Bottled Water Market Research Articles

Consumers’ value perception and value construction: the case of bottled water in the Middle East

ABSTRACTThis study illustrates how consumers realize the concept of value creation when making quick selections for a commodity in the Saudi market. Data were collected through a self-administered survey to customers; 1,045 completed and usable responses were received and analysed. The proposed model was tested through structural equation modelling using AMOS 22. Results indicate that product design and brand trust affect electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM), and product design, brand trust, and e-WOM influence consumers’ value creation. However, e-WOM does not mediate the relationship between product design and consumer value nor does it mediate the relationship between brand trust and consumers’ value creation. This study focused on one product (bottled water). Caution must be exercised in generalization of the results to other products/countries. Theoretically, this study extends the perception of value creation on a commodity and the influence of trust on perceived value. Although this study is based on a sample of Saudi Arabian consumers that is oversampling the age group of young consumers, it extends the rare empirical evidence base on the perception of value creation in the bottled water market, and the influence of trust on perceived value. The results suggest that firms could benefit from altering the design of their bottled water products to create higher perceived value and higher brand trust, differentiating themselves further from competition. The study contributes to the existing literature on consumers’ perceptions of bottled and branded water, taking into account e-WOM communication, and providing rare evidence on brand trust from outside of Europe and North America.

The Bottled Water Market and Consumer Behavior

This article describes how packaged water consumption has risen sharply in the world over the past 30 years. It is the most dynamic sector of the food and drink industry. The growth of bottled water sales is the contribution of the marketing activities, promotion, and aggressive sales. Is there a difference between bottled water and tap water? Opinions are divided. Some are for bottled water, some for tap water. World consumption of bottled water in 2013 was 70,371.6 million gallons or more than consumption in 2008 for 6.2%. Kosovo is a small country with a small purchasing power. In recent years, Kosovo has increased the use of packaged water by the population, due to a lack of viable drinking water running to the water network, and also as a result of social changes and the mentality of people. This article will deal with Kosovo's market developments, consumer behavior and factors that affect the behavior of purchases.

Fluoride content of bottled water available in South Korea

Objectives The market for bottled water is increasing steadily in South Korea. Bottled water contains several naturally occuring minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, and fluoride. Fluoride is proven to be effective in preventing dental caries. In South Korea, the maximum permissible concentration of fluoride is 2 ppm for bottled water and 1.5 ppm for tap water. The aim of this study was to investigate the fluoride content of different commercially available brands of bottled water in South Korea, and compare the measured fluoride concentration to the concentration written on the label of each brand of bottled water. Methods Twenty-seven of the 59 different brands of bottled water produced in South Korea were investigated in this study. Three bottles of each brand were purchased from supermarkets, marts, and convenience stores in each region of Korea in August 2016. For each bottled water brand, the fluoride content was measured three times using a fluoride-ion selective electrode (Orion ionplus Fluoride Electrode 9609, Orion Research, USA). The calibration curve was generated using 0.2 and 2 ppm standard solutions, and confirmed using a 1 ppm standard solution. Results The mean fluoride content of the 27 brands of bottled water was 0.374±0.332 mg/L (range=0.040 to 1.172 mg/L). The fluoride content was labeled by the manufacturer, on each of the tested brands of bottled water. In eight brands, the labeled fluoride content differed from the experimental data. The minimum to maximum fluoride content measured from 10 brands showed a variation of 0.3 mg/L or more when compared to the labeled fluoride content. Conclusions This study investigated the fluoride content of various brands of bottled water produced in South Korea and compared the measured fluoride levels with fluoride information on the bottle labels. To ensure that consumers are suitably informed regarding their exposure to fluoride, correct labelling of fluoride content in bottled water is important.

Impact of temperature and storage time on the migration of antimony from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers into bottled water in Qatar.

