What Makes an Icon?

Some companies in the US such as Apple, Nike, Harley-Davidson, and IBM have become icons.  Virtually everyone knows who these companies are – and even more – they respect and appreciate these companies.  Many people who have purchased one of their products often feel close to these brands, as if they and their products were a friend.

If you were to ask a marketing professional how to turn a company into an icon, they would likely have just a few suggestions, such as:

·       Recommend that the company continue making quality products

·       Introduce an unusual product

·       Spend lots and lots of money on advertising and promotion

·       Wait about ten or more years and see what happens.

That's usually how many years it takes.  Most people don't know it, but Nike has been around for more than 50 years. It was not until the mid-1980s when word got around that they were making special sneakers for Michael Jordan, and when they made similar sneakers available to the public, that the company emerged as an icon.

Another company that became an icon as a result of introducing a unique product, along with spending lots of money on advertising, was Apple.  While Apple was very popular in the early 1980s, it became an icon with the introduction of the McIntosh in 1984. No one else had a computer like the Macintosh, and while the company struggled for years, it has always held on to its iconic status.

But sometimes, icons emerge because they have stood the test of time. UPS is a perfect example.  There have been delivery companies such as UPS for decades, going back to the early part of the 20th century. In fact, UPS started in 1907.  But over the past 110 years, many delivery companies have come and gone.  UPS stayed. The company grew and eventually went international. UPS became an icon merely because they had staying power.

And it is this staying power that takes us to Waterless Co. Inc. 

Waterless was the first company to offer waterless urinals in North America back in 1991.  Having shown that this technology works, by the early 2000s, several companies, including leading manufacturers of restroom fixtures, also introduced urinals that require no water to operate.  Some of these companies are no longer in business.  Others have found it better that they focus on their core – water-using – products. Still others have entered the market and then walked away, realizing that just one or two players in the waterless urinal industry segment, essentially offer the best in the market.

That pretty much is where we are today.  While we are reluctant to call the company an icon - at least just yet - Waterless Co. Inc. has been around longer than any other player in this industry.  Just like Apple, it introduced a product that was very unusual for its time.  When it began, Waterless Co. Inc. was the only manufacturer producing waterless urinals. While the company did not spend lots and lots of money on advertising, as it is a facility based product, they have managed to get lots of publicity and attention about their waterless urinals in all kinds of industry trade publications.

The thousands of installations Waterless urinals throughout the country and the world has also helped people and facility managers better understand these urinals, how they work, and value their multitude of benefits.

For more information on no-water urinals, contact a Waterless representative at 800-24-6394