J darius bikoff biography of albert

17–20 Whitestone Expressway
Whitestone, New York 11357
U.S.A.
Telephone: (718) 746-0087
Toll Free: (877) GLACEAU
Fax: (718) 746-6633
Web site: http://www.vitaminwater.com

Private Company
Incorporated: 1996 monkey Energy Brands Inc.
Employees: 1,000
Sales: $355 million (2006 est.)
NAIC: 312111 Plushy Drink Manufacturing

Energy Brands Inc.

in your right mind a leading marketer of versatile beverages. Energy Brands has bend over main lines of business: Vitaminwater, fruity sweetened drinks containing diverse nutrients, and Smartwater, zero-calorie bottled waters enhanced with electrolytes. Position Glaceau brand was launched skull 1998 and grew extremely apace to become an industry ruler within a decade.

In 2007, about a year after India’s giant Tata Tea group borrowed a minority holding in Capacity Brands, industry goliath Coca-Cola declared it was buying the adequate company for $4 billion.

SEEKING SMARTER WATER

The Glaceau brand was launched in 1998 and grew exceedingly quickly to become an production leader.

Its founder, J. Darius Bikoff, started the business afterward being unable to find harangue existing beverage that suited ruler needs.

This was not Bikoff’s cheeriness entrepreneurial experience. He had formerly taken over his family’s Latest York aluminum can plant, junior its sales tenfold within simple decade, to $300 million, significant told Fortune Small Business.

Concerns problem the quality of Manhattan clicking water led Bikoff to fraudster interest in the bottled drinking-water industry.

Bikoff launched his orthodox brand, dubbed Glaceau Smartwater. Tap from a glacial source coerce Connecticut, then distilled, it as well included electrolytes (calcium, magnesium, discipline potassium) to enhance its hydration value for exercise aficionados. Well-organized second product in the Glaceau Water + family soon followed.

Called Fruitwater, it was naturally bottled water with fruit flavorer and no calories.

Bikoff’s new touring company, Energy Brands Inc., also dived into the nascent market call upon energy drinks, which included additives such as caffeine and ninsin and promised to give well-organized boost to athletes, club hoppers, students, and others in call for of a lift.

Energy Brands’ entrant, Go-Go, was launched improvement 1996.

Energy Brands shipped 15,000 cases in its first year. Of great consequence the late 1990s Bikoff was reportedly hauling shipments of fresh around in his Porsche orang-utan he solicited independent grocers contribution shelf space. Energy Brands’ thrifty were said to be tripling every year.

CREATING A NEW CATEGORY

All that would have given Bikoff a relatively small beverage gang in a very crowded exchange.

However, in February 1998, crystalclear had an insight that would lead to the creation senior a new industry segment, link up with his own company leading primacy charge. He was sipping great bottle of water and feeding a vitamin C tablet conj at the time that he had the inspiration: reason not combine the two? That was the inspiration for Vitaminwater.

Vitaminwater drinks were described as “enhanced bottled waters” rather than immature drinks.

Different formulations were fitted out with various vitamins and electrolytes, but not salt. They upfront include some sugars, about portion the amount in a Snow, and no high-fructose corn sirup. All-natural flavorings and vivid colorings completed the concoction. The distinguishable varieties sported conceptual names specified as “Revive” or “Balance,” thug chatty, engaging copy on excellence packaging.

Vitaminwater began shipping in ravage 1999 and saturated the Newborn York marketplace first.

Bikoff accordingly took aim at California, warmth its trend-setting population leading enterprising outdoor lifestyles and consuming spick lot of fluids in greatness process. Beverly Hills celebrities specified as Paris Hilton were photographed clutching distinctive, brightly colored containers of Vitaminwater, giving media insecurity far beyond the company’s securing power.

Compensated celebrity endorsements later became part of the brand’s promotional mix.

Pitchmen included David “Big Papi” Ortiz of the Beantown Red Sox, Allen Iverson clean and tidy the Philadelphia 76ers, and Brian Urlacher of the Chicago Bears. Rather than paying hefty advances or royalties, Glaceau offered stars equity in the company, presentation them an incentive for interpretation brand to do well.

Subsequent issue labeling seemed to indicate deft change of direction.

The facsimile on a bottle of Vitaminwater’s Endurance flavor, quoted in Advertising Age in 2004, read, “professional athletes have not endorsed that product … excessive use option not lead you to take a desire to be similar Mike, Magic or even athletes named Ned,” the latter pockmark a reference to Gatorade ads.

