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When shoppers pick up a bottle of spring water decorated with snow-capped mountains and cascading waterfalls, they assume what\u2019s inside is as pure as nature can make it. Clara Sieg did, too. So when the former venture capitalist set out to build a bottled water company, she spent six months traveling the country in search of the perfect spring.<\/p>\n
What she found surprised her. \u201cEvery source has some footnote,\u201d she says. Some contained naturally occurring arsenic, nitrates or radium. Others changed with the seasons, weather patterns and surrounding land use. Instead of finding the perfect source, Sieg realized she\u2019d have to build a better system.<\/p>\n
Loonen <\/a>is her answer. The company combines spring-sourced water, physical membrane filtration and transparency in an effort to rethink bottled water. Sieg, the company\u2019s co-founder and CEO, recently joined the One Day with Jon Bier<\/em> podcast<\/a> to discuss what she learned entering one of the world\u2019s toughest consumer categories, why questioning conventional wisdom became her biggest advantage and how Loonen attracted celebrities including Justin Bieber and Dua Lipa without paying a dime.\u00a0<\/p>\n Related: How the Founder of Flow\u2019s Vision for a Mindful Bottled Water Company Attracted Supporters Like Gwyneth Paltrow<\/strong><\/p>\n Sieg\u2019s idea to build a better water company came from a deeply personal place. While undergoing IVF and later during pregnancy, she became hyper-aware of everything she was putting in and on her body. She switched to cleaner beauty products, organic food and natural household cleaners. Water, however, proved far more complicated.<\/p>\n After her daughter was born, her team spent six months traveling across the country, testing natural water sources and comparing the results. The original plan was straightforward. If a spring met the company\u2019s standards, they would bottle it. If it didn\u2019t, they would keep looking.<\/p>\n Instead, the research changed her thinking. \u201cWe would pair a high-quality source with a high-quality filtration system,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n That became the blueprint for Loonen. The company starts with mountain spring water, transports it in stainless steel tankers, filters it without chemical disinfectants, restores the water\u2019s natural mineral profile and bottles it exclusively in glass.<\/p>\n Related: Every Drop Counts: Here\u2019s Where Water Security Efforts are Missing the Mark<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Most bottled water companies have spent decades making packaging lighter, cheaper and easier to ship. Glass gave way to plastic. Even aluminum cans, which many consumers assume are plastic-free, rely on plastic liners to prevent corrosion.<\/p>\n For Sieg, that defeated the purpose.<\/p>\n \u201cMost of the innovation in the set has been around packaging and driving from glass to plastic, plastic-lined aluminum and plastic-lined corrugate,\u201d she says. \u201cA lot of people don\u2019t realize this, but while aluminum and corrugate are much better for the environment, they\u2019re still all plastic-lined.\u201d<\/p>\n She decided Loonen would only use glass, even though it costs more and makes it far more complicated.\u00a0<\/p>\n Related: The Plastic Crisis Is Accelerating, and This Company Is Turning It Into a $125B Opportunity<\/strong><\/p>\n Sieg\u2019s obsession to detail didn\u2019t stop with the water itself. She noticed most glass bottles don\u2019t fit in a car\u2019s cup holder, which is annoying. So Loonen created a custom mold that does. Then she focused on the bottle\u2019s opening.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like a really narrow spout,\u201d she says. \u201cWe designed a much wider spout than what\u2019s normal in the industry because it feels like you\u2019re drinking from a glass.\u201d The wider opening also makes it easier to pour in hydration packets, greens powders and other supplements without making a mess.<\/p>\n For its sparkling water Loonen focused on a \u201cbubble breaker\u201d to create smaller, smoother bubbles that are easier to drink and digest.<\/p>\n \u201cIt all adds up to just a nicer experience,\u201d Sieg says.<\/p>\n Related: The Secret to Successful Product Design? Simplicity.<\/strong><\/p>\n Sieg is under no illusion about the market she\u2019s entered. Bottled water is dominated by multinational brands with enormous marketing budgets and distribution networks. Shipping water is expensive. Choosing glass over plastic only adds to the cost.<\/p>\n \u201cSo in some sense, it was great that I was naive enough about the category,\u201d she says. \u201cHad I known all the stuff that I know now, I probably would\u2019ve been too scared to give it a try.\u201d<\/p>\n She also believes changing consumer behavior may be the biggest hurdle. For decades, bottled water companies have competed on branding, convenience and price. \u201cWe\u2019re asking people to think about water differently,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n The water is catching fire. Justin Bieber and Dua Lipa have both been photographed drinking Loonen, even though the company never paid them to endorse the brand.<\/p>\n Sieg says the celebrity attention wasn\u2019t the result of a traditional influencer campaign. Instead, the company focused on building a product people genuinely wanted to carry. While the brand\u2019s mission centers on water quality and transparency, she says many customers simply like how it tastes.<\/p>\n \u201cMy husband always says, \u2018I don\u2019t care about plastics. I just don\u2019t. It\u2019s too much for me. But the water tastes really good.’\u201d<\/p>\n Related: This Neuroscientist-Turned-Entrepreneur Says Leaders Should Be a Little Naive \u2014 Here\u2019s Why It Works<\/strong><\/p>\n Sieg\u2019s immediate focus is getting Loonen in front of more consumers. The company recently launched in Sprouts stores, is available nationwide through Amazon and is expanding its presence in New York through distributor Big Geyser. Loonen is introducing a smaller single-serve bottle with the same wide-mouth design. The goal, she says, is national distribution by the end of the year.<\/p>\n But Sieg is careful not to overstate what one company can accomplish.<\/p>\n America\u2019s aging water infrastructure isn\u2019t going to be fixed by a premium bottled water brand. That\u2019s a challenge that will require investment, better regulation and years of work.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Loonen is part of the solution,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an answer that reflects the lesson she learned searching for the perfect spring. There isn\u2019t one breakthrough that solves everything. Progress comes in drips.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n When shoppers pick up a bottle of spring water decorated with snow-capped mountains and cascading waterfalls, they assume what\u2019s inside is as pure as nature can make it. Clara Sieg did, too. So when the former venture capitalist set out to build a bottled water company, she spent six months traveling the country in search of the perfect spring.<\/p>\n What she found surprised her. \u201cEvery source has some footnote,\u201d she says. Some contained naturally occurring arsenic, nitrates or radium. Others changed with the seasons, weather patterns and surrounding land use. Instead of finding the perfect source, Sieg realized she\u2019d have to build a better system.<\/p>\n Loonen <\/a>is her answer. The company combines spring-sourced water, physical membrane filtration and transparency in an effort to rethink bottled water. Sieg, the company\u2019s co-founder and CEO, recently joined the One Day with Jon Bier<\/em> podcast<\/a> to discuss what she learned entering one of the world\u2019s toughest consumer categories, why questioning conventional wisdom became her biggest advantage and how Loonen attracted celebrities including Justin Bieber and Dua Lipa without paying a dime.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nThe perfect spring wasn\u2019t enough<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Why glass was non-negotiable<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Every detail matters<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Changing minds is the hard part<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What\u2019s next<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
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