The brand is synonymous with bottled water in India. It was Bisleri that largely introduced the masses to the drinkable bottled water concept in the early 1990s. The brand Bisleri is now eyeing nearly two-fold growth in 2015, together with tapping new categories within the beverages space. Bisleri’s operations run throughout the sub-continent and is one of the leading bottled water supplying companies in India. It has 18 plants, 13 franchisees and 58 contract packers all over India.

BLAZE TO BRILLIANCE
Originally created by an Italian company, belonging to one Felice Bisleri, it was first introduced in 1965 in Mumbai in glass bottles. Later in 1969, the brand water was bought by Parle which re-introduced it in PVC and PET containers. The earlier brand building efforts focused on Bisleri being healthy drinking water and the Italian name gave it an international connection. The first print ad campaign showed a butler with a bow-tie holding two bottles of Bisleri. The punchline was, ‘Bisleri is veri veri extraordinari’ (the spelling was intended to capture consumer’s attention). The campaign became successful so did the brand.
FAITH FACTOR
In 2013, bottled mineral water brand Bisleri made its debut on the digital space to promote its campaign, ‘Kiss to Drink’, urging the consumers to buy their own bottle instead of sharing it.
ENGAGEMENT THAT ENTHRALS
To differentiate itself from the crowd, Bisleri launched its ‘pure and safe’ campaign in the late 1990s. The move was aimed at convincing the consumers that Bisleri was the purest and safest bottled water in the market. In September 2000 Bisleri launched its ‘play safe’ campaign, adding a fun element to rejuvenate the brand.
Bisleri started ‘Aqua Green Revolution’ with an ambitious dream of an India in which every person, irrespective of geographical barriers or economic limitations, could have uninterrupted access to purified and fortified drinking water.
INNOVEDGE
At Bisleri plants, the water is directly sourced from the ground and is then ozonised (unlike smaller brands that resort to chlorination and UV radiation treatment). The water passes through a stringent six-step purification process to remove impurities and harmful microorganisms before it goes into the bottles.
BRAND EQUITY
Bisleri’s wide range of product portfolio includes Bisleri Vedica, Bisleri Soda, Bisleri Stand and Faucet and Bisleri Ice Box. Bisleri is available in eight pack sizes: 250ml cups, 250ml bottles, 500ml, 1 litre, 1.5 litre, 2 litre, 5 litre, and 20 litre. Bisleri Vedica targets the urban market and is very young and fresh in its packaging. Widely available in metros and big cities, Vedica is neither a super niche product nor it is a mass product. It has been promoted as something in between.
Bisleri targets to increase its turnover by 30 per cent every year. Currently, Bisleri commands around 60 per cent market share of the Rs 10 billion retailpackaged water segment in India.