Atlantica - 01.06.2001, Side 13

A T L A N T I C A 11
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FROM HERE AND THERE
Selling anything Icelandic to the world outside is, in a way, an exercise in selling Iceland
itself. The purity of the environment and its ability to inspire a sense of wonder are
Iceland’s two salient features, and both are easily associated with its water. Perhaps it’s
easier to sell purity in a bottle than wonder, but then it is the ‘wonder’ factor that jostles
a bottled water into the pole position on the world market. And that’s what is happening
to Iceland Spring at the moment.
And let’s face it, as products go, water has to be one of the least controversial. The
source of Iceland Spring, Heidmörk, is absolutely clean, sheltered from agriculture and
livestock, and far away from industry. Futhermore, in making this natural water available
for the rest of the world to enjoy, the Icelandic resource will not be depleted. Lilja
Pálmadóttir, Cultural Attaché for Iceland Spring, explained that she has no quibbles
about selling Iceland’s water bottled abroad, and understandably since it is a very posi-
tive product. To lead this island into the battle of the bottled H20, Iceland Spring Inc. has
appointed the very energetic, Stu Levitan, to be Chief Executive Officer. A sensible move
it would seem, since Mr. Levitan’s CV suggests that he makes a habit of steering bottled
water brands into strategic market relationships by creating strong distribution partner-
ships.
So what will take the ‘wonder’ (and very much taken for granted) water out of Iceland
and to the rest of the world then? According to Mr Levitan, a no-nonsense kind of a fel-
low, a mixture of marketing (in particular targeting niche markets), sponsorship of high
The Spring has Sprung
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profile events, product placement and
getting it right at the point of sale.
But the ‘wonder’ aspect, a selling point as
it is, is at least genuine. Over 11 per cent
of this country’s land coverage is glacial
and vast spaces in the interior and high-
lands are virtually untouched by man.
The island’s geology makes for a natural
filtration system which creates the purest
water in the world. Put that in a bottle
and send it all over the world, and I sup-
pose you could call it a good deed.
Iceland Spring is currently available in
select locations throughout the US and
will take on the rest of the world soon.
For the duration of your stay, however,
you can taste Iceland Spring here, and
grab a couple of bottles for the journey
home.
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