Thursday, October 15, 2009

Branded Bottled Water - Prepare For A Flood Of Sales

By Joyce M. Stuart

Here's a question for you - what do you and bottled water have in common? The answer is, perhaps unsurprisingly, that you are both mostly water. You are around 75% water, and a bottle of water is around 90% water - the rest being, naturally, the bottle itself. Now here's another question - what does a bottle of water and your business have in common? If you don't know, then you may well be missing out on a terrific marketing opportunity.

Each and every day millions of litres of bottled water are gulped down by people across the whole country. From people in business meetings, meeting clients, at event promotions and trade stands, from people involved in sports to schools, colleges, and even families in their own home, each bottle of water carries a message. Perhaps that message is simply the name and details of the bottled water company - but perhaps instead it could have your business details on it?

The idea of using bottled water as a promotional strategy is still one that is frequently overlooked, and yet the idea is both so simple, and yet so effective. Everyone who drinks from a bottle of water looks at the label. By branding your own bottled water you are able to deliver targeted marketing, promotional messages and information to thousands of people, whilst providing a valuable and useful product at the same time.

The problem with most promotional products is that they are easily lost or overlooked. Almost any promotional product you can think of, from pens to leaflets, business cards to brochures, are all flat or small, and easily lost. A desk with a pile of business cards or leaflets will be a sea - with each individual item blending in to all the rest. However, branded bottle water is different. Because the product is three dimensional, your advertising stands out. In fact, it's likely that your product will be kept handy, right in front of the person, since it serves a purpose and is useful, rather than merely promotional.

Although this all sounds great, there's yet another side to branded bottled water, and it's a technique being used very successfully by several businesses and organisations. By selling your branded bottled water, perhaps at a discounted price, you are not only providing a useful and popular product, but you are also managing to get people to pay you for your marketing material! Marketing that actually pays you - now that's original thinking!

There are many messages implicit in selling or giving away bottled water. Perhaps the most obvious is the importance you clearly attribute to being healthy, and encouraging healthy living. In business, people clearly think and work better if they are hydrated, and since a quarter of all children's sugar intake is down to fizzy drinks, providing bottled water conveys a clear message. Delivering your promotional information in a way which comes packaged with positive affirmations only helps to strengthen your image.

One other aspect to consider is the type of bottle you use. Branded bottled water can help to convey your business message and information through the customized printed label as well as promoting a message about healthy living. But it is possible to be able to purchase branded bottled water packaged in bottles that are made from renewable plant sugars rather than oil, meaning that you can make a huge statement about the environment, and your business or organisation's commitment to green issues.

It is well worth considering the idea of branded bottle water as a marketing strategy. By providing a product which has a purpose and is useful, you already stand out from the crowd. The fact that it is three dimensional and comes complete with subtle messages about the values your company or organisation feels are important, you may well find that with branded bottled water, you receive a flood of sales enquiries.

About the Author:

No comments: