We’ve all seen the headlines in the news recently, possible E. coli contamination in bottled water from Wegmans grocery and 7-11 stores, listeria outbreak from Blue Bell Ice Cream, or several years ago a Domino’s worker doing appalling things with food (this one was particularly disturbing.) How you handle crisis management can make the difference between your brand surviving, growing or in extreme cases closing.

What I would NOT recommend you do is try to take advantage of your competitor’s mishap by claiming your product is better or free from the same issue that got your competitor in hot water.

In trying to capitalize on the water recall, “SNO Glacier Water from Iceland” is pitching its water as safe and contaminate free. This is a really slippery slope and could bite them in the back side in the long run. To make matters worse, they are also tying this into the water crisis in California. They say they are helping the CA water situation by bringing water from ICELAND to CA. And, and, wait for it, their water is chipped from 20,000 year old glaciers. You can’t make this stuff up.

What were they thinking? Here’s their press release.

LOS ANGELES, June 24, 2015 If you’re drinking a glacier water, you don’t have to worry about contamination, according to importers of SNOâ„¢ Glacier Water from Iceland.

That’s because bottled water that comes from above ground is unlikely to be contaminated as opposed to water that comes from reservoirs or underground sources, which have increasing levels of nitrates and other contaminants, the company said.

Citing how several supermarket chains recently have had to recall their branded bottled water due to potential E. coli contamination, the importers of SNO Glacier Water from Iceland suggest maybe it’s time to look up and consider drinking water that comes from above ground, which is naturally filtered through layers of volcanic lava rock like SNO, now sold in many supermarkets throughout the state, including Bristol Farms, Safeway and at other locations.

According to news reports, a leading private-label water bottling company in the United States, reported that E. coli bacteria was found in one of its spring water sources. “These bacteria can make you sick, and are a particular concern for people with weakened immune systems,” the company wrote in a statement.

Another upset SNO said it could calm in California stems from residents outraged from having to cut back their water use, while companies bottling water there aren’t asked to do the same.  They’ve complained about some big name companies which operate water bottling plants in California and dozens of activists protested outside two of the plants recently and online petitions have garnered thousands of signatures demanding companies like Nestle halt their bottling operations.

The importers of SNO say they are helping drought situations here and around the world by bringing in a new source of bottled water, that being glacier water from Iceland to complement and augment local water supply.

About SNOâ„¢

SNO™ Pure natural Glacier Water hails from a 20,000 year old glacier where it is filtered naturally through layers of volcanic lava rock, giving it the purity, natural balance and crisp, clean, refreshing taste that no other bottled water comes even close to delivering.  SNO’s high oxygen content, healthy 7.4 pH and pure mineral balance TDS 52 captures the full wonders of glacier water.  And coming from above ground, SNO™ has zero nitrates.

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