Prosperity in Qatar and the consequent stresses on water resources resulted in a sustainable increase in the bottled drinking water market. Reports on health concerns and possible migration of chemicals from the plastic material into the water have driven the current investigation. This study aims to address the extent of antimony (Sb) leaching from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) water bottles subject to temperature variations (24-50°C) due to Qatar's hot climate and improper storage conditions. A representative basket including 66 different imported and locally produced water bottles was considered. The concentrations of Sb in bottled water ranged from 0.168 to 2.263μg/L at 24°C and from 0.240 to 6.110μg/L at 50°C. Antimony concentrations in PET bottles at 24°C was significantly lower than those at 50°C (p=0.0142), indicating that the temperature was a principal factor affecting the release of Sb from the plastic into the water. Although the detected Sb amounts were below the guidelines endorsed by WHO and Qatar (standard 5μg/L) at 24°C, the concentration measured at 50°C was higher than the recommended WHO values (6.11μg/L).

Health information and consumer learning in the bottled water market

This paper examines the impact of health information in different media outlets on bottled water consumption through consumer learning. We develop a random coefficient discrete choice model with Bayesian learning process to capture consumers’ learning of health information and changes in their beverage choices over time. Consumers are assumed to have initial prior beliefs about the health effect of different beverages and to update their beliefs using health information received from different media types. Empirical results show that consumers’ perceived quality of bottled water kept increasing during our sample period, and this learning process accounted for 24.44% of the industry’s revenue, which is about 4.8 billion dollars per year. Comparing the effectiveness of different media outlets, we find that the sales impact of traditional media (TV and radio) is greater than online sources. Our findings highlight the contribution of health information to the bottled water industry and provide policy makers with a new direction to reduce high-calorie food consumption and improve public health.

Reading a water menu: Bottled water and the cultivation of taste

The market for bottled water is growing and increasingly segmented. How do we explain not just the willingness to pay for a substance (water) that is almost free but also the increasing discernment in a drink generally considered tasteless? We argue that bottled water market segmentation is a leading edge of processes of water commodification, associated with the crisis of Fordism and rise of consumerist capitalism, where the assertion of status through commodity consumption is increasingly necessary. The extensive Ray’s & Stark water menu is analyzed to show how the taste for bottled waters is cultivated. In the menu, references to gustatory sensation are limited. Instead, the tastefulness of water inheres in the distance from anthropogenic influence, made visible through scientific (geological) discourses. The tension between the desire to consume unmediated nature and the scientific abstraction necessary to recognize it reveals the social character of the taste for bottled waters. The highly refined sense of taste that the water menu’s readers are presumed to have is a reflection of consumerist capitalism’s distinctive ways of reproducing socio-economic inequality and metabolizing non-human nature.

How is a bottled water market created?

From the 1940s until 2015, while the French population grew 60%, the bottled water per capita consumption grew 2350%, from 6 L to about 140 L per person, per year. These figures rank France as one of the biggest bottled water markets in the world. Contrary to other top water markets, most of France's population has access to good quality tap water, which is trusted and consumed by most of its citizens. I explain this paradox, analyzing the creation and development of the French bottled water market. Based on data on the history of mineral water, marketing, and consumer behavior, I describe the origins and development of this market, highlighting the most important historical events and laws that created the economic and political conditions that shaped its structure and regulation. I analyze the influence of food and beverage groups like Nestlé, Danone, and Group Castel/Alma (Neptune), demonstrating how these companies radically reshaped the market structure through aggressive strategies of merger and acquisitions of smaller companies and their brands. I also examine how their marketing strategies and actions transformed the cultural meaning of water, gradually shifting from a banal, life‐essential good into a commodity that connects to a range of different cultural images, lifestyles, and changing consumers’ tastes and behavior. I also situate bottled water markets into the wider debate of water politics and policy. WIREs Water 2018, 5:e1220. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1220This article is categorized under: Human Water > Value of Water Human Water > Water as Imagined and Represented

Quality survey of natural mineral water and spring water sold in France: Monitoring of hormones, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, perfluoroalkyl substances, phthalates, and alkylphenols at the ultra-trace level

