The French bottled water brand "evian" defined the Korean market as one of its global "top 5" core markets and said it will strengthen its premium strategy centered on gourmet culture, including fine dining.
Antoine Portmann, chairman of evian & Volvik International, who visited Korea to mark evian's 200th anniversary, stated accordingly at a brand seminar held on the 19th at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
Celebrating its 200th anniversary this year, evian emphasized unchanging quality with the slogan "200 years young." Chairman Antoine said, "evian's greatest asset is its 'natural filtration process.' Rain and snow that fall on the Alps undergo natural filtering through glacial deposits, resulting in a distinctive mineral balance." evian became famous after being certified by the French Academy of Medicine as water safe even for babies.
Chairman Antoine said he is paying attention to the rapid growth of fine dining in the Korean market. He said, "Korea has a keen eye for beauty and is a very discerning market that recognizes the intrinsic value of products," adding, "In particular, Korea's fine dining market is showing unrivaled growth even within Asia, making it strategically important." evian plans to strengthen marketing centered on some 400 Michelin-starred restaurants and luxury hotels in Korea. Chairman Antoine said, "Leveraging evian's characteristic of awakening the palate without disrupting the delicate taste of cuisine, we will cement the image that 'evian is always at the best places.'"
It will also accelerate collaboration with Shinsegae L&B, which handles domestic distribution. Maggie Hwan, CEO of Shinsegae L&B, who attended the seminar, said, "Since the launch in Aug. last year, we have achieved satisfying results through focused marketing over eight months," adding, "Beyond simply increasing sales, we will focus on communicating with consumers to promote evian's water source and quality."
Asked whether there are measures against concerns that clean water in the Alps could be depleted or altered due to climate change or environmental pollution, Chairman Antoine said, "evian's water source is located in terrain that is perfectly protected from external environments. There have been concerns about climate change over the past 200 years, but we have maintained the same production volume." He added, "We are making massive investments in environmental protection, including adopting carbon neutrality and 100% recyclable packaging."
Chairman Antoine said, "Korea is a core market that ranks within the global 'top 5' in sales. In particular, success in Korea has the power to lead trends across Asia," adding, "We will ensure evian is deeply embedded in Korea's fine dining and gourmet culture, and our goal is to continuously deliver the value of healthy youth to Korean consumers."