LaCroix or La Croix is an American brand of carbonated water that originated in La Crosse, Wisconsin by G. Heileman Brewing Company and is now distributed by National Beverage Corporation. Some original flavors include pamplemousse, lemon, lime, limoncello, cran-raspberry, orange, coconut, berry, apricot, passionfruit, tangerine, peach-pear, mango and pure. The mixed LaCroix flavors are melon pomelo, mure pepino, pina fraise, pomme baya, coconut cola, coffea exotica, cubana and lacola.
History
In 1981, the G. Heileman Brewing Company, of La Crosse, Wisconsin, introduced LaCroix as one of the first "Anti-Perrier" brands. Meant to appeal tosparkling water consumers who were put off by Perrier's "snobbish positioning", LaCroix marketed to its niche by imaging itself as an "all occasion" beverage. 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. Since the early 1990s, LaCroix has been a fairly well-known product in the Midwest. Its sudden rise in popularity outside of the Midwest United States, however, has only been a recent phenomenon. In 2002, National Beverage sought to rebrand LaCroix and ended up settling on the design that was "least favored by management" but won over target consumers in a "landslide". Instead of staying with the clean and simple designs like other water brands, they found that a more bold and colorful approach was more appealing to their audience. The successful execution of the “anti-Perrier” strategy, in all its forms, has been a key factor enabling LaCroix to become one of the top sparkling water brands. In spring of 2015, with sugary soda sales plummeting to a 30-year low in the US, National Beverage saw an opportunity to expand their consumer base, subsequently launching a marketing campaign for the beverage on social media, specifically targeting millennials. 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.
Sales
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.
Controversies
Sexual harassment
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. One lawsuit was settled out of court in January 2018, and one was still pending as of July 2018. Caporella has denied the claims and remains as CEO.