The aim of the present study, one of the most complete ever performed in France, was to carry out an extensive survey on the potential presence of a large amount of emerging contaminants in 40 French bottled waters, including parent compounds and metabolites. The studied samples represented 70% of the French bottled water market in volume. Six classes of compounds were investigated, most of them being unregulated in bottled waters: pesticides and their transformation products (118), pharmaceutical substances (172), hormones (11), alkylphenols (APs) (8), phthalates (11) and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) (10). One of the objectives of this work was to achieve low and reliable limits of quantification (LOQs) (87% of the LOQs were below 10ng/L) using advanced analytical technologies and reliable sample preparation methodologies, including stringent quality controls. Among the 14,000 analyses performed, 99.7% of the results were below the LOQs. None of the hormones, pharmaceutical substances and phthalates were quantified. Nineteen compounds out of the 330 investigated were quantified in 11 samples. Eleven were pesticides including 7 metabolites, 6 were PFAS and 2 were APs. As regards pesticides, their sum was at least twice lower than the quality standards applicable for bottled waters in France. The presence of a majority of pesticide metabolites suggested a former use in the recharge areas of the exploited aquifers. The quantification of a few unregulated emerging compounds at the nano-trace level, such as PFAS, raised the issue of their potential sources, including long-range atmospheric transport and deposition. This study confirmed that the groundwater aquifers exploited for bottling were well-preserved from chemicals, as compared to less geologically protected groundwaters, and also underlined the need to pursue the protection policies implemented in recharge areas in order to limit the anthropogenic pressure.

Analysis on influence relationships among bottled water brand image, consumption value, and purchase intention

본 연구는 소비자들이 지각하는 생수 브랜드 이미지와 소비가치, 그리고 구매의도의 영향 관계를 살펴보고 이를 통하여 국내 생수 시장에 관한 실질적인 마케팅 자료를 제공하고 효과적인 마케팅 전략 방안을 제시하려는 목적으로 진행되었다. 한 달 이내에 생수를 구입한 경험이 있는 소비자를 표본으로 선정하여 설문조사를 진행하였으며, 변수들의 타당성과 신뢰성을 검증하기 위하여 요인분석과 신뢰도분석, 그리고 수렴타당성과 판별타당성을 살펴보기 위해 확인적 요인분석을 실시하였고, 구조방정식을 활용하여 연구모형을 검증하였다. 브랜드 이미지와 소비가치의 영향 관계에서 친숙성과 감각적 이미지는 경제적 소비가치에 유의한 영향 관계를 보였고, 기능적 소비가치의 관계에 대한 결과에서는 친숙성과 친환경성이 기능적 소비가치에 유의한 영향을 미쳤으며, 진귀적 소비가치에는 친숙성과 감각적 이미지가 유의한 관계를 보였다. 또한 브랜드 이미지의 친숙성과 기능적 소비가치는 구매의도에 유의한 영향을 나타냈다. 본 연구는 기업의 매출 증대나 소비자의 제품 이미지 제고에 필수적인 생수 브랜드의 이미지에 따라 형성되는 소비가치나 구매의도에 미치는 영향 관계에 대한 마케팅 측면의 실질적인 연구라는 점에서 의의가 있다고 볼 수 있다.

Рационализация жизни современного человека на примере анализа потребления воды жителями Москвы

In a risk society, healthism, medicalization, and the expansion of the market for bottled water all contribute to the disciplinary self-management of drinking water consumption. Such changes align with the predictions of classical sociologists like Weber and Simmel that the phenomenon of rationalization would extend to all spheres of society, including everyday life. Based on qualitative research data on drinking water consumption in Moscow, this study assesses how such trends are manifested in contemporary Russian society. The study demonstrates an increasing emphasis on managing thirst. In certain social contexts (including sports, weight loss, and pregnancy), the habitualization of socially constructed norms of water consumption has transformed these into an internal need. The mechanisms of control and calculative behavior are manifested in both the conscious attempts and unconscious measuring tactics developed by Muscovites to increase the volume of water being drunk . Ordinary people who are anxious about the safety of drinking water seek institutional support from the state, advertisements for bottled water, and expert knowledge of various kinds. Because the quality of drinking water is perceived to be an existential issue, the lack of certainty around this issue sometimes gives rise to irrational beliefs. The researchers were especially surprised to find references to “life-giving” or “dead” water in the narratives of respondents with a university education, including some with medical degrees.

