SWOT Analysis of Al Ain Water Company

SWOT Analysis of Al Ain Water Company. Al Ain water company has emerged as an example of how branding has become a symbol of a company’s qualities. In its 20 years of operation, the organization has evolved its branding strategy to involve various marketing strategies. It has used its brand to build expressive connections and brand communities.

Al Ain water company’s amalgamation of marketing approaches in its branding strategy has seen it partnering with other companies. Al Ain Water Company is completely owned by Abu Dhabi-based food and Beverage Company the Agthia group (P.J.S.C.), which is listed in the Abu Dhabi market securities. In 2011 the company merged under the consumer business division of Agithia group as A.L. Ain Food and Beverage (P.J.S.C.).

Al Ain Mineral Water is the number one choice for most U.A.E. world-class organizations like Emirates Airlines and Etihad Airways for their onboard supplies. Leading hotels and proceedings like Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championship, Abu Dhabi Formula, One Grand Prix, Atlantis Hotel, R.A.K. Marathon, Kempinski Hotels, Global Village, Emirates Hotel, Jumeirah Group, and Raffles Hotel all have made Al Ain Water their choice (Ferrand, 1996). Another example is the official water associate for UAE FA – The exciting new company that makes Al Ain Mineral Water the official water supplier to the U.A.E. Football organization. This is the most sponsorship Al Ain Mineral Water Company has been involved in on a company rank. This support provides Al Ain Mineral Water Company with rational possessions rights. The company has the right to grant a special honor in the UAE FA official competitions each year. In addition,, Al Ain Mineral Water Company will be linked with all the activities of the UAE FA, thus becoming a part of the most esteemed Emirati pride – football. Al Ain Mineral Water Company is the main Sponsor of the Al Ain Aerobatic Show, one of the world’s leading non-military air shows, and every year gives free water to more than 75,000 people.

Al Ain Water has set the sort benchmark in in-store commodities and in introducing new products such as Premium Glass Bottle and W.O.W. Vitamin water (UTM, 2002).

Corporate sponsorship, brand loyalty, hotel contracts worldwide, and an ever-expanding fan base are some of the factors that have made Al Ain Mineral Water Company insulate itself against recession. At this point in history, a SWOT analysis of Al Ain Mineral Water Company would involve examining its strategies about the current market, and sporting airline trends.

Strengths

Al Ain Water has a tremendously cohesive, strong, and committed working team. In a short period, they have become the number one bottled water brand in the modern trade of the U.A.E. They have been able to productively combine the Capri-Sun company and, in twelve months, make it the top-selling water and juice brand in the modern trade (UTM, 2002).

Al Ain Mineral Water Company holds a great position in the sporting industry, for instance, in UAE FA football. On Airline, it distributed to every customer on board with many airline services. Al Ain Mineral Water Company also prides itself a high brand equity and loyalty. Brand equity is the increase in the value of a product simply from having an Al Ain Mineral Water Company brand attached to it (Ferrand, 1996). The Al Ain Mineral Water Company logo has become quite attractive to many companies.

Weaknesses

One of Al Ain Mineral Water Company’s weaknesses in its co-branding partnerships is the fact that the sport is outwardly submerged with sponsorships. It currently has more than fifty league sponsors and many more team sponsors. An increase in the number of sponsors creates a disorderly environment at the race tracks during signage. The increase has also raised prices meaning that footballers are expected to contribute to other events besides football, such as attending marketing functions, signing autographs, and even answering questions (Ferrand, 1996). Another major weakness is that the sports usually take more than one hour, which some fans find too long. It has also been a victim of the current increases in gasoline and ticket prices so much that some customers on board hardly fill their grandstands.

Opportunities

Developing the expanded program that aims to create awareness of the sport among ethnic people like Asians and Hispanics has the potential to attracting more loyal fans and customers of Al Ain Mineral Water company branded products. The airline has further broadened Al Ain Mineral Water visibility in most of parts of the world.

Threats

Reliance on Airlines for its international market is threatened by a drop in the ratings due to negative publicity in recent times. This kind of situation is sending alarming signals to its airline customers and other partners. The recession has also threatened Al Ain Mineral Water Company as some of its sponsors might be enticed to pull out.

In the face of criticism against it, Al ain Mineral Water Company would greatly promote emphasizing its fan’s brand loyalty. The use of customers as brand ambassadors through word-of-mouth advertising would be effective in countering the criticism. This is one of Al Ain Water Company’s major strategies to retain most of its corporate sponsors despite the decline. It would be vital for the company to be concerned about the sustainability plan. The sustainability approach would engage intensive co-branding efforts to retain its corporate sponsors (H.A.S.S.A.N., 1985). The Airline strategy will have to be sustained since it has extended Al Ain water company’s reach worldwide, drawing in a fan base (UTM, 2002).

The Company actively partake in community and charitable projects planned by government and institutions, with more than ten monthly events, such as special needs children’s event,  the tie-up with ‘The make A Wish foundation, breast cancer, and diabetes awareness programs, and many more.

However, the key to Al ain mineral water company’s achievement will be based on all strategies to promote the sports, attract world-ranking funs, and encourage them to buy more merchandise. Differentiation from other tracks and endorsing favorable locations will attract a wider fan base (Ferrand, 1996). Customer satisfaction and the cultivation of improved business transactions with local and national sponsors will be of great advantage.

Six Sigmas

Standard-based procedures of their recent past support the Al Ain mineral water company. For instance, the shape of the Al Ain Mineral Water bottle has not changed for the last twenty years; the unique square bottle is distinctive to Al Ain Mineral Water. The logo and icon represent the ‘Garden City’ of U.A.E. – Al Ain.

Customers don’t judge us on averages; they feel the variance in each transaction, each product Al ain company supplies (H.A.S.S.A.N., 1985). Al Ain is known as the “water expert” who builds up and delivers inventive, high-quality, water-based innovation proposals meeting the ever-changing consumer requirements on an ongoing foundation.

Six Sigma focuses first on reducing process discrepancy and improving the process potential. Al Ain Mineral Water is formed using a technologically superior filtration process delivering the highest quality water in terms of purity, taste, and chemical composition to its customers. Customers value reliable, expected business processes that deliver world-class levels of quality (Ferrand, 1996). Al Ain’s competitive advantage is driven and consequently reinforced by historically high consumer awareness related to its heritage, quality, reputation, and trustworthiness. This is what Six Sigma struggles to produce.

References

H.A.S.S.A.N. A. M. 1985: Geology and Hydrogeology of Al Ain Area. Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operation (A.D.C.O.), Abu Dhabi.

UTM, 2002: Well inventory and basic Water Resources Study of Al Ain Northern wellfields by students from Munich Technical University

Ferrand, A. (1996). Image sponsoring: a methodology to match event and sponsor. Journal of Sport Management, 10(3), 278-291.