By Rich Bond
Picture this: a company entrenched in tradition, assuming their methods are infallible…
Enter a bold new recruit, ready to challenge the status quo and prove that there’s always room for improvement.
This trailblazer joined the ranks of Nestle Waters, the undisputed titan of premium bottled spring water. His mission? To revolutionize the way they approached their value brand, Pure Life, which was locked in fierce combat with heavyweights from Coke and Pepsi.
Nestle was confident that their production processes were unrivaled, even at the plant level. However, they failed to account for a critical factor: skyrocketing freight costs. This oversight was inconsequential for their luxury brands like Poland Springs, but it spelled doom for their value brand.
Undeterred, our intrepid recruit proposed a daring experiment: establish a small-scale test at their plant in Houston to bottle filtered tap water. The gamble paid off handsomely, prompting Nestle Waters to overhaul their plant location strategy for Pure Life.
The result? A jaw-dropping quadrupling of sales within five years, boosting the brand’s profitability to unforeseen heights.
This tale serves as a stark reminder that conventional wisdom can often be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, masquerading as sound advice but ultimately hindering growth and innovation. The key is to embrace critical thinking and never be afraid to challenge the norm.
