During one of the marketing classes, we analyzed the bottled water phenomenon. I found this product especially interesting, as bottled water is essentially identical. Therefore what really determines a bottled water company’s success is its ability to market.
When consumers buy bottled water they are basically buying the brand image whether it be through sexual imagery (Perrier) or through its eco-friendly approach (Dasani). Many brands focus on the perception of origin and purity (i.e. Fiji water claims to be “untouched by man”) projecting images of glaciers and tropical rain forests. Other brands may try the social conscious route and advocate a cause such as breast cancer research.
A key marketing factor is the packaging of the product itself- its innovative design, contributes significantly in selling a product. Let us turn our attention to hypothetical product of ‘air’. The Gruen Transfer (a television show that comments on various marketing phenomenon) has created 2 television advertisements for this product.
This video does a brilliant job of demonstrating how a successful marketing mix can create the need for a product, that logically, should have none. One can see the parallels between both products, in that they’re easily accessible, for no (or next to no) cost. The first advertisement plays on the affective component, while the second advertisement, with its length explanation, appeals to consumers’ cognitive reasoning. Thus the first advertisement is particularly poignant, as it plays upon human emotion, and I too, felt that I needed this unnecessary product. The ‘Zephyr’ is a beautifully packaged product, that projects images of prestige and perfection, empathizing with my busy, and often suffocating life style.
Although tap water is only a fraction of the price of bottled water, many consumers are willing to pay extra for this seemingly unjustified luxury, as it is convenient and because each brand of water reflects upon the consumers’ image of themselves.