Chiang Rai firm targets the health conscious for its mineral water

The springs were discovered on upper areas safe from contamination and the penetration of possible chemicals from nearby areas. Villagers believe that the mineral water from Wieng Pa Pao can cure pain in the joints.
Although Wieng Pa Pao is a well-known source of mineral water, the springs were found on the company’s grounds.
The water’s quality was certified by some institutions as containing only 0.01ppm (parts per million) of sodium. This convinced the company to start commercial production. However, production has not reached a high level due to strong competition from other brands. In the beginning, the company is focusing on health-food shops in Bangkok and Chiang Rai with three bottle sizes – 300ml, 600ml and 1.5 litre.
Managing director Sornsak Congtrakultien said recently that the company is focusing on traditional retail outlets and health-food shops. However, it plans to access the modern trade more this year.
“Due to our high-quality water, we plan to capture more medium to upper-market customers through our direct sales strategy,” he said.
The company is considering penetrating more markets in Bangkok but high logistics costs would delay market expansion. It is considering pooling with other goods to reduce its transportation costs. Meanwhile, it has to focus more on marketing upcountry. It would spend two years on the development of both packaging and management before entering the lucrative market in Bangkok.
The company is working on a new package design that will be completed in April. The new package will allow the product to be carried by convenience stores.
With only a small investment of Bt12 million, the company targets to sell 10,000 packs per month of those three bottle sizes. Its sells 4,000 packs per month now.
To promote the mineral water, the company will not only expand its direct sales marketing to northern provinces such as Chiang Mai but also participate in more trade exhibitions.
“We have unique customers who always drink mineral water and avoid other water,” he said.