Ciel

Ciel is a bottled-water brand owned by The Coca-Cola Company. Its principal market is Mexico, where Coca-Cola Mexico introduced the brand in 1996 and subsequently expanded it across additional states and territories. The brand portfolio has included purified water, mineral water, flavored functional water, and sparkling flavored water, although individual extensions have changed over time. Ciel began as a regional Mexican bottled-water brand. Its initial launch covered Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Zacatecas, Durango, San Luis Potosi, and Coahuila. In 1997, distribution expanded to Mexico City. Further expansion reached Nuevo Leon and part of Tamaulipas in 2001. Ciel's geographic growth was also connected to Coca-Cola's bottling and acquisition structure. In 2002, Coca-Cola FEMSA acquired Panamerican Beverages, commonly known as Panamco. As part of that transaction, Coca-Cola obtained the Risco bottled-water brand and converted it into Ciel, extending Ciel availability into Guanajuato, Puebla, Veracruz, and Michoacan. The brand developed beyond conventional purified water during the 2000s. Ciel Mineralizada, a mineral-water variant, was introduced in several markets in 2001. In 2005, Coca-Cola launched Ciel Aquarius, a calorie-free flavored-water product. It was renamed Ciel+ in 2008 and was positioned as a functional water with different flavor and benefit associations. Ciel Dasani, another functional-water experiment, launched in 2005 with added skin-oriented nutrients and fiber in four flavors, but was discontinued after approximately one year. Ciel also tested sparkling and flavored formats. Ciel Naturae debuted in 2006 as a sparkling flavored-water line with Jamaica, peach, and lemon varieties. It was renamed Ciel Finamente Gasificada in 2007 and replaced in 2008 by a new sparkling-water line called Aquarius. These changes reflect the brand's role as a platform for Coca-Cola's non-carbonated and lightly carbonated beverage experimentation rather than as a single fixed product. Additional regional consolidation occurred in 2007 and 2008. Coca-Cola bottlers converted certain local water brands into Ciel products, including Peña Pura in territories served by Grupo Tampico and De los Angeles in the area served by CIMSA. At the end of 2008, Coca-Cola acquired Manantial Water from Grupo Yoli and incorporated it into the Ciel lineup. Bottling and distribution remain organized through the Coca-Cola bottler network, so product availability and assortment can differ by territory. Some bottlers sell their own water brands instead of Ciel, while Arca Continental distributes Ciel in some territories but uses its Topo Chico brand in certain northern markets for mineral water. The Ciel name has also been used for Coca-Cola-owned bottled-water products outside Mexico, including products bottled and sold in Angola and Morocco. In Mexico, the brand has been reported as holding a substantial share of the bottled-water market; the cited figure was 19.4 percent in 2015. Ciel's core identity is therefore that of a mass-market packaged-water brand supported by Coca-Cola's bottling infrastructure, with extensions spanning purified, mineralized, flavored, functional, and sparkling water.

Ciel was introduced by Coca-Cola Mexico in 1996 as a bottled-water brand serving a group of Mexican states. The original launch territory included Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Zacatecas, Durango, San Luis Potosi, and Coahuila. The brand reached Mexico City in 1997, then expanded in 2001 to Nuevo Leon and part of Tamaulipas. That same year, Coca-Cola introduced Ciel Mineralizada in several markets, adding a mineral-water format to the core purified-water proposition. A major stage of Ciel's expansion followed Coca-Cola FEMSA's 2002 acquisition of Panamerican Beverages, or Panamco. The transaction brought the Risco bottled-water brand into Coca-Cola's portfolio. Risco was subsequently converted into Ciel, extending the Ciel name into Guanajuato, Puebla, Veracruz, and Michoacan. The brand's distribution consequently reflected both national brand management and the geographic structure of Coca-Cola's independent bottlers. During the middle and late 2000s, Ciel was used as a platform for product diversification. Ciel Aquarius launched in 2005 as a calorie-free flavored water and was renamed Ciel+ in 2008. Ciel Dasani also launched in 2005 as a functional water containing skin-oriented nutrients and fiber. It was offered in lemon-cucumber, papaya-carrot, grapefruit, and mandarin-green-tea flavors, but the product was discontinued the following year. Coca-Cola introduced Ciel Naturae in 2006 as a sparkling flavored-water range with Jamaica, peach, and lemon variants. The line became Ciel Finamente Gasificada in 2007 before being replaced by Aquarius in 2008. These renamings and replacements show that Ciel's range was not static: Coca-Cola repeatedly adjusted names, formats, and benefit claims in response to its broader beverage strategy. The brand also expanded through conversions of local bottler-owned products. In 2007, Ciel became available in Saltillo, Monclova, and Matehuala. In territories served by Grupo Tampico, the purified-water and club-soda products associated with Peña Pura were converted to Ciel. Coca-Cola bottler CIMSA similarly combined its De los Angeles bottled-water brand with Ciel, first using the name De los Angeles por Ciel and later Ciel De Los Angeles. The De Los Angeles trademark remained associated with CIMSA. At the end of 2008, Coca-Cola acquired Manantial Water from Grupo Yoli and added it to the Ciel lineup. Ciel products are bottled and distributed through the Coca-Cola system, but the portfolio varies by bottler and region. Bebidas Refrescantes de Nogales and Bepensa have used their own water brands, Nana and Cristal respectively, instead of Ciel in their territories. Arca Continental distributes Ciel in some markets but uses its Topo Chico brand rather than Ciel Mineralizada in parts of northern Mexico. This structure means that Ciel's market presence is broad but not uniform across all Coca-Cola territories. The Ciel branding has also been applied to Coca-Cola-owned bottled-water products in other countries, including Angola and Morocco. In Mexico, the brand was reported to have a 19.4 percent share of the bottled-water market in 2015. Its historical development is therefore characterized by regional expansion, integration of acquired and local water brands, and experimentation with adjacent water categories under the Coca-Cola corporate umbrella.

