Page 27 - Sphere No.9 (Sep 2003)

OVERFLOWING WITH FRESH IDEAS
S PHERE
1225
T here was a time when most consumers would have
scoffed at the concept of buying water in bottles.
Water, after all, is as basic as the air we breathe. It falls
from the sky, flows down rivers and is widely available at the
turn of a tap. The reality, however, is that regular and conve-
nient access to clean drinking water is the exception rather
than the rule.
In Hong Kong,Watsons was the first to see the commer-
cial potential of bringing such a simple commodity to the con-
sumer in a convenient way.While the core product was noth-
ing new, the concept of bottling it for consumers’ convenience
was very novel indeed.
In that sense, the Watsons Water story is as much about
packaging and marketing as about the product itself.
The company has played a leading role in the global cul-
tural shift in water drinking habits, maintaining its pre-eminent
market position by staying up to date with consumer needs
and fulfilling them through new ideas that make it convenient,
safe and pleasurable to drink pure water.
As the market leader, Watsons Water has an enviable
reputation. The company remains committed to ongoing
investment in research and development, in advanced tech-
nologies and in recruiting the best people to consolidate and
expand its position.
TECHNOLOGY
In July 2001 Watsons Water revamped operations with the
installation of robotic arm technology to coordinate the move-
ment of bottles along the production line until they are crated.
The robotic
arms perform repet-
itive tasks quickly
and reliably, handling
3,300 bottles per
hour. They are twice
as efficient as
previous practices
yet much smaller
than conventional
machines, saving 85%
of production space.
Additionally, all key quality measurements of the produc-
tion process are monitored on a real-time basis from the qual-
ity assurance department and the production offices. The
information can be accessed via the Internet at any location
from around the world under the Watsons Supervisory
Control and Data Acquisition System.
No wonder Watsons Water is the first water supplier in
Asia to be awarded certification from both the ISO and NSF
International. In fact,Watsons Water’s own demand for purity
is so high that its standards are more stringent than those of
the two authorities.
EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE
For customers’ convenience, Watsons Water first started
delivering distilled water to offices in the 1950s.
Today, the company’s delivery operations in Hong Kong
include 90 vehicles and approximately 340 staff who provide
the city-wide equiva-
lent of room service
for thirsty con-
sumers.
Watsons Water
also offers home
delivery in key cities
in Mainland China,
including Guangzhou,
Shanghai and Beijing,
delivering orders as small as one carboy bottle for individual
households.To get closer to its Mainland customers,Watsons
Water has opened speciality shops providing a convenient
contact point at street level for the general public.
The Customer Service Department offers a 24-hour hot-
line, a Protection-Plus programme and an all-round mainte-
nance plan, providing dispenser cleaning, sanitising, mainte-
nance and repairs.
For added convenience, customers can order online.
CREATING A SUPERBRAND
The Watsons Water brand was
recently inducted into the
Reader’s Digest Hall of Fame in
recognition of its having main-
tained “Platinum Superbrand” sta-
tus in Hong Kong for five years
running. The award was established
five years ago to track brand aware-
ness among consumers in Asia.
This position has been achieved through an aggressive
and focused effort on the marketing front, with Watsons
Water’s message delivered variously through sponsorship
of community events and award-winning advertisements
across the media spectrum.
TheWatsons Athletic Club was founded in 1989 and is now
the training ground for many
top local athletes participat-
ing in various international
competitions. The company
also sponsors a variety of
sports events, including a
professional women’s tennis
tournament and theWatsons
Water Athletic King series.
It contributes towards sports development such as the
“Searching for New Sport Stars” programme, organised by the
Hong Kong Sports Institute, and has received the “Diamond
Donors Award” in recognition of its fund-raising efforts for
the Community Chest.
Watsons Water regularly inspires the public with its cre-
ative advertising campaigns. Most recently, it received three
“4 A’s Creative Awards” for editing and cinematography of its
TV commercials.
But the best way of promoting the brand is through ensur-
ing that customers always get the purest and most refreshing
bottled water, reliably, safely, conveniently and affordably – and
no one does that better thanWatsons Water.