To compete in the $15 billion bottled water industry, your brand has to find a way to stand out. That's why bottled water companies like Liquid OM Water and Spiritual Water, both mentioned in this New York Times article, are hoping to appeal to people's spiritual sides. Unlike high-end bottled water brand Bling H20, these new spiritual waters are trying to spread positive energy to consumers. "We're at war, the world is in a relative state of turmoil," said Arthur von Wiesenberger, a bottled-water industry consultant. "People are looking anywhere for guidance. Why not start with fundamentals, like water?"

So how do they go about packing "good vibes" into a bottle of water? Liquid OM's creator, Kenny Mazursky, uses Tibetan singing bowls and a giant earth gong to send vibrations through the water at specific frequencies. Spiritual Water focuses more on religion by incorporating prayers and religious illustrations on their bottles. As the economy declines and people oppose the environmental issues of bottled water, it will be interesting to see if spiritual waters can help the bottled water industry stay afloat.