Danone in the Latin American Bottled Water Market: A Case Study

This case is an example of regional strategy and branding by a multinational. The case discusses Danone’s success in achieving market leadership in the bottled-water market of key Latin American countries. Danone’s success in the region is based on country-specific strategies for national brands. As Latin American markets become more integrated there is a growing opportunity to shift gears and develop regional strategies. One example is Danone’s successful replication of its Mexico strategy in Brazil. Should Danone replicate this strategy in other Latin American markets? Should it adapt its current strategies to better respond to local trends in the regional market? The case contributes to the understanding of the integration of global, regional, and local strategy formulation by multinational companies.

What is the value of bottled water? Empirical evidence from the Italian retail market

Abstract Bottled water has become a global business, and Italy is one of the largest producers and consumer countries in the world. However, the Italian bottled water market seems to have reached the maturity stage of its life cycle, and because competitive pressure has strongly increased in this market, producers need to revise their marketing strategies. A variety of products with different features and prices are now available on the market of bottled water, however it is unknown how the retail price of bottled water is affected by its attributes. We thus measured whether, and to what extent, the price of bottled water depends upon its extrinsic (brand, packaging, origin), and intrinsic characteristics (mineral composition). We estimated a hedonic price model using data collected via direct observation of the shelves in various Italian modern retail stores. Our results show that bottled water is highly differentiated and its retail price is mainly affected by extrinsic characteristics. On the basis of these results, several insights are provided for both practitioners and policy makers.

Optimal use of chlorine in water distribution networks based on specific locations of booster chlorination: analyzing conditions in Mexico

Water distribution networks (WDNs) could present problems of pathogen intrusion that affect the health of consumers. One solution to diminish this risk is to add more disinfectant to the water at the drinking water treatment plant (DWTP). However, this increases the cost of water treatment and may also cause the formation of trihalomethanes. Mexico has the largest bottled water market in the world. Also, most houses are built with individual storage containers due to intermittent service, which generates a greater residence time of the water before use. This paper shows an alternative to guarantee minimum disinfection along WDNs and diminish the use of disinfectant at the DWTP considering the conditions of water consumption and use in Mexico. We propose a model based on Genetic Algorithms to obtain scenarios where free chlorine is maintained at the minimum permissible concentration throughout the day. In addition, Water Managers could optimize the use of disinfectant by implementing booster chlorination stations (BCSs). The results show that chlorine use could be reduced by 38%, therefore guaranteeing the chlorine concentration limits along the WDN.

Crafting the market for bottled water: a social praxeology approach

Purpose– This paper aims to account for the crafting of the constellation of brand and consumer values around an everyday product, that of bottled water. This paper situates the exponential growth of this market in its historical and cultural context, paying particular attention to the fostering of the “social conditions of possibility” for this product in the French market. The socio-historical context and the interplay of stakeholders to the respondents’ understanding and uses of bottled water, highlighting the importance of a range of factors that made this market and product resonate with their requirements, are linked.Design/methodology/approach– This account responds to the call for more engagement with social theory in marketing and consumer research (Brownlie and Hewer, 2011). It also connects with recent scholarly pleas for a displacement of the consumer from the center of our analytic attention (Askegaard and Linnet, 2011; Holt, 2012). It does so by using the social praxeology approach associated with Pierre Bourdieu to study the affirmation and sedimentation of the practices surrounding the consumption of bottled water in France.Findings– Influential institutional actors invoked discourses of purity, nature and health, juxtaposing these with the risks of tap water consumption. These were cemented by the influence of pediatricians who encouraged changes in family drinking habits which translated into long-term shifts in consumer behavior. By contrast to studies of different contexts, our respondents were greatly enamored by the materiality of the products themselves, using these in innovative ways for aesthetic pursuits. The social praxeology approach uncovers how brand and consumer value have been constructed in the French bottled water market.Research limitations/implications– This study is based on the historical development and growth of the market for bottled water in France. It would be a valuable exercise to investigate other contexts to determine whether the strategies of symbolic competition, especially the use of expert intermediaries rich in cultural capital that can be identified, are reflected elsewhere.Practical implications– Bottled water producers will have to confront the issue of the resource-intensiveness of their products. This feature stands in marked contrast to the symbolic capital and points of differentiation that producers have weaved around bottled water. Such contradictions will be exposed by actors in other fields (e.g. the environmental movement). This can be expected to have an impact on the consumption and viability of this market in future.Originality/value– This paper uses a philosophical framework – social praxeology – to chart the development, affirmation and exponential growth of the bottled water market. Via a combination of historical re-construction and empirical research, it highlights the interactive relationships between government, producers and consumers, uncovering brand and consumer value creation.

