EQUIL: Vini Vidi Vici

EQUIL: Vini Vidi Vici

Consumer purchasing power is not the only thing to suffer in the worst crisis in modern Indonesian history. Previously high optimism about the country's economy has descended into abject pessimism.

This swing from optimism to pessimism has led many foreign businesses to put on hold plans to launch products geared to quality-oriented customers. Their sad view is that there is no market for such products.

The facts are borne out by a MarkPlus survey in February 1998 of eight major cities, showing that many Indonesian consumers are shedding their familiarity with foreign brand goods for fine local products.

But an interesting finding is that the majority of Indonesian consumers surveyed remain value-oriented, not price-oriented, despite preconceptions to the contrary. It is also interesting to discover that quality-oriented customers have not disappeared, although their number has inevitably dropped compared to before the crisis.

There are still opportunities for businesses here to thrive and grow, but there are some important points to keep in mind.

A company must be able to effect a precise marketing strategy for its products, including the "romancing-the-brand" strategy for quality-oriented customers, to stay competitive and grow in today's market.

One such product which has been effectively marketed is EQUIL, a natural mineral water launched amid the crisis and targeting quality-oriented customers.

EQUIL was already making news at its launch because its price was higher than other mineral waters, such as Perrier and Evian, on the market. This is despite the fact that EQUIL does not have the same entry and transportation costs because it is sourced at Cimelati, at the foot of Mount Salak, West Java.

Of course, EQUIL's price is justified by its superior quality as a natural mineral water compared to many global mineral waters on the market, not to mention the hundreds of processed bottled drinking waters.

According to strict standards on natural mineral waters set by WHO-sponsored Codex Alimentarius, a natural mineral water must be bottled at its source without processing of any kind. This means the water must be fit to drink when sourced directly from the spring. It must be shielded from contamination, be it physical, chemical or microbiological. It cannot undergo any treatment to alter its natural state, except for the use of CO2 for carbonization to produce sparkling mineral water.

With these strongly differentiated characteristics between drinking water and natural mineral water, it follows that the latter is more expensive because its quality is better.

EQUIL's quality is hard to beat. For instance, its nitrate content -- often an indication of contamination by urea fertilizer -- is less than 0.2 mg per liter. Compare this to Evian and Perrier, which have comparable nitrate contents of 3.8 mg and 18.3 mg respectively. EQUIL is the best performer on the Codex standards, and it is also free of the 90 contaminants usually found in mineral waters.

Of course, to maintain quality and conform to Codex regulations on natural mineral waters, it must be bottled at its source. EQUIL's use of state-of-the-art bottling equipment ensures it will not be affected by environmental factors. More insurance is provided through the use of glass bottles, guaranteeing better protection against external factors such as odor and chemical elements.

In short, EQUIL boasts solid differences. These includes content, or what it offers, context, or how to offer, and infrastructure, or enabler.

Content is the higher original-quality of natural mineral water EQUIL compared to its competitors. Context is the effort to ensure the highest water quality free from the possibility of bacterial contamination before it reaches consumers in its standard green bottle. Infrastructure is in the form of people and technology ensuring a high-quality natural mineral water bottled at source.

EQUIL welcomes visitors to see for themselves its operations at its impressive Villa D'Equilibrium in the lush foothills of Mount Salak. Many have become loyal customers after gaining a first-hand look at the spotlessly clean plant and tasting the pure water at the source.

With its potent differences, EQUIL naturally must be positioned for quality-oriented customers. EQUIL continues to use various methods to convince these customers why its natural mineral water is for their tastes.

The quality glass bottle is little different in appearance from a wine bottle. It is the "official drink" of regular weekly Cabinet meetings and the presidential palace.

EQUIL is not available everywhere. It can only be found in exclusive hotels, restaurants and some supermarkets, such as KemChicks and Sogo. The restricted selection of outlets is based on its positioning for quality-oriented customers.

The positioning has paid off. Although only word-of-mouth and limited promotions have been used, many customers are buying the product. And with the decline in the exchange rate of the rupiah against the dollar, EQUIL has the opportunity to become the market leader because prices of Evian and Perrier are comparatively higher even though their quality is no better.

As it embarks on its second year of operations, EQUIL is winning consumers over with strategic marketing suited to what they need. (Taufik)