Beverage Industry logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Beverage Industry logo
  • NEWS
    • R&D News
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Products
    • Reader's Choice Poll
  • CATEGORIES
    • Alternative Drinks
    • Beer
    • Bottled Water
    • Cannabis Beverages
    • Carbonated Soft Drinks
    • Energy Drinks & Shots
    • Juice & Juice Drinks
    • Plant-Based Beverages
    • Sports Drinks
    • Tea and Coffee
    • Wine & Spirits
  • R&D
    • Beverage R&D Features
    • Ingredient Spotlight
  • PACKAGING
    • New Packages
    • Packaging Equipment
    • Packaging Material
  • OPERATIONS
    • Distribution
    • Plant Focus
  • TOP LISTS
    • Beer Market Report
    • Executive of the Year
    • State of the Beverage Industry
    • Top 100 Beverage Companies
    • Truck Report
    • Wholesaler of the Year
  • MEDIA
    • eBook
    • Podcast
    • Polls
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Annual Manual
    • Contract Packaging Guide
    • Take a Tour
  • MORE
    • Classifieds
    • Channel Strategies
    • eNewsletters
    • Events
      • Membrane Technology Forum
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Market Insights
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archived Issues
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!

Ethos Water:

May 1, 2006

Ethos Water:
Drinking For A Cause
By Lori Dahm
One of the distinct aspects of Ethos Water Co. is that the cause behind the company actually mirrors the product being sold. Co-founders Jonathan Greenblatt and Peter Thum formed Ethos Water Co., Santa Monica, Calif., in 2003 with the vision of raising awareness and generating funds to bring safe, sanitized water to children in developing countries.
“More than one billion people, nearly 20 percent of the world’s population, lack access to safe drinking water,” says Greenblatt, who also served as vice president of consumer products at Starbucks, but announced he was leaving the coffee company this month. “The crisis spans across all developing countries and is concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. By purchasing Ethos Water, customers can be a part of a unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children and communities who need access to clean water.”
The other notable aspect of Ethos Water is that it was purchased by Starbucks in April of 2005, and this transaction generated a lot of media attention and buzz because of what it represented for both entities. For Ethos Water, the purchase opened access to all Starbucks’ company-owned franchises, the Starbucks distribution network and the financial support of a mammoth company like Starbucks. For Starbucks, the opportunity to support a cause such as safe water for developing countries aligns with the company’s objective to help the world’s impoverished populations.
“It was exciting for us to expand Ethos through Starbucks Coffee Co. after our acquisition in April 2005,” says Thum, also a vice president for Starbucks Coffee Co. “Starbucks is a company with a long history of integrating a social conscience into all aspects of its business. Starbucks is not only selling Ethos in its stores, but the company has increased Ethos’ investment capability significantly and made an extraordinary commitment to the cause of helping children around the world get clean water.”
Birth of a noble notion
Clean and safe water is a necessity that most Americans take for granted. But in many other parts of the world, particularly in poverty-stricken areas of Asia and Africa, clean water is unavailable and the death and disease that results from an absence of sanitized water is overwhelming.
The Ethos Water vision came about while Thum was working on a consulting project in South Africa in 2000 and 2001. He was overwhelmed by the severity of the water crisis in South Africa, and came back to the United States inspired to start Ethos Water. His intent and vision was that the company’s profits would help support water projects in developing countries.
“Water is our most basic requirement for life. Seeing people who lacked clean water changed the way I thought about things,” Thum says. “I was motivated by both the desire to create a self-perpetuating platform that could help these people directly by financing, and helping to organize resources for clean water access.”
Thum asked Greenblatt to join forces with him; the two had become friends while completing their Master’s in Business Administration degrees in Chicago. Greenblatt’s personal interest in the Ethos Water goal was spurred by his work with the Clinton Administration, which involved developing economic policy focused on emerging markets in Asia and Latin America and economies-in-transition.
“I have met with families in remote villages and urban slums in countries such as Ethiopia and Honduras, and seen firsthand how their lives have been dramatically transformed by access to clean water,” Greenblatt says. “I joined forces with Peter in 2002 to start the business. I was truly excited about the opportunity to use business as a means to enable social change on a global scale by engaging consumers and empowering them to make a difference.”  
Today, funds from the sale of Ethos Water are supporting water projects in Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Honduras, India and Kenya.
For the cause
For every bottle of Ethos Water purchased, $0.05 goes toward the cause of safe water for children in developing countries. Starbucks has a goal of donating $10 million dollars over the next five years toward non-profit organizations that are helping to alleviate the world water crisis. In addition, at the time of the Ethos Water Co. purchase, Starbucks pledged to meet Ethos’ previously stated goal of donating $250,000 by the end of fiscal year 2005, and Starbucks also vowed to donate an incremental $1 million by the end of 2006.
 “On a per-bottle basis, the $0.05 is about 2.5 times what we had originally projected we would be able to donate as an independent business,” Thum says.
The purchase by Starbucks generated a lot of buzz from official media circuits, but also in Internet dialogues and conversations among consumers interested in green causes and aware of the original Ethos vision. Concerns were that Starbucks wouldn’t uphold the vision of Ethos, or that Starbucks was actually making a significant profit from sales of Ethos Water. However, more money is already being funneled toward water projects in parts of Asia and Africa since the purchase.
Ethos Water generally costs about $1.80 per bottle in Starbucks stores, compared to an average of $1.75 for in-store competitor Crystal Geyser. For consumers looking to make a purchase that has a higher purpose, the choice to reach for a bottle of Ethos is simple.
“Starbucks always will donate $0.05 per bottle,” Greenblatt says. “This contribution per bottle combined with Starbucks’ extraordinary brand awareness, strong loyal customer base and broad market reach has accelerated our ability to realize Ethos’ vision on a massive scale. The relationship also has facilitated our ability to educate consumers about the world water crisis, leveraging the stores as a platform to raise awareness about the issue.”  BI

