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La Croix Sparkling Water

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LaCroix
355ml can of LaCroix Orange
TypeSparkling water
ManufacturerNational Beverage Corporation
Country of origin La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States
Introduced1980; 44 years ago (1980)
Websitewww.lacroixwater.com

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

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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 part 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

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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 (discontinued)

Piña Fraise

2015[19] Tangerine Kiwi Sandia (discontinued)

Melón Pomelo (discontinued)

Múre Pepino (discontinued)

laCola

Cubana (discontinued)

Cafe Cola (discontinued)

2017[20] Key Lime
2019[21] Coconut Cola (discontinued)

Cubana (Mojito) (discontinued)

Coffea Exotica (Sumatra coffee and cola) (discontinued)

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

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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

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Sexual harassment allegations

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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

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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

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Explanatory notes

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  1. ^ The French la croix ('the cross') is pronounced [la kʁwa], and some English-speakers use approximations of this to refer to the brand. Only /ləˈkrɔɪ/, however, is considered correct for the brand, matching the pronunciation of the eponymous St. Croix River.[1][2][3]

References

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  1. ^ Nelson, Libby (June 20, 2016). "Why LaCroix sparkling water is suddenly everywhere". Vox. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  2. ^ Braun Davison, Candace (July 8, 2016). "You've Been Saying 'LaCroix' Wrong This Whole Time". Delish. Hearst. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  3. ^ Willett-Wei, Megan (September 28, 2016). "Stop everyone, you're pronouncing 'LaCroix' water all wrong". Business Insider. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  4. ^ "Robust aromas and hints of flavor". LaCroix. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Meridian Success Story: 8". Meridian Associates Inc. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Nelson, Libby (June 20, 2016). "Why LaCroix sparkling water is suddenly everywhere". Vox. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  7. ^ Lazarus, George (November 13, 1992). "Buyer Sparkles Over Lacroix Deal". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  8. ^ Halpern, Ashlea (January 24, 2017). "The Secret History of the LaCroix Label". BonAppetit.com. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  9. ^ Kell, John (March 29, 2016). "Soda Consumption Falls to 30-Year Low In The U.S." Fortune. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ Cepeda, Marlisse (June 21, 2016). "Here's Why Everyone Can't Stop Drinking LaCroix". Country Living. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  12. ^ Lian, Liz (September 19, 2016). "14 Delicious Cocktails Made with LaCroix Sparkling Water". Kitchn. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  13. ^ Choi, Mary H. K. (March 3, 2015). "Letter of Recommendation: LaCroix Sparkling Water". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  14. ^ "National Beverage". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  15. ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2008 Annual Report" (PDF). annualreports.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  16. ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2011 Annual Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  17. ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2012 Annual Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  18. ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2014 Annual Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  19. ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2015 Annual Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  20. ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2017 Annual Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  21. ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2019 Annual Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  22. ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2020 Annual Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  23. ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2021 Annual Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  24. ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2022 Annual Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  25. ^ "National Beverage Corp. 2023 First Quarter Results Report". nationalbeverage.com. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  26. ^ "LaCroix's Newest Flavour Elicits... Delightful Sips of Bliss!!". La Croix. August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  27. ^ Shoot, Brittany (2018-07-03) Fortune Magazine, 3 July 2018. CEO Behind LaCroix Brand Accused of Inappropriately Touching Airplane Pilots.
  28. ^ Maloney, Jennifer; Maremont, Mark (July 3, 2018). "Billionaire Behind LaCroix Accused of Improper Touching by Two Pilots". The Wall Street Journal.
  29. ^ Feeley, Jef; Green, Jeff; Melin, Anders (July 26, 2018). "Founders Hold On Tight Even When Investors Really Want Them Gone". Bloomberg.
  30. ^ BEAUMONT COSTALES FILES CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST LACROIX WATER Archived 2018-10-24 at the Wayback Machine October 1, 2018
  31. ^ Is sparkling water like LaCroix actually good for you? Here's what experts say ASHLEY MAY, USA TODAY, 2018/10/08
  32. ^ a b Lawsuit Accuses LaCroix Seltzer of Containing Artificial Ingredients Used in Cockroach Insecticide Gina Martinez, TIME magazine, October 6, 2018
  33. ^ LaCroix faces suit alleging it mislabeled its sparkling water as natural CNBC, Laura Galligan, 5 October 2018
  34. ^ foodnavigator-usa.com (February 19, 2020). "LaCroix '100% natural' lawsuit dropped as plaintiff retracts allegations". foodnavigator-usa.com. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  35. ^ LaCroix maker slams 'professional liars' behind new lawsuit challenging its all-natural credentials Elaine Watson, Food Navigator, 4 February 2019
  36. ^ "LaCroix Sparkling Water Deception Suit Voluntarily Dropped". news.bloomberglaw.com. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  37. ^ "McNulty v. Polar Corp., 19 Civ. 8903 (LGS) | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
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