The
birth of T.W.I.P. was planted in the mind of its owner
back in 1999, when Eric M. Harris was a player for
the Atlanta Falcons. Mr. Harris was on a guest appearance
for a local children’s block party and at that
party is where he met a gentleman by the name of Mr.
Percy Jones of Bebco Beverages. Mr. Harris and Mr.
Jones talked and exchange numbers. Concluding that
day, Mr. Harris contacted Mr. Jones. During that particular
conversation, Mr. Jones spoke with Mr. Harris about
possibly doing some promotional advertising with the
Bebco Beverages label. An appointment was then set
up to talk over the matters.
Eric
Harris met with Mr. Jones and his staff days later.
During this meeting, details were discussed about
what ideas each side had, as well as the direction
that Bebco Beverages would be headed in the future.
Unfortunately, Mr. Harris’s stay in Atlanta
was cut short due to an injury. Shortly afterwards
he was released by the Atlanta Falcons and returned
back to his home state of New Jersey.
A
year passed and while not returning to professional
football, Eric Harris decided to go into business
for himself. He had only one question, and that was
exactly what type of business would he go into? After
days of racking his brain, Mr. Harris finally had
it……BOTTLED WATER.
Mr. Harris had remembered his friend back in Atlanta,
Mr. Percy Jones of Bebco Beverages. Mr. Harris had
remembered how Mr. Jones was so successful and how
just sitting down talking to Mr. Jones that he made
it seem that everyone had a chance to be successful
in the water industry, as long as you had a good product,
to offer the consumer. For the next week, Mr. Harris
rattled his brain once again to come up with the right
meaning to what Mr. Jones meant about “GOOD
PRODUCT”.
Eric Harris concluded that water was going to be his
product, but now there was one more problem. What
would make his water different from all the other
great bottled water companies?
Mr.
Harris contemplated for weeks and weeks. One day,
it just hit him. As he was getting into a family member's
car, he saw this bottle of water that gave him an
idea. This certain bottle of water stuck out and attracted
him, and from then on he knew that he wanted his product
to do the same -- to attract attention.
After
going over many ideas, Eric Harris stuck to the one
that captured his thoughts that very day in the car.
The next move was to bring the idea to the next level
and to make his idea more original and personal to
the customer.
Next Mr. Harris thought of how he could take his thoughts
to the next level and make his product more appealing.
He thought to himself, “How, and what would
sell him on his idea, if he was the consumer buying?”
With this Mr. Harris came up with the idea of having
things that related to the consumer would be a great
idea. He thought and felt that as a consumer, what
attracts him is something that he relates to. Mr.
Harris came to the final conclusion, that he could
put things that related to the community on his label
as; stores, buildings, people, sports teams, schools,
etc. The next thing was to come up with a name.
Mr. Harris after making his label thought about a
name for his company and product. Knowing that he
wanted the community involved he thought of what name
would be the “CATCH FACTOR.” He wanted
a name that when people heard it, they would immediately
think of his product. Mr. Harris, thought and thought
and thought and came up with T.W.I.P meaning, This
Water Is Personal.
Yes this was the name that people would come to love
and come to mimic. Mr. Harris could just imagine what
names people would come up, to try to make a funny
saying out of the name, but that’s just what
Mr. Harris wanted. Something the people could love
to learn and love to have. Yes This Water Is Personal
Inc. was a perfect fit and stands but the product.
Mr. Harris began working on his product constantly.
He began making “SAMPLE BOTTLES” of different
categories. The bottles started off with little color
and little style, to them, but the more Mr. Harris
worked on them the more they came to life, and come
closer to the final product. Next Mr. Harris has had
to get his water out on the market.
Knowing nothing about the water industry Mr. Harris
happened to be watching television and saw an advertisement
for a marketing company that was looking for clients
with products to be marketed. Mr. Harris set up an
appointment with the marketing group that he saw on
TV. Going to the meeting that was set up, Mr. Harris
came away with the fact that, yes the marketing company
loved his product, but wanted him to pay them for
work that he could do himself. Mr. Harris opted not
to use the marketing group, but instead he had a better
idea.
Mr. Harris opted to call on the knowledge of someone,
who had already experience success and someone’s
opinion, who he valued greatly. Yes Mr. Percy Jones,
his friend from Atlanta. Mr. Harris contacted Mr.
Jones and it just so happened, that Mr. Jones himself
was going to be in New Jersey. Mr. Harris sat down
at that little meeting with Mr. Jones, and came away
from it, feeling recharged and with the direction
from Mr. Jones, Mr. Harris was headed in the right
direction, in which he needed to be going.
Time went by and Mr. Harris work on his idea to bring
it to light and as of May 2003, This Water Is Personal
Inc. was legal and operating to bring you T.W.I.P,
This Water Is Personal Inc.
