ended up settling on a design that was "least favored by management" but won over target consumers in a "landslide".[8] Instead of staying with a clean and simple design like other water brands, they found that a more bold and colorful approach was more appealing to their audience.[5][non-primary source needed]
Since the early 1990s, LaCroix had been a fairly well-known product in the Midwest United States. But when U.S. sugary-soda sales plummeted to a 30-year low in the spring of 2015,[9] National Beverage took the opportunity to expand their consumer base by launching a social media marketing campaign targeting millennials.[10] Sales exploded as the brand developed a national cult following.[10][11] Their marketing efforts have since helped position LaCroix with mainstream news outlets as a healthier alternative to sugary soda, as well as a mixer for popular cocktails.[12][6][13]
Flavors
[edit]Year | Base | Cúrate | NiCola |
---|---|---|---|
2004[14] | Pure (Unflavored)
Lemon Lime Cran-Raspberry (Razz-Cranberry) Orange Berry |
||
2008[15] | Pamplemousse (Grapefruit) | ||
2011[16] | Coconut | ||
2012[17] | Peach-Pear | ||
2014[18] | Apricot
Mango Passionfruit |
Cerise Limón
Pomme Bayá Piña Fraise |
|
2015[19] | Tangerine | Kiwi Sandia
Melón Pomelo Múre Pepino |
laCola
Cubana (discontinued) Cafe Cola (discontinued) |
2017[20] | Key Lime | ||
2019[21] | Coconut Cola
Cubana (Mojito) Coffea Exotica (Sumatra coffee and cola) | ||
2020[22] | Hi-Biscus!
LimonCello Pastèque (Watermelon) |
||
2021[23] | Beach Plum
Black Razzberry Guava São Paulo |
||
2022[24] | Cherry Blossom | ||
2023[25] | Mojito | ||
2024[26] | Strawberry Peach |
Sales
[edit]Sales records have never been publicly released, but market research suggests LaCroix holds a 30 percent market share in sparkling water sales in the United States, double that of its main competitor, Perrier.[10]
Controversies
[edit]Sexual harassment allegations
[edit]Nick Caporella, the company's CEO, was accused of sexual harassment by two former employee pilots who alleged inappropriate touching on more than 30 trips between 2014 and 2016.[27] One lawsuit was settled out of court in January 2018, and one was still pending as of July 2018.[28] Caporella has denied the claims and as of 2023 there has been no turnover. [29]
"All-natural" advertising
[edit]In October 2018 a class action lawsuit was filed by Chicago law firm Beaumont Costales regarding the "all natural" branding,[30] claiming that LaCroix uses synthetic ingredients including ethyl butanoate, limonene and linalool propionate.[31][32][33] The company responded that "all the flavor essences in LaCroix are natural."[32] The plaintiff has since withdrawn the lawsuit and retracted its claims.[34]
Another lawsuit was filed in the Southern District of New York on January 29, 2019, alleging violations of New York’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The lawsuit's claims are based on isotope analysis and gas chromatography mass spectrometry tests conducted by The Center for Applied Isotope Studies at the University of Georgia.[35] This claim was also voluntarily dropped in September 2020.[36] A similar lawsuit was filed against Polar Beverages in September 2019 regarding its "100% natural" marketing.[37]
See also
[edit]Explanatory notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Nelson, Libby (June 20, 2016). "Why LaCroix sparkling water is suddenly everywhere". Vox. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ Braun Davison, Candace (July 8, 2016). "You've Been Saying 'LaCroix' Wrong This Whole Time". Delish. Hearst. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ Willett-Wei, Megan (September 28, 2016). "Stop everyone, you're pronouncing 'LaCroix' water all wrong". Business Insider. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ "Robust aromas and hints of flavor". LaCroix. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
- ^ a b "Meridian Success Story: 8". Meridian Associates Inc. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ a b Nelson, Libby (June 20, 2016). "Why LaCroix sparkling water is suddenly everywhere". Vox. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
- ^ Lazarus, George (November 13, 1992). "Buyer Sparkles Over Lacroix Deal". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
- ^ Halpern, Ashlea (January 24, 2017). "The Secret History of the LaCroix Label". BonAppetit.com. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
- ^ Kell, John (March 29, 2016). "Soda Consumption Falls to 30-Year Low In The U.S." Fortune. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
- ^ a b c Peterson, Hayley (October 8, 2015). "Sales are exploding for this little-known soda brand with a cult following". Business Insider. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
- ^ Cepeda, Marlisse (June 21, 2016). "Here's Why Everyone Can't Stop Drinking LaCroix". Country Living. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
- ^ Lian, Liz (September 19, 2016). "14 Delicious Cocktails Made with LaCroix Sparkling Water". Kitchn. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
- ^ Choi, Mary H. K. (March 3, 2015). "Letter of Recommendation: LaCroix Sparkling Water". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
- ^ "National Beverage". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2008 Annual Report" (PDF). annualreports.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2011 Annual Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2012 Annual Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2014 Annual Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2015 Annual Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2017 Annual Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2019 Annual Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2020 Annual Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2021 Annual Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2022 Annual Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2023 First Quarter Results Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ "LaCroix's Newest Flavour Elicits... Delightful Sips of Bliss!!". La Croix. August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ Shoot, Brittany (2018-07-03) Fortune Magazine, 3 July 2018. CEO Behind LaCroix Brand Accused of Inappropriately Touching Airplane Pilots.
- ^ Maloney, Jennifer; Maremont, Mark, Wall Street Journal, 3 July 2018. Billionaire Behind LaCroix Accused of Improper Touching by Two Pilots
- ^ Founders Hold On Tight Even When Investors Really Want Them Gone Jef Feeley, Jeff Green, and Anders Melin, Bloomberg, July 26, 2018,
- ^ BEAUMONT COSTALES FILES CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST LACROIX WATER Archived 2018-10-24 at the Wayback Machine October 1, 2018
- ^ Is sparkling water like LaCroix actually good for you? Here's what experts say ASHLEY MAY, USA TODAY, 2018/10/08
- ^ a b Lawsuit Accuses LaCroix Seltzer of Containing Artificial Ingredients Used in Cockroach Insecticide Gina Martinez, TIME magazine, October 6, 2018
- ^ LaCroix faces suit alleging it mislabeled its sparkling water as natural CNBC, Laura Galligan, 5 October 2018
- ^ foodnavigator-usa.com (February 19, 2020). "LaCroix '100% natural' lawsuit dropped as plaintiff retracts allegations". foodnavigator-usa.com. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- ^ LaCroix maker slams 'professional liars' behind new lawsuit challenging its all-natural credentials Elaine Watson, Food Navigator, 4 February 2019
- ^ "LaCroix Sparkling Water Deception Suit Voluntarily Dropped". news.bloomberglaw.com. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- ^ "McNulty v. Polar Corp., 19 Civ. 8903 (LGS) | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Retrieved March 20, 2021.