Industry overview
What is shaping water
Water research covers households, utilities, purifier brands and development programmes. Access, quality, reliability and trust in the source decide how people use and pay for water.
- Many households combine several water sources
- Trust in water quality drives purifier adoption
- Utilities are judged on reliability and billing
Client background
A bottled water brand, working in Hong Kong, Malaysia & Taiwan. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- A bottled water brand
- Sector
- Water
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Consumer panel, Quantitative research, Social media marketing
Client challenge
The brand competed with many local and international labels and had no clear reason for consumers to choose it. Shoppers saw little difference between brands, and the client was competing mainly on promotions.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: repositioning a bottled water brand in a crowded market.
- Understand the views, needs and behaviour of consumers.
- Produce results that can be compared across groups and locations.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 6 weeks.
Target audience
The work focused on 1,800 consumers.
- consumers1,800
Audiences we typically reach in water
HouseholdsUtility customersPurifier buyers and ownersCommunity water committeesWASH programme beneficiaries
Geographic coverage
Coverage: Hong Kong, Malaysia & Taiwan. Markets: Hong Kong, Malaysia and Taiwan.
- Hong Kong
- Malaysia
- Taiwan
Research methodology
A structured quantitative design, so results could be compared across groups, locations and time.
- 1Brief
- 2Online survey
- 3Concept tests
- 4Insight
We surveyed consumers about purchase occasions, brand perceptions and attitudes to plastic, and tested positioning concepts. Surveys were conducted in English, Cantonese, Mandarin and Malay, with quotas for age, gender and purchase frequency in each market.
Consumer panelQuantitative researchSocial media marketing
Sampling strategy
- consumers
- 1,800
- Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
Data collection
- The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
Data quality & validation
- Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
- Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
- Review of open-ended answers
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
- Comparison of concepts, messages or products against each other
Key findings
- Concepts combining mineral benefits with a recycled bottle commitment tested best.
Sustainability added value when tied to a clear product benefit.
Recommendations
- The brand relaunched with recycled packaging and focused campaigns on sports and wellness occasions.
- The brand also used the findings to shape its retail displays, highlighting recycled packaging at the point of purchase.
What we recommended, and the client put into practice
Business impact
- Sales improved in sports and fitness channels, and the brand gained listings in gyms and sports venues.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: did a WASH programme change behaviour?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.