How celebs and Olympians are helping Evocus black water capture its customers

Celebrities such as Virat Kohli, Malaika Arora, Karan Johar, Badshah, and Shruti Haasan are frequently spotted with a bottle of Evocus Black Water. This recurring sight has sparked significant public curiosity and boosted the brand's popularity.

Aakash Vaghela, founder and MD of AV Organics LLP, the company behind Evocus Black Water, notes that Malaika Arora was the first to be seen drinking the black water while entering the gym, generating significant attention. He adds that by the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, several other celebrities were also seen with black water, which built organic credibility for the brand.

According to Vaghela, the primary reasons celebrities consume black water include its high pH level, which reduces acid buildup, its rich mineral content that provides faster and longer-lasting hydration, and its enhanced ability to detoxify the body more efficiently.

Vaghela adds, “These claims are clinically proven. Black water unlocks the true potential of the gut, which is why celebrities are incorporating it into their daily routines.”

The increased visibility of celebrities with black water led to an uptick in traffic on the Vadodara-based company’s website.

For the Paris Olympics 2024, the brand reached out to athletes to try the Hydration IV product and received 27 letters of recommendation from both current and former Olympic athletes. Some of the players include: Aruna Tanwar, Garima Chaudhary, Saumya goyal and many more.

Evocus Black Water is infused with essential minerals that are naturally black, making the water both naturally alkaline and black. It contains no glucose, calories, or carbs.

The brand is positioning itself as a premium offering that uses technology to create efficient hydrating products.

“Demographically, the brand targets individuals aged 30-55 with an active lifestyle seeking healthy alternatives for their daily lives,” he adds. Geographically, the primary target group is Tier-1 cities.

Currently, the brand is generating Rs 100 crore in revenue, and in the next 2-3 years, it aims to achieve Rs 400-500 crore in revenue.

Product portfolio 

The husband-and-wife-led brand currently offers three product lines: black alkaline water (priced at Rs 100 for 500ml), clear alkaline water (Rs 150 for 750 ml), and Hydration IV electrolyte drink mix (Rs 40 per serving).

Each product has a distinct primary channel. Black Water’s primary channel is retail, with e-commerce and HoReCa (hotel, restaurant, and café/catering) as secondary channels.

Clear alkaline water’s primary channels are HoReCa and e-commerce, with retail as a secondary channel. The Hydration IV drink mix, available as a powder, primarily uses e-commerce and quick commerce, with retail as a secondary channel.

For the company, 10% of revenue comes from Hydration IV, 30% from clear alkaline water, and 60% from black water.

Currently, the brand is present in 5,000 outlets across 21 states, including modern retail chain stores, standalone markets, premium regional locations, and modern wellness chain stores such as Apollo and Wellness Forever. The products are also available at 16 airports.

Looking ahead, the black water brand aims to expand into an additional 15,000 general trade (GT) outlets.

For black water, online sales contribute 35-40%, while 65% comes from offline channels.

In offline sales, 50% comes from quick commerce channels, with the remaining 50% from the website and third-party platforms like Flipkart and Amazon.

In the Indian market, the brand has no direct competitors, but globally it competes with brands like Essentia Ionized Alkaline Water and PhURE Alkaline Water.

Marketing strategy 

Currently, the 2019-founded brand is not relying on ATL (above-the-line) marketing, which refers to targeting a wide audience through mass media.

The brand is using cricketing personalities such as Arshdeep Singh, Trent Boult, and others on its website to promote the company.