EQUIL: Vini Vidi Vici<\/p>\n
Consumer purchasing power is not the only thing to suffer in
\nthe worst crisis in modern Indonesian history. Previously high
\noptimism about the country's economy has descended into abject
\npessimism.<\/p>\n
This swing from optimism to pessimism has led many foreign
\nbusinesses to put on hold plans to launch products geared to
\nquality-oriented customers. Their sad view is that there is no
\nmarket for such products.<\/p>\n
The facts are borne out by a MarkPlus survey in February 1998
\nof eight major cities, showing that many Indonesian consumers are
\nshedding their familiarity with foreign brand goods for fine
\nlocal products.<\/p>\n
But an interesting finding is that the majority of Indonesian
\nconsumers surveyed remain value-oriented, not price-oriented,
\ndespite preconceptions to the contrary. It is also interesting to
\ndiscover that quality-oriented customers have not disappeared,
\nalthough their number has inevitably dropped compared to before
\nthe crisis.<\/p>\n
There are still opportunities for businesses here to thrive
\nand grow, but there are some important points to keep in mind.<\/p>\n
A company must be able to effect a precise marketing strategy
\nfor its products, including the \"romancing-the-brand\" strategy
\nfor quality-oriented customers, to stay competitive and grow in
\ntoday's market.<\/p>\n
One such product which has been effectively marketed is EQUIL,
\na natural mineral water launched amid the crisis and targeting
\nquality-oriented customers.<\/p>\n
EQUIL was already making news at its launch because its price
\nwas higher than other mineral waters, such as Perrier and Evian,
\non the market. This is despite the fact that EQUIL does not have
\nthe same entry and transportation costs because it is sourced at
\nCimelati, at the foot of Mount Salak, West Java.<\/p>\n
Of course, EQUIL's price is justified by its superior quality
\nas a natural mineral water compared to many global mineral waters
\non the market, not to mention the hundreds of processed bottled
\ndrinking waters.<\/p>\n
According to strict standards on natural mineral waters set by
\nWHO-sponsored Codex Alimentarius, a natural mineral water must be
\nbottled at its source without processing of any kind. This means
\nthe water must be fit to drink when sourced directly from the
\nspring. It must be shielded from contamination, be it physical,
\nchemical or microbiological. It cannot undergo any treatment to
\nalter its natural state, except for the use of CO2 for
\ncarbonization to produce sparkling mineral water.<\/p>\n
With these strongly differentiated characteristics between
\ndrinking water and natural mineral water, it follows that the
\nlatter is more expensive because its quality is better.<\/p>\n
EQUIL's quality is hard to beat. For instance, its nitrate
\ncontent -- often an indication of contamination by urea
\nfertilizer -- is less than 0.2 mg per liter. Compare this to
\nEvian and Perrier, which have comparable nitrate contents of 3.8
\nmg and 18.3 mg respectively. EQUIL is the best performer on the
\nCodex standards, and it is also free of the 90 contaminants
\nusually found in mineral waters.<\/p>\n
Of course, to maintain quality and conform to Codex
\nregulations on natural mineral waters, it must be bottled at its
\nsource. EQUIL's use of state-of-the-art bottling equipment
\nensures it will not be affected by environmental factors. More
\ninsurance is provided through the use of glass bottles,
\nguaranteeing better protection against external factors such as
\nodor and chemical elements.<\/p>\n
In short, EQUIL boasts solid differences. These includes
\ncontent, or what it offers, context, or how to offer, and
\ninfrastructure, or enabler.<\/p>\n
Content is the higher original-quality of natural mineral
\nwater EQUIL compared to its competitors. Context is the effort to
\nensure the highest water quality free from the possibility of
\nbacterial contamination before it reaches consumers in its
\nstandard green bottle. Infrastructure is in the form of people
\nand technology ensuring a high-quality natural mineral water
\nbottled at source.<\/p>\n
EQUIL welcomes visitors to see for themselves its operations
\nat its impressive Villa D'Equilibrium in the lush foothills of
\nMount Salak. Many have become loyal customers after gaining a
\nfirst-hand look at the spotlessly clean plant and tasting the
\npure water at the source.<\/p>\n
With its potent differences, EQUIL naturally must be
\npositioned for quality-oriented customers. EQUIL continues to use
\nvarious methods to convince these customers why its natural
\nmineral water is for their tastes.<\/p>\n
The quality glass bottle is little different in appearance
\nfrom a wine bottle. It is the \"official drink\" of regular weekly
\nCabinet meetings and the presidential palace.<\/p>\n
EQUIL is not available everywhere. It can only be found in
\nexclusive hotels, restaurants and some supermarkets, such as
\nKemChicks and Sogo. The restricted selection of outlets is based
\non its positioning for quality-oriented customers.<\/p>\n
The positioning has paid off. Although only word-of-mouth and
\nlimited promotions have been used, many customers are buying the
\nproduct. And with the decline in the exchange rate of the rupiah
\nagainst the dollar, EQUIL has the opportunity to become the
\nmarket leader because prices of Evian and Perrier are
\ncomparatively higher even though their quality is no better.<\/p>\n
As it embarks on its second year of operations, EQUIL is
\nwinning consumers over with strategic marketing suited to what
\nthey need. (Taufik)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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