Whether it’s your family doctor or first lady Michelle Obama, authority figures are stressing the importance of drinking water. But as consumers look to fulfill their hydration needs one bottled water brand is promoting the “perfect” balance of hydration and clean taste.

Launched in March, Los Angeles-based CORE Hydration markets its brand as the perfect pH water. “Unlike other waters on the market that tend to be acidic (low pH) or alkaline (high pH), CORE is balanced with electrolytes and minerals to work in harmony with your body as it is at your body’s natural pH balance of 7.4,” says Eric Berniker, chief marketing officer for CORE.

Berniker notes that the human body’s natural pH typically falls between 7.35 and 7.45, and because of concerns about high acidic food and beverages, consumers are looking for a solution to find that balance. “As more health conscious consumers become aware of the harmful effects of an acidic diet and seek ways to bring their body fluids within an acceptable range, CORE serves up a solution as it works in harmony with your body’s natural pH balance,” he says.

To achieve this perfect pH, CORE undergoes filtration by using a seven-stage proprietary process including ultraviolet light, carbon filtration, reverse osmosis and ozonation. “This purification process removes harmful impurities and contaminants,” Berniker explains. “CORE is then balanced with the perfect blend of electrolytes and minerals that complement the levels that naturally occur in the human body, resulting in a clean and crisp tasting water with a pH of 7.4.”

Berniker notes that the clean taste is a key component for the brand. “At the end of the day, it is all about taste — and that’s why we are excited to consistently hear from consumers that we are not only their new favorite water, but the best tasting as well,” he says.

Perfect packaging

When CORE’s co-founders Lance Collins, co-founder of FUZE and NOS Energy, and music producer and songwriter Lukasz Gottwald, aka Dr. Luke, set out to deliver a bottled water with 7.4 pH, they knew the importance of packaging design.

“We created an iconic package that looks and feels different than everything else on shelf,” Berniker says. “The white label and translucent blue over-cap stand out from the sea of standard looking clear water bottles on the market, while the revolutionary contoured bottle feels great in your hand whether you are working out or just out on the go.”

The BPA-free, recyclable bottles also are available in 20- and 30-ounce PET packages featuring a contoured shape, wide mouth closure and translucent blue over-cap as well as a 24-ounce sports-cap bottle, Berniker notes.

These bottles are carried by the brands wide range of independent distribution partners throughout the United States. The brand debuted in Southern California through Los Angeles-based Haralambos Beverage Co. It also launched exclusively with John Lenore & Co. in San Diego County. On the East Coast, CORE is distributed in New York through Big Geyser, Maspeth, N.Y.; Polar Beverages, Worchester, Mass.; in the New England region; and the Honickman Group, Pennsauken, N.J., in the mid-Atlantic. CORE also expanded distribution throughout the Pacific Northwest with Columbia Distributing, Portland, Ore.; and Kalil Bottling Co., Tucson, Ariz. In the southwest, General Distributing Co., Salt Lake City; Nevada Beverage Co., Las Vegas; and New Age Beverage, Thornton, Colo., distribute the brand.

“Given the incredible reception CORE has received from retailers, distributors and consumers out of the gates, our expectations are very high for the future,” he says. “There is tremendous momentum behind the brand and there are big plans from a product, programming and marketing standpoint on the horizon to continue the strong growth.”

Powerful response

To help support the brand in the marketplace, CORE understands the importance of getting its product in the hands of consumers.

“Something powerful happens when we put CORE into the hands of consumers,” Berniker says. “The connection, from the feel of the bottle to the taste of our water, is immediate. For this reason, we developed a nationwide network of field marketers who are busy weaving CORE into the fabric of local communities around the country. Whether we introduce CORE to a consumer at the point of sweat during a fitness-related event or whether they are simply interacting at a lifestyle event, consumers consistently love the product.”

Beyond product samplings, music is key part of the CORE brand. Dr. Luke’s success in the music business has helped attract many musical artists including Adam Levine, Katy Perry, Becky G, Juicy J, Diplo and Grammy award-winning producer, songwriter Max Martin.

 “Our brand investors and ambassadors will take part in digital, social media and PR around the brand, as well as continue to drink CORE as part of their daily lives,” Berniker says.