Since 1996 Glaceau's Vitaminwater has dominated a saturated soda market. In fact Vitaminwater posted a 19.3% gain in 2008 sales, as of Sept. 7, hitting $315.3 million, according to Information Resources Inc. What's the secret to their success? In my opinion brilliant marketing.

Vitaminwater has always been a trendsetter. Now they have done it again by using traditional media to promote their brand on emerging media- in this case Facebook. As you will see in the above video (or picture if you do not have flash) at the end of commercial rather than direct viewers to a standard website they choose to promote their Facebook Fan page. It makes sense. With a website you can promote your product once and hope you website visitors tell their friends or share the link. However with a Fan Page Facebook promotes your product for you. When a vistor to the fan page becomes a fan of your brand Facebook updates their friends. In addition by having Fans, instead of visitors you automatically can update your fans with product news, email marketing campaigns, share videos, and engage in two communication.

Having a fan page is great by itself is great, but add brand characters that engage with your fans in a microsite and twitter- that's better. One visit to www.waterincorporated.com and site visitors can interact with "Mother Nature, CEO of Water INC. as a new employee as they are constantly bombarded by a news ticker promoting Vitaminwater10. Site visitors can now even "follow" the staff of Water INC. on twitter. Glacéau and its Vitaminwater10 brand truely have come a long way from Queens.