• 2015

  Reported Mexican bottled-water market share

  [1]Ciel (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  The brand is reported as holding a 19.4 percent share of Mexico's bottled-water market.

• 2008

  Ciel+ and Aquarius portfolio changes

  [1]Ciel (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  Ciel Aquarius is renamed Ciel+, and the earlier Ciel sparkling-water line is replaced by Aquarius. Coca-Cola also acquires Manantial Water from Grupo Yoli.

• 2007

  Regional distribution and local-brand conversions

  [1]Ciel (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  Ciel expands into Saltillo, Monclova, and Matehuala, while several Coca-Cola bottlers convert local water products to Ciel branding.

• 2006

  Ciel Naturae launches

  [1]Ciel (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  Coca-Cola introduces Ciel Naturae, a sparkling flavored-water line in Jamaica, peach, and lemon variants.

• 2005

  Functional and flavored-water launches

  [1]Ciel (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  Ciel Aquarius and Ciel Dasani are introduced as calorie-free flavored and functional water products.

• 2002

  Risco is converted into Ciel

  [1]Ciel (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  Following Coca-Cola FEMSA's acquisition of Panamco, the acquired Risco water brand is converted into Ciel in additional Mexican states.

• 2001

  Northern and northeastern expansion; mineral-water extension

  [1]Ciel (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  Ciel expands into Nuevo Leon and part of Tamaulipas, while Coca-Cola introduces Ciel Mineralizada in several markets.

• 1997

  Expansion to Mexico City

  [1]Ciel (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  Ciel becomes available in Mexico City, extending beyond its initial regional launch markets.

• 1996

  Ciel launches in Mexico

  [1]Ciel (drink)en.wikipedia.org

  Coca-Cola Mexico introduces Ciel in Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Zacatecas, Durango, San Luis Potosi, and Coahuila.

A mainstream bottled-water brand distributed through Coca-Cola's bottling system, combining everyday purified water with selected mineral, functional, flavored, and sparkling extensions.

• Purified bottled water · 1996

  Ciel

  The core Ciel offering is purified bottled water sold through Coca-Cola's Mexican bottling and distribution network. It forms the base of the brand portfolio and has been distributed in multiple package and regional formats. Availability can vary because individual Coca-Cola bottlers may substitute locally owned water brands in their territories.

• Mineral water · 2001

  Ciel Mineralizada

  Ciel Mineralizada is the mineral-water branch of the Ciel portfolio. Coca-Cola introduced it in several markets in 2001. In some northern Mexican territories, Arca Continental uses its Topo Chico brand instead of Ciel Mineralizada, illustrating the regional variation created by Coca-Cola's bottler system.

• Functional flavored water · 2005

  Ciel+

  Ciel+ is a calorie-free flavored functional-water line formerly known as Ciel Aquarius. The range has been described with four varieties: tangerine, lime, grapefruit, and Jamaica. Its product positioning links flavors with functional themes such as activity, defenses, digestion, and body purification, and the line is sweetened with Splenda according to the referenced description.

• Functional water · 2005

  Ciel Dasani

  Ciel Dasani was a short-lived functional-water extension introduced in four flavors: lemon-cucumber, papaya-carrot, grapefruit, and mandarin-green tea. It was promoted with skin-oriented nutrients and fiber. The product was discontinued approximately one year after its 2005 launch.

• Sparkling flavored water · 2006

  Ciel Naturae

  Ciel Naturae was a sparkling flavored-water line offered in Jamaica, peach, and lemon. The product was renamed Ciel Finamente Gasificada in 2007 and subsequently replaced by Aquarius in 2008, making it a discontinued historical extension rather than a current core product.

• Purified bottled water

  SierrAzul por Ciel

  SierrAzul por Ciel is a regional purified-water product associated with the Ciel portfolio. The referenced material identifies availability in Coahuila, Sinaloa, and Baja California Sur markets.

• 2008

  Reworking of flavored and sparkling-water linesGeneration change

  Background

  Coca-Cola continued revising the naming and structure of Ciel's flavored and sparkling-water extensions.

  Action taken

  Ciel Aquarius was renamed Ciel+, while the Ciel Naturae and Ciel Finamente Gasificada sequence was replaced by Aquarius as a sparkling-water line.

  Aftermath

  The changes left Ciel with a more clearly differentiated set of purified, mineral, and functional-water offerings, subject to local market availability.

  Source

• 2005

  Launch of Ciel Aquarius and Ciel DasaniProduct launch

  Background

  Coca-Cola broadened Ciel beyond standard bottled water with flavored and functional propositions.

  Action taken

  The company introduced Ciel Aquarius as calorie-free flavored water and Ciel Dasani as a functional water with nutrients and fiber.

  Aftermath

  Ciel Aquarius was later renamed Ciel+; Ciel Dasani was discontinued after about a year.

  Source

• 2002

  Conversion of Risco into CielM&A

  Background

  Coca-Cola FEMSA acquired Panamerican Beverages, bringing Panamco's Risco bottled-water brand into the Coca-Cola portfolio.

  Action taken

  Coca-Cola converted Risco into Ciel in territories including Guanajuato, Puebla, Veracruz, and Michoacan.

  Aftermath

  The conversion expanded Ciel's geographic footprint and consolidated an acquired local water brand under the Ciel identity.

  Source

1. 1Ciel (drink)en.wikipedia.org