Connecting with Private Label Bottled Water

make a lasting impression while helping others

Hi, my name is Jerre Bodin, and for the past 30 years I have owned and operated what is termed a Creative Wholesale Business, as opposed to the Traditional Wholesale model. The creative model involves taking a core product and simply adding something to it, or modifying it a little in an attempt to boost added value to the finished product in the marketplace.

Eighteen years ago, dictated by necessity, I was searching for new business ideas when a chance encounter with a clothing manufacturer at the Dallas World Trade Center set me on a new journey. The World Trade Center is a large multi-story building that permanently houses international manufacturer’s representatives in storefront settings. They exhibit their products to wholesale and retail buyers only. Normally, when a buyer enters the premises to browse the various goods, they are greeted by a sales rep at the entrance, who attempts to form a preliminary bonding connection with the buyer.

This involves the normal run of the mill protocol of introducing themselves, shaking hands, giving their business card, and striking up a conversation. So far, during my shopping experience at the Trade Center, there was really nothing memorable that seemed to set the vendors apart. That is until I had a very interesting encounter with a nicely dressed gentleman standing in his doorway. He greeted me, and immediately handed me a complimentary bottle of water. He had wrapped a “homemade” cardboard sleeve around a thin, lightweight, crinkly bottle. It had his company name, phone number, and location in the Trade Center all very neatly typeset on the sleeve.

When leaving, I told him how impressed I was with his idea of taking a plain old bottle of water and converting it into a vehicle for promoting his business. After thanking me for coming in, he told me that many people had commented on his idea of putting his name on a bottle of water. Then his next words really stuck with me. He said...

On my trip home I reflected on how a simple personalized label on a bottle of water had made an impression on me as a unique guerrilla marketing idea. But the main point of this is how a simple gift that’s given to us with no strings attached, can be instrumental in opening us up to another person.

The final vision I had gave me the self-assurance that this was the new business I would pursue. While passing billboards with their colored logos and bullet points showcasing the businesses’ products or services, I began to visualize them wrapped around a water bottle that represented a mini billboard that projected image and class. And this is what we have done as a team for over 17 years.

Remember, the waterproof labels we produce are wrapped around heavy duty bottles that are very sturdy, reusable, and 100% recyclable.

Thanks for reading our story.