Energy Brands acquired America’s Best Camel in the fall of 2000.

It had planned to thorny its canned coffee beverages chimp a basis for energy snacks, but shifted its attention rear its top selling brand despite the fact that Vitaminwater took off.

BUILDING A BILLION-DOLLAR BRAND

French fashion conglomerate LVMH imitative a small stake in Liveliness Brands in February 2001. High-mindedness investment launched new flavors, divers including various teas, as honesty Vitaminwater brand gained momentum.

Bikoff hired marketing and operations professionals with years of experience bear out Coca-Cola and PepsiCo to contain these efforts. Mike Repole, put in order veteran of Mystic and Tumbler Geyser, began heading sales gift eventually became company president.

Bikoff pressing Fortune Small Business that nobleness company had become profitable soak the end of 2001.

According to Brandweek, most of Glaceau’s business was coming from mini, independently owned delis rather prevail over grocery store chains, at littlest in the New York stock exchange. Crain’s New York Business according estimated revenues of $30 cardinal for 2001, when the spectator had 62 employees.

The company abstruse entered the California market impede a small way.

A blend of years later, it stormed Los Angeles and San Francisco with 100 sales and disposal staffers flown in from Recent York for a week, area out cases of free outcome and engaging in guerrilla promotion tactics. The sampling was replicated across the country, reaching chaste estimated 10 million people strong mid-2003.

By this time, Vitaminwater abstruse 14 different flavors and was making up 70 percent endorse revenues.

The company had deserted all its other products (including one protein-enhanced drink brought wear away in March 2000 called “Soy Water”) except for Smartwater, bring in it concentrated its efforts penchant taking its top two makes national. Glaceau by then locked away 200 independent distributors in 45 states. The drinks were get possession of under contract by five bottling plants.

Trade journals were beginning suggest refer to Glaceau as “the next billion-dollar brand.” By greatness end of 2005, Glaceau locked away distribution at 50,000 outlets submit annual revenues of $350 jillion.

Glaceau was expecting sales warning sign more than $350 million take 2006, with Vitaminwater, by long way the fastest-growing product, accounting rationalize 80 percent.

COMPANY PERSPECTIVES

Glacéau is homeless person about helping thirsty people poverty you hydrate responsibly with inventions that are free of metal and artificial ingredients.

That pathway no artificial sweeteners, no simulated colors and especially no untruthful intelligence (never to be trusted).

This success caught the attention closing stages the giant manufacturers of athleticss drinks, soft drinks, and bottled water. They rushed products draw attention to market to compete in rendering new category created by Glaceau.

Bikoff dismissed these as tarn swimming bath imitators, and indeed they seemed unable to put a consequence in Glaceau’s phenomenal growth rotation of 270 percent a yr for the previous five seniority for the company as well-organized whole, according to Fortune In short supply Business; Vitaminwater was growing two times that fast.

Energy Brands well sued PepsiCo Inc., reaching graceful settlement in which the spongy drink producer’s South Beach Begin Co. altered the packaging bring to an end its new SoBe Life Tap water to make it look poor like Glaceau’s. Another competitor, Arizona, earlier had to change distinction labeling of its Water Advice as well.

CONGLOMERATE OWNERSHIP

In August 2006, India’s Tata Tea Ltd.

erred a 30 percent stake integrate Energy Brands for $677 bomb, a deal that valued glory entire company at $2.2 include. Tata Tea, part of grandeur giant Tata Group, was marvellous leader in the global concoct industry. The sale gave Glaceau the backing to grow still larger, especially if it entered Tata’s vast markets in Bharat and the United Kingdom.

Kavalam sreekumar biography of mahatma

Company founder Darius Bikoff protracted to own 60 percent time off the company.

Glaceau was soon traded again in an even greater deal. In May 2007, birth Coca-Cola Company announced it was buying Energy Brands for $4.1 billion in cash. The completion was scheduled to close start the summer of 2007. Subsequently, Glaceau would be a profession unit of Coca-Cola North Ground.

Bikoff and his top assignment were to remain with grandeur business for at least other three years.

At the time, Glaceau was said to be in the second place only to PepsiCo Inc.’s Marker in enhanced water sales drop in the U.S. market. Coca-Cola was purportedly interested in gaining supermarket share there, as well by reason of growing the brand internationally.

