Dive Brief:

• Nestlé Waters North America and WWE are teaming up on a campaign encouraging consumers to "choose water" and lead healthy lifestyles, according to a news release.
• The campaign kicks off with a contest asking consumers to share why they choose water over other beverages by following WWE on Twitter or Instagram and tweeting or posting a message with the hashtags #ChooseWater and #Sweepstakes. Participants can also sign up at a sweepstakes website. Winners will receive a trip to the WWE’s SummerSlam on Aug. 19. The effort also includes co-branded digital videos featuring WWE stars Charlotte Flair, Natalya, The New Day, Sin Cara and Titus O'Neil discussing the benefits of staying hydrated. The videos will be distributed across WWE and Nestlé Waters' digital and social channels. 
• The Nestlé Waters partnership with WWE is part of parent company Nestlé's new global initiative Nestlé for Healthier Kids, which supports research, product development, education and innovative nutrition and lifestyle services. Nestlé has a goal to help 50 million children lead healthier lives by 2030. 

Dive Insight:

Nestlé Waters is hoping to boost awareness for its #ChooseWater initiative by partnering with WWE, which comes with a niche but extensive viewership and social media following. As consumers are shunning sodas and other sugary beverages, bottled water is becoming a beverage of choice, but unlike soda, most consumers aren't loyal to a specific brand of bottled water. Generic store brands are often the top-sellers in the bottled water category because they tend to be cheaper, making it difficult to stand out.

The #ChooseWater campaign's focus on encouraging kids to live healthier lifestyles might help Nestlé differentiate itself and is the latest example of brands crafting marketing content that promotes a cause or educational message — something consumers appear to appreciate as long as those efforts are in-line with a company's values and business practices. Companies with a clear sense of purpose have seen a brand valuation increase of 175% over the past 12 years compared to competitors, according to a recent Kantar Consulting report. 

By working with Nestlé, WWE can deepen its connection with fans through the release of digital videos featuring some of their favorite wrestling stars and the chance to win a trip to one of its signature events via the sweepstakes. TV viewership of WWE events continues to shrink, most likely due to the increase of consumers cutting the cord, and the WWE has been embracing brand partnerships and spreading its digital footprint to stay engaged with its followers. For the past few years, WWE has partnered with Snickers and KFC, along with charities like Make-A-Wish and Susan G. Komen.