A Study on the History of the Korean Bottled Water Market

A Study on the History of the Korean Bottled Water Market

Effect of bottling and storage on the migration of plastic constituents in Spanish bottled waters

Bottled water is packaged in either glass or, to a large extent, in plastic bottles with metallic or plastic caps of different material, shape and colour. Plastic materials are made of one or more monomers and several additives that can eventually migrate into water, either during bottle manufacturing, water filling or storage. The main objective of the present study was to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the quality of the Spanish bottled water market in terms of (i) migration of plastic components or additives during bottling and during storage and (ii) evaluation of the effect of the packaging material and bottle format on the migration potential. The compounds investigated were 5 phthalates, diethylhexyl adipate, alkylphenols and bisphenol A. A set of 362 bottled water samples corresponding to 131 natural mineral waters and spring waters sources and 3 treated waters of several commercial brands were analysed immediately after bottling and after one-year storage (a total of 724 samples). Target compounds were detected in 5.6% of the data values, with diethyl hexyl phthalate and bisphenol A being the most ubiquitous compounds detected. The total daily intake was estimated and a comparison with reference values was indicated.

Consumers’ Loyalty to Bottled Water Brands in Nigeria: An Empirical Study

Aims: This study operationalized a theoretical framework, the “brand-choice sequences” theory, to empirically measure and analyze consumers’ loyalty to brands of bottled water in Nigeria, using Awka, a capital city of Anambra State, Nigeria and six bottled water brands as study slices. The study objectives focused on determining if brand loyalty exists among the bottled water consumers and to what extent. This study provides marketing intelligence on loyalty to brands of bottled water in this part of Nigeria. Such marketing intelligence on brand loyalty is expected to contribute to the formulation and reformulation of promotional strategies in the bottled water industry in Nigeria. Study Design: This study was based on a survey of a convenience sample of 280 bottled water consumers resident in the place of study at the time of the study. Place and Duration of Study: The place of study is Awka a capital city of Anambra State, Nigeria. The duration of the study was from August 1 to August 30, 2013. Methodology: Quantitative methodology involving the use a questionnaire with interval and nominal scales was used to collect data on consumers’ purchases and repeat purchases of the bottled water brands under consideration. The interval scales on the measurement instrument yielded a Cronbach’s alpha of .63. The method of data analysis was a computerized analysis involving single sample t-tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: This study found that there while there were significant differences in brand loyalties to the bottled water brands, there was however no significant undivided loyalty to any of bottled water bands. Segmentation analysis of brand loyalty by age showed no significant difference across the age segments. The income segments also showed no Original Research Article British Journal of Economics, Management & Trade, 4(8): 1159-1173, 2014 1160 significant difference in brand loyalties. Across the education segments, no significant difference in brand loyalties was detected. Conclusion: The study concludes that the “brand-choice sequences” theory can be empirically applied to measure, and analyze brand loyalty in the bottled water market in Nigeria, thus extending the testing and universality of the theory. This extension is significant in the study of brand loyalty, an area of marketing where there appears to be insufficient application of theoretical frameworks in measuring and analyzing brand loyalties in various consumer goods categories in Nigeria.

