A Conversation with Hydro Flask

Hydro Flask is one of the most popular reusable water bottle companies on the market. What sets Hydro Flask apart?

Hydro Flask truly has something for everyone with a wide variety of stylish color options, interchangeable lids and different bottle volumes and form factors. Our category-first myHydro customization platform allows customers to create a one-of-a-kind Hydro Flask unique to them, personalizing and customizing through different color combinations, configurations and engravings. From accompanying them to university or simply to their next team practice or the session at the gym, Hydro Flask is there to give users the experience – and the look – that they’re striving for. 

From a brand perspective, Hydro Flask at its core has always been committed to inclusivity, community and making the world in which we live a better place. Our sustainability commitments like Parks for All and our broader mission to eliminate single-use plastics through our #RefillForGood rally cry are just a few of the examples of how we approach the world through a values-led mindset.  

How does Hydro Flask fit into the licensing industry?

There are two ways in which Hydro Flask works with licensing – direct-to-consumer and B2B. For consumers, we offer licensed product either through certain collaborations (such as the National Park Foundation Limited Edition Collection, Vans collab collection, etc.) or through licensing of graphics. 

On the B2B side, our sales team has a robust portfolio of brands they have or are currently working with. Some of these customized products are limited and for employee gifts while others are for brands to sell via their owned platforms and channels. We’ve worked with everyone from the Foundation Fighting Blindness (with whom we did a very cool braille-embossed bottle) to breweries to yoga studios and beyond – the list is extensive. 

Tell me about your latest collaboration with the National Parks in the U.S. How did that come to be and what products are included in the lineup?

Hydro Flask began as an outdoor brand, and although we’ve since opened the aperture of both our marketing and our partnerships, at the end of the day all our consumers still love to spend time outside of their homes. National Parks are often associated with fond memories of family vacations or outings and hold a special place in many visitors’ hearts. We wanted to be able to give consumers an additional, special keepsake to remember their trips by, while also giving back to the parks themselves. Through our agreement, Hydro Flask donated $75,000 to the National Park Foundation, which will help the nonprofit arm of the National Parks.
This is the fourth year that we’ve done a National Park Foundation Collection and over time, we’ve featured Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion, Hawaii Volcanoes, Acadia, Great Smoky Mountains, Redwoods, Olympic, Grand Canyon and Joshua Tree National Parks. This year’s collection features new designs for Yosemite, Yellowstone and Zion. 
The funding to the National Park Foundation takes the form of a licensing agreement and is enabled by our giving platform, Parks for All, which works with nonprofits whose missions are to build, restore, maintain or provide more equitable access to parks and public lands. For us, we believe that green spaces lead to happier, healthier and more fulfilled lives. Over the course of the seven years of Parks for All, we’ve donated more than $3.7 million to over 240 nonprofits, along with nearly 100,000 bottles. 

What collabs has Hydro Flask had in the past and which ones are you proudest of?

Hydro Flask has done a number of fun collaborations in the past that we’re all very proud of, including limited-edition releases with Vans, our artist series with Ty Williams, Hannah Eddy and Kailah Ogawa. Most of these have been across several SKUs and form factors to ensure customers have options that fit their needs and preferences. 

Occasionally, we also work with nonprofits and other organizations to raise money for initiatives that line up with our shared values. In the past, we’ve done special bottles to raise money for wildfire relief, ocean restoration and awareness, removal of single-use plastics and others. Last year, we released our Let’s Go Together collection in partnership with Outdoorist Oath because of our shared belief that everyone should have equitable access to the outdoors, and our commitment to making the outdoors more inclusive and accessible to all.

What does Hydro Flask hope to do in the future with the licensing industry?

As part of a publicly held company we can’t disclose future plans, but rest assured we always have new ideas, partnerships and projects in the mix that consumers (and retailers) will love. 

Is there anything else you’d like to discuss that we haven’t already covered? What else would you like the License Global audience to know?

Hydro Flask owners are thoughtful about their purchases and the brands that support their lifestyle. They value quality, performance and style together, and carefully consider the purchases they make. Carrying a Hydro Flask signals an individual values sustainability as much as they do style and personal expression. 

Our marketing and product teams are on a continuous path to identify trends that inspire our product line evolution while also adhering to our core brand values and beliefs. In recent years, consumer demand has been primarily driven by the desire for a large-capacity beverage container that fits into a cup holder, has a handle for easy transport and keeps drinks cold – such as our popular All Around Travel Tumbler. 

Ultimately, our consumers are drawn to our clean aesthetic, color palettes, customization options and superior function, as well as our sustainability commitments and broader mission to reduce single-use plastics. Trends may ebb and flow, but we find our customers trust us because they know we put thought and intention into everything we do – from our product features to our brand values. It’s really this combination that separates Hydro Flask from the rest of the market.