I had been invited to share my observations on the European water cooler industry over the past decade and a half.
Despite admittedly difficult times brought about by a combination of the economy and weather, the mood at the event was generally upbeat and optimistic. And it was reassuring to hear Zenith International’s Iva Hatzold reporting that while the UK water cooler market was set to decline this year and next, it’s set to return to growth by 2015.
The main thread of what I had to say at the BWCA event was that water cooler distributors should review and refine the language they use, consider the communication tools at their disposal and focus on the end-user experience, rather than the cooler itself.
I was asked to begin by looking back, so I talked about how the industry had lost its way in delivering service and allowed prices to fall so that a proper focus on profit was lost. I talked about the differences – and similarities – between the various trade associations, including vending, and at some customer-confusing jargon such as ‘sanitisation’.
In my view, a cooler is a cooler, is a cooler. It can dispense all sorts of water, from still to sparkling and from ice-cold to tea-making hot, but all (it’s hoped) of the highest and purest quality. The end user doesn’t care what sort of machine it comes from as long as the water is of perfect quality. And nor does Westminster or Brussels. Of course, for some, aesthetics may play a part in a specifying decision, or provenance (with a preference from some for bottled water) and price might be a determining factor, but if there is ever a truly worrying health-related problem for the cooler industry then multiple representation to government may confuse and certainly delay a resolution.
And that’s one reason why I think the mentality of the industry has to undergo a sea-change. If this industry is to confidently face a future with the prospect of growth, it has to shed its obsession with machinery and fully occupy the regulator-friendly space that is wellness and ‘healthy hydration’.
I’m on record as having said that I thought EBWA had missed an opportunity when it chose to rename itself around the machinery it represented, rather than the invaluable health benefit its members deliver. ‘Watercoolers’ refers to machines – machines that break down, need serving, become dirty and need cleaning. ‘The Workplace Hydration Association’ may have served the agenda better, and if there ever is a crisis, received a better hearing in front of the regulator.
Ultimately, it probably doesn’t matter what the trade associations are called. What matters is how the individual companies communicate benefits to customers and how those customers extend the message to the end user.
Now, by saying that the industry should focus on hydration and wellness and not on the machinery, let me immediately put in a good word for the cooler manufacturers.
The majority of units available are better looking, more reliable, easier to clean and in some cases even more affordable than ever before. So, to all those involved in the innovation that delivers this, the industry should thank you. And, that development helps with my argument, because if operators can be more confident in the machinery they are placing in the market, they can focus on the benefits it brings, not on the units themselves.
John Dundon talked of BWCA moving towards a ‘Gold Standard’. Laudable, but there should only be a single standard; a standard that promotes confidence in the machine so that the focus can be on the benefits it brings.
The most important benefit that this industry delivers every day is health, wellness and hydration. That’s a space worth owning.
What do you think? I’d really like to hear your views, or follow the debate via the Cooler Innovation group on Linkedin.
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