Physico-Chemical and Bacterial Evaluation of Packaged Drinking Water Marketed in Delhi - Potential Public Health Implications

Quality of drinking water is a powerful environmental determinant of health. The main objective of introduction of bottled water in the society was its better safety, taste and convenience over tap water. The present study was conducted to assess physicochemical and bacterial qualities of bottled water and sachet water which were available in various markets of Delhi. Sixteen water bottles and four water sachets were selected through stratified random sampling from various public places in Delhi and their analysis was done at National Test House, Ghaziabad. RESULTS were then compared with national (IS10500, IS14543) and international (WHO, FDA, USEPA) standards. Bottled water showed better quality than sachet water. The mean value of copper (0.0746mg/l) in bottles exceeded the standard values of IS10500 and IS14543(0.05), while the mean value of lead (0.008mg/l) exceeded the FDA standard value (0.005). When the results of sachets were compared with those of standards, the mean values of selenium (0.1195mg/l) and lead (0.862mg/l) were found to exceed values of both Indian and International standards. For the biological parameter i.e. coliform count, the mean value for bottles was 0 (nil), whereas the mean value for sachets was 16.75, which showed the unhealthy nature of sachets. The parameters which were tested in the present study showed excess of various chemical and bacterial parameters in drinking water, which could pose serious threats to consumers. Thus, these results suggest a more stringent standardization of bottled water market with special attention to quality, identity and licensing by concerned authorities, to safeguard health of consumers.

Marketing brand Aava: not as simple as water

Subject area The present field-based case study is related to topics in marketing area, more specifically brand management, strategic marketing and business strategy. Study level/applicability This case is primarily meant for second-year students in a postgraduate program in business management (MBA). The case could also be discussed in an executive development program on marketing/business strategy. Case overview The present case is based on Aava natural mineral water, the brainchild of Mr Behram Mehta, Chairman of Shelpee Enterprises. The case explores at the various marketing strategies adopted by Aava in India. The case traces the brand's foray into the Indian bottled water market as a regional players and its growth as a pan Indian brand. However, in early 2012, the majority of Aava's sales were coming through institutional sales. The brand was facing a challenge of trying to find a foothold in the retail market. The balance between becoming a mass and a premium brand was also looming large. The major question that Aava needed to answer is whether it should restrict itself to the B2B market or whether it should try to penetrate the retail market. Given the latter is more beneficial for the company, the issues of product, pricing and brand communication needed to be revisited since these are not similar for B2B and B2C brands. Expected learning outcomes The various learning outcomes of the case include: understanding the differences between B2B and B2C marketing and the need for different strategies for both, apply marketing research findings to introduce a product in a market, evaluate and execute marketing communication strategies based on human behaviour for more effectiveness, evaluate alternatives leading to the right choice of branding/marketing strategy, understand the role of 4Ps of marketing for successful business and industry analysis. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Exploring the value of brands on the montenegrin bottled spring water market

The branding strategy is based on future goals relating to clients, aimed at increasing awareness of the brand, creating a positive brand image and establishing a preference for the brand and ensuing brand loyalty. A brand is a very important factor for competitiveness and establishes a leadership position in the market, given the major impact that this form of intellectual property has on the perception of consumers and the success of innovative products on the market. The bottled water market has increased by about 35% in the last five years on the global level, dictated by young consumers who are becoming increasingly aware of the significance of proper nutrition in maintaining health. The research presents qualitative information on the market value of bottled water brands, the general characteristics of retailers, as well as on their target customers. The main task of this paper is to confirm the usefulness of marketing research in modern business as well as to present the benefits of brand value measurement to current or future brand owners. It is to be hoped that the results presented in this paper may serve as a good basis for upgrading marketing activities, based on a better understanding of target customers and their particular needs, through better communication for the purpose of stronger corporate branding.