Rule Number One: The Product Must Work


I drink a lot of water, partly because I like it and partly on doctor’s orders. I’m not a water snob, and am perfectly happy to drink tap water when at home, but I always try to grab a bottle or two of water before leaving the house. To me, the advantage of bottled water is the convenience factor, and not the quality of the water itself (especially with the recent revelations that brands like Aquafina and Dasani are simply filtered tap water).

I bought a case of Arrowhead water bottles (a brand sold in the Western US) when they were on sale last week. The profile of the bottle looked more ergonomic, and copy on the packaging said that the new “Eco-shape” bottle uses 15% less plastic. Great idea! The narrow “waist” felt really good in my hand, but the plastic walls of the bottle were noticeably thinner and more flimsy. I wouldn’t have minded that, except that whenever I set the bottle down it tipped over or came close to doing so. This happened nearly every time I drank from one of the bottles.(See the picture I took above of the full bottle precariously tilting and the other that wouldn’t even stand up.) Sometimes when twisting off the cap, the bottle itself got twisted and would not open correctly.

So, as much as it’s commendable for the company to reduce its packaging and try to appeal to the eco-consumer, this change has ended up looking more like a cost-cutting measure than a customer-friendly feature. If the product doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do (i.e., provide a convenient way to drink water), this consumer at least will not buy it again.

When commercial products don’t work, they lose customers. Many people, including close friends of mine, have gone through Dell Hell and will never buy their products again. My husband recently had flight cancellation nightmares with United Airlines and has resolved not to fly with them when he has a choice.

It took a long time for electric cars to become widely adopted because, until hybrids came along, they were seen as less powerful than gas-fueled cars. Many have grumbled about the difference in quality of compact fluorescent lightbulbs while still replacing them throughout their homes. People may be tolerant of a slight degradation in quality in exchange for other perceived benefits, like eco-friendliness, but when the product itself just doesn’t work, the trade-off isn’t worth it.

Many of our social marketing products also either do not work the way they are supposed to, or are perceived by the consumer as being ineffective. When that’s the case, people may try it once and decide it’s not worth the effort. The person who gets a flu shot and has a mild flu-like reaction to the vaccine may decide that it didn’t work and therefore they will not bother getting the shot in the future. Exercise does not always live up to its billing as making you feel great and helping you lose weight, though over time it likely will.

If the product either does not work some of the time or for everyone, or if it is perceived as being ineffective, there are two choices: either change the product or change the expectations. Because we often do not have any control over the actual product we are “selling,” we need to be careful of the benefits we promise or we risk losing credibility with the audience. Condoms were initially touted as the answer to HIV prevention, but the fact that they are not 100% effective against HIV and STDs led to somewhat of a backlash. A more realistic understanding of the place of condoms in HIV prevention has emerged over time.

Change the product or change the perception, but remember that if the product doesn’t work you may as well pour your marketing money down the drain.

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7 Comments

  1. “I’m not a water snob, and am perfectly happy to drink tap water when at home, but I always try to grab a bottle or two of water before leaving the house. To me, the advantage of bottled water is the convenience factor, and not the quality of the water itself (especially with the recent revelations that brands like Aquafina and Dasani are simply filtered tap water).”

    I don’t get this at all. Surely the obvious solution is to simply take a 1-2 litre ex-squash bottle refilled each morning and lunchtime with tap water? Where did all the plastic end up from those bottles in the Arrowhead case? Even if you had no empty bottles at home, you only needed to buy two of Arrowhead and then reuse them, not splash out on a whole case. What am I missing?

  2. Dr-
    Good question. I do try to reuse the bottles by refilling them as many times as possible, but for various reasons I’m not always able to do so. My family can make a case last for quite a while, and the bottles are all eventually recycled. Would it be better if I used the same bottle all the time? Yes. But this is the best I can do for now.

  3. Ah, that’s cool. I wasn’t scolding, I promise I’m not a self righteous eco-Nazi really!

    Personally I use a solid metal camping flask, but more than once this has been mistaken for a flash grenade (crazy, but true) so I think plastic bottles may be the way to go!

  4. I agree that re-using is a good habit. But if a person has a weak immune system, the bacteria common in reused water bottles can be a danger. Even in a healthy person it could cause uncomfortable stomach symptoms. The bottles aren’t easy to sanitize.

  5. BOTTLED WATER IS NOT THE ANSWER. DO NOT REFILL THEM EITHER. Please do some research first. Those cheap bottles tend to LEACH BPA into the water, a dangerous chemical. Buy a REUSABLE BOTTLE like the ones from http://www.Tappening.com

    I am a MAGICIAN and I made a video help inform people about the DANGERS OF BOTTLED WATER, check it out and dont forget to check out http://www.tappening.com for the latest info on the BOTTLED WATER SCAM.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWO_5lKVBAA

    -Livan

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