PepsiCo: LIFEWTR

How might we innovate to create the next billion-dollar beverage brand?

Future-proof Innovation | Proposition Development | Inspirational Insight | Innovation Teams | Senior Leaders

LIFE WTR delivered $150m in revenue in the first 12 months

The Challenge

PepsiCo, one of the world’s largest beverage companies, faced the challenge of pivoting amidst declining soda consumption and the rising demand for healthier alternatives. To secure their position in the market, they sought to develop a billion-dollar brand in the emerging premium water segment to sit alongside their existing 22 billion-dollar brands. They turned to Sense Worldwide for help.

Our Approach

Millennials drive the premium water segment. Our mantra is “if you’re not creating with your future consumer, you’re not creating for them”. So we collaborated with 50+ radical members of The Sense Network to understand what leading-edge Millennials expect from brands. A ‘me too’ water brand would not work with them.

Through our work with these consumers from across the globe we were able to find what underlies and drives emerging trends within this group. This would feed the brand purpose, packaging concepts, and the name. We established that social purpose was as important to them as the quality of the drink. Also, as well as wanting a healthy option, they saw purchases as a fashion statement.

The Result

We took a concept from a blank page through to naming and product launch. The output was LIFE WTR – a revolutionary premium water brand that transcended traditional boundaries. Each bottle became a canvas for emerging artists, showcasing their work to new audiences. With ever-changing designs released every six months, LIFEWTR became both a commodity and a fashion statement. This unique proposition captured the attention of millennials and drove sales, setting LIFEWTR on a path to success.

LIFEWTR delivered $150 million in revenue within its first 12 months, solidifying its position as a promising 23rd billion-dollar brand in PepsiCo’s portfolio.