In fact, in a recent survey conducted by Cooler Innovation magazine, only 6% of people understood that it refers to a water cooler attached to a mains water supply, rather than a bottle perched on the top.
So, to take a stand on this issue, we’re watching our language. From now on, you won’t spot a single ‘point’ or even a ‘use’, let alone a full-blown ‘POU’ anywhere in the pages of Cooler Innovation magazine.
We’re converting to the consumer-friendly terminology ‘mains-fed’. It makes sense to the average customer on the street and it makes more sense to us. We would love to know what you think, too, so please drop us a line telling us whether you agree or not.
Speaking of which, mains-fed was one of the buzz phrases of this year’s British Water Cooler Association annual conference and 20th anniversary party all rolled into one. While the bottled water cooler industry in the UK seems to be stalling in growth (though arguably with a much wider customer base to start with), mains-fed businesses continues to show double-digit growth. It seems everyone is agreed that growth in this current economic climate lies in this area.
New BWCA chairman, John Dundon, stated that this is where the opportunities were most apparent: “If you don’t communicate with your customers about mains-fed coolers, somebody else will and you must realise the opportunities out there.”
So, to find out the best the mains-fed manufacturing industry has to offer, take a look at issue 20 of *Cooler Innovation* for our special report, where manufacturers from around the globe share their views, design inspirations and latest models.
When the industry isn’t busy fighting off economic uncertainty, it’s coming under fire from consumer watchdogs and government departments across Europe. One such attack came from a recent report produced by the Consumer Council of Scotland, entitled ‘Fountain Failures – are poorly managed water coolers risking the health of consumers in Scotland?’.
Meanwhile, the Nordic Water Cooler Association, under the steerage of chairperson Ewa Hagstedt, has tackled the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests in Helsinki over a proposed limit on Heterotrophic Plate Count for water from water coolers.
These issues show that the water cooler business can never rest on its hygiene laurels and must be able to respond well to questioning and threats wherever they may come from.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024