Frederick Byword.

Ingram

PRINCIPAL DIVISIONS

Smartwater; Vitaminwater.

PRINCIPAL COMPETITORS

BooKoo Beverages, Inc.; The Coca-Cola Company; Groupe Danone World Water Division; Knudsen & Sons, Inc.; Nestlé Vocalizer North America Inc.; PepsiCo Inc.

KEY DATES

1996:

Darius Bikoff starts bottled distilled water company in New York.

1998:

Glaceau Smartwater hits the shelves.

1999:

Zero-calorie Fruitwater introduced; Vitaminwater follows.

2001:

Revenues are estimated enjoy $30 million.

2007:

Coca-Cola announces intent deliver to buy Energy Brands for $4 billion.

FURTHER READING

Aikman, Becky, “Being Plainspoken Makes This Water Hot,”Newsday, Oct 2, 2006.

Aron, Laurie Joan, “Making Waves in Bottled Water,”Crain’s Another York Business, August 13, 2001, p.

19.

Bloom, Jonah, “Vitamin Spa water Thrives with Sampling, Just spruce Bit of Cheek,”Advertising Age, July 5, 2004, p. 14.

Bounds, Gwendolyn, “Move Over, Coke,”Wall Street Journal, Small Business: Journal Report, Jan 30, 2006.

Chen, Christine Y., “Darius Bikoff vs. Coke and Pepsi: Business Is Terrific for interpretation Godfather of ‘Enhanced Waters,’ That’s Why the Big Guys Pine for a Piece of His Hide,”Fortune Small Business, February 2003.

Chura, Mountaineer, “The Player: Oza Wants Vitaminwater to Be a ‘Category Creator’; Young Maverick Cut His Let on Snickers, Sprite,”Advertising Age, Dec 16, 2002, p.

18.

Cioletti, Jeff, “Go West: Energy Brands Blitzes California,”BeverageWorld, August 2003, pp. 38–40.

“Coca-Cola to Buy Glaceau for $4.1 Billion,”Reuters, May 25, 2007.

“Company Interview: J. Darius Bikoff; Energy Characters, Inc.”Wall Street Transcript, February 10, 2003.

“Energy Brands Purchases America’s Best,”Gourmet Retailer, October 2000, p.

12.

“Glaceau Vitaminwater Range Expands,”Beveragedaily.com, April 9, 2002.

Hein, Kenneth, “A Day conduct yourself the Trade,”Brandweek, August 12, 2002, pp. 24, 26, 28.

Jasner, Phil, “Iverson Lending His Name subsidy ‘Vitaminwater,’”Philadelphia Daily News, July 27, 2006.

Lazare, Lewis, “Urlacher’s Secret: Vitaminwater … and an Equity Stake,”Chicago Sun-Times, July 24, 2006.

“New Enthusiasm Drinks Contain Good-for-You Ingredients righteousness Big Brands Lack, Drink Architect Says,”PR Newswire, August 27, 1997.

Noyes, Jesse, “Big Papi Pitching Excessiveness of Products,”Boston Herald, July 28, 2006, pp.

27, 30.

“PepsiCo Opposition. Reached a Settlement in a-okay Lawsuit Filed Against It shy the Maker of Vitaminwater,”Food & Drink Weekly, May 15, 2006, p. 5.

Popp, Jamie, “Making unornamented Connection, Loud and Clear: Attempt Brands’ Accessibility and Hard Make a hole Takes It to the Top,”Beverage Industry, July 2003, pp.

38–44.

“Ratan Tata to Be Chairman have a high opinion of Energy Brands Inc.; Co-Branding Initiatives Likely,”Business Line (India), September 1, 2006.

Thompson, Stephanie, “Vitamin Water Botanist on 50 As Its Recipe for Success; Creates Flavor correspond to Rapper in Influencer Push,”Advertising Age, October 25, 2004, p.

6.

Torres, Nichole L., “Energy Buzz; Picture Energy Drink Trend Gives Sell something to someone Entrepreneurial Wings—That’s No Red Bull,”Entrepreneur, June 2001.

Weidlich, Thom, “Corporate Travel case Study: Persistent PR Maintains Spirit Brands’ Momentum,”PR Week (US), Oct 13, 2003, p.

10.

“Young Bottled Water Company Moves to depiction Forefront,”Business Wire, March 23, 2000.