In a crowded category, functional water brand Jovē is “building logically and reasonably,” CEO Tammy Hobbs said, as it seeks to broaden its reach through a balance of partnerships and innovation.
Launched in 2020, Jovē was founded by former beverage manufacturer Jerry Whitlock of Whitlock Packaging who wanted his own wellness-minded water brand. After learning about a proprietary “Advanced Cellular Hydration Technology” that not only makes allegedly smoother, better-tasting bottled water but also benefits skin, hair and nail health, Jovē was born.
Initially, the Florida-based brand focused its self-distribution strategy on Amazon and in Southeastern retailers like Publix, but recently it has been creeping from the Mid-Atlantic into the Northeast into about 2,000 doors. Along with natural channel retailers like Fresh Market, Jovē has added some conventional retailers like Kroger, Giant and Lowes. Future distribution growth will see the brand transition to a “hybrid of DSD and direct to warehouse as well as direct to consumer,” Hobbs said.
“As we continue to build our volume with our current direct to warehouse retailers, we know how important DSD is for future growth,” Hobbs told BevNET. “When the timing is right, we will selectively flip to our hybrid plan as our ultimate goal is to be a national and global brand.”
Initially available only in 32-ounce, plastic bottles, Jovē has recently started experimenting with a 16-ounce format that is currently sold exclusively in Lowes Foods, a regional chain serving Virginia and the Carolinas, for $7.99. The company’s plan is to expand the smaller-sized bottles with Amazon and other retailers towards the end of the year and into 2024.
The brand is also preparing to launch a 12-ounce aluminum can product in as part of “the most exciting new on-premise project in America” during the fourth quarter, Hobbs said. The brand gave no further details on the release.
The brand tries to stay competitive with other premium brands in the alkaline water category with promotions, but price parity can be difficult when going head-to-head with category leaders. Jovē’s 12-pack of 1-liter bottles retail on Amazon for about $33.50, slightly under Flow Alkaline Spring Water at $35 in the same format yet significantly higher than Essentia ($22.50) and CORE Hydration ($15.99 for a 12-pack of 30.4oz. bottles).
Jovē is scaling its production, recently adding at the end of 2022 a new Tampa, Florida-based manufacturing partner to its existing co-packer in Pennsylvania.
The focus recently has centered on telling the story of its alleged skincare benefits with a spring campaign called “Let your skin do the talking” with creative agency YARD NYC. The campaign is paired with Jovē’s focus on building organic partnerships at events and with brand ambassadors.
In October 2022, a Jovē customer pushed the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship to make the brand the official water of the tournament so the young golfers could stay hydrated. This summer, the brand has signed Netflix’s “Emily in Paris” actor Samuel Arnold and Champion Boxer Seniesa Estrada as brand ambassadors.
The focus for the brand’s sponsorships and ambassadors is centered on inclusivity and broadening Jovē’s reach within the community. The intention is to show how the brand is incorporated into its ambassadors’ daily lives and “how it supports them personally and professionally,” Hobbs said.
“We believe that creating a long-term partnership instead of a short-term partnership will create more opportunities building brand awareness regionally, nationally and globally,” she said. “We want to show how Jovē shows up in their lives and how it supports them personally and professionally.
Adding sponsorships and influencers to the brand can cost an emerging company valuable working capital, but for now Jovē has been able to keep the company privately funded.
That’s not to say that fundraising is not in the cards, Hobbs said.
“I expect we will have a first round funding [eventually],” she said. “If you’re going to grow nationally, you’ve got to have distribution which takes a good amount of investment.”
Competition is growing in the skin-health, hydration category. Nestlé-backed collagen peptide brand Vital Proteins has expanded into the space with the launch of its flavored Collagen Waters in 2019. Fulvic acid-fortified water brand blk. has leaned into the antioxidant and detoxifying properties of its products.
The unflavored, premium alkaline water segment continues to grow as well. Essentia dollar sales were up 3% and CORE Hydration was up 12.7% year-over-year in the 52-week period ending June 18, according to Circana data. Volcanic, alkaline water brand Waiākea was up 44.8% on sales of $56 million in the same period.