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla shakes

    Classic flavors provide reliable, consistent results for beverage-makers

    Classic flavors of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry...
    Ingredient Spotlight
    By: Chloe Alverson
  • Free Spirits Instant Bar Bundle

    Lifestyle trends drive growth for non-alcohol category

    As lifestyle trends continue to drive growth for the...
    Alternative Drinks
    By: Lauren Sabetta
  • Younger generation displays unique habits when it comes to beverage consumption

    Generation Z shakes things up in beverage

    Experts share that Gen Z is changing the standard on what...
    Beverage News
    By: Chloe Alverson
Subscribe For Free!
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Beverage Industry audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Beverage Industry or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Fourpeople toasting with cocktails made with low-sugar ingredients, celebrating healthier drink options.
    Sponsored byCargill

    What’s Hot in Sugar Reduction: Beverages

  • chocolate milk
    Sponsored byCargill

    Sweetening the Future for Dairy and Dairy-Alternative Beverages

  • woman pouring a drink
    Sponsored byFFP

    Building a Beverage System: Meeting Consumer Demand for Precision Wellness

Popular Stories

halfday sodas

Beverage-makers turn to fiber, prebiotics and more to support consumer needs

smoothie

Opportunities abound for relaxation, stress-relief beverages

Mountain Dew Mango Rush

Mountain Dew, Little Caesars launch Mountain Dew Mango Rush

Vote for your favorite new product

Have your say in what makes it to the top this month!
Vote for your favorite new product and help us celebrate excellence.


VOTE NOW!

Events

April 16, 2025

2025 State of the Industry Series: Alcoholic Beverages

On Demand In Beverage Industry’s annual State of the Industry: The Alcohol Beverage Market, analysts at S&D Insights LLC delve into these trends and how they’re shaping the industry.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Retail Coffee Segment

What retail coffee segments will fare well into the next year?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

See More Products

Related Articles

  • Boxed Water and MatchaSticks

    Boxed Water Is Better announces collaboration with Art of Tea

    See More
  • UpCloseWith_VOSS_2021_Lineup.jpg

    Lifestyle bottled water company takes hydration to the next level

    See More
  • News Briefs

    See More
×

Elevate your expertise in the beverage marketplace with unparalleled insights and connections.

Join thousands of beverage professionals today. Shouldn’t you know what they know?

JOIN NOW!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing