International Marketing Study Program 2002
Perrier, Vergeze France
16 January 2002
After leaving the United Kingdom, our next destination was Vergeze in the South of France to visit the source of Perrier. The company has annual sales of over 700 million and is present in over 140 countries, which has made Perrier one of the world's leading brands. After sampling the Perrier product we embarked on a tour of the site. The tour detailed the evolution of the Perrier product from the source of the spring to the dual bottle manufacturing and distribution facilities (unique to Perrier). Evident through the visit was the strong environmental focus. Notably, Perrier bottles consist of 61% recycled glass and the factory generates steam which is re-used to provide heating to other services. The Perrier water that is used to clean the manufactured bottles is further utilised in irrigating the surrounding habitat.
We were fortunate enough to see the new plastic Perrier bottle that has allowed the company to tap into new markets that were previously impenetrable with the glass bottle design. The new design reflects the current marketing focus towards a more youthful market segment.
Of particular interest to the group were issues concerning global branding, sponsorship and refocusing of the brand following the contamination incident. The visit was an amazing and unforgettable experience and many thanks to Guy and Nicole for their timely and concerted efforts.
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