Do you know who needs water purifiers?
A lot of people might say “everyone needs one” without really thinking about it. And while it is true that everyone can benefit from purified water, there are specific target markets for water purifier products.
Surprisingly, the target market for water purifiers is not just people who live in developing countries or areas with poor water quality. In developed countries, there are many people who choose to buy and use water purifiers for a variety of reasons.
In this article, we will study these reasons and understand the motivating factors that make consumers buy a water purifier.
So go grab a glass of water and let’s get started!
What is a Water Purifier?
There can be many definitions of a water purifier and so for the sake of our discussion, let’s define a water purifier.
A Water Purifier is a device or system that is used to clean water and make it safe for drinking, cooking, other household purposes, and even industrial purposes.
Water Purifiers are made using different technologies like activated carbon, reverse osmosis or ultraviolet radiation.
They are available in different sizes and can be installed either at the point-of-use or centralized purification plants.
Cities use large-scale water purification systems for municipal water supplies while households and small businesses use smaller point-of-use systems.
Some industries which require clean water for their processes also use water purifiers.
With this basic understanding of what a water purifier is, let’s move on to understanding the target market for water purifiers by studying who buys water purifiers and why they buy them.
Who Buys Water Purifiers?
In general, everyone can benefit from purified water but that doesn’t mean everyone will buy a water purifier. Some people will still continue drinking tap water. Others may turn to bottled water.
What it means, however, is that there are different segments in the target market for water purifiers that make purchase decisions based on different factors.
Some of the market segments for water purifiers are:
- Households with infants, young children or elderly people
- Households with people who have compromised immune systems
- Pregnant women
- Athletes and people who dehydrate a lot
- People who live in areas with hard water
- People who live in areas with high levels of fluoride in the water
- People who live in areas with poor water quality
- People who want to improve the taste of their water
- People who want to reduce their exposure to chemicals
- People who want to reduce their carbon footprint
Understanding the Target Market for Water Purifier: Why do they buy?
Why do the market segments listed above buy water purifiers? What are their motivations and what factors do they take into account while making their purchase decisions?
Let’s answer these questions by looking at each segment and see if we can gain some insights.
1. Households with infants, young children or elderly people
Households with infants, young children or elderly people are more susceptible to water-borne illnesses and so purified water can help protect them from diseases.
Because of the emotions involved, parents with young children can be a prime target market for water purifiers, and marketers often use price segmentation to promote more expensive water purifier models to such parents.
2. Households with people who have compromised immune systems
People with compromised immune systems may already be suffering from a disease or may be more susceptible to water-borne illnesses. They cannot take the risk of drinking tap water or even bottled water and so have to rely on very efficient water purifiers to ward off water-borne diseases.
3. Pregnant women
Many pregnant women prefer to switch from drinking tap water to drinking purified water to help protect themselves and their unborn babies from water-borne diseases. Some common water-borne diseases include Hepatitis E, Typhoid, Cholera and Diarrhea. These can cause serious health problems for both the mother and her baby.
4. Athletes and people who dehydrate a lot
Athletes and people who sweat or dehydrate a lot need to drink a lot of water to compensate for the water loss. Knowing that they have this condition can make them a good segment to market water purifiers.
This group of people isn’t just drinking water because they are thirsty but because they could end up with serious illnesses as a result of dehydration. By using benefit segmentation, marketers can tout the value that this market segment can get from water purifiers and sell them products specifically made to cater to their needs.
5. People who live in areas with hard water
Hard water can contain high levels of minerals like calcium and magnesium that can cause scale build-up on fixtures and appliances. A water purifier can remove these minerals from the water, making it more pleasant to use and reducing the amount of cleaning required. In this case, the water purifier is attached to the main water source entering the house so that the water circulating in the house is already purified.
6. People who live in areas with high levels of fluoride in the water
Fluoride is a mineral that is added to many public water supplies to help prevent tooth decay. However, too much fluoride can be harmful, especially for children. Households with children are a target for water purifiers that can remove excess fluoride from the water.
7. People who live in areas with poor water quality
Many areas in the world have water that is not safe to drink. A water purifier can help make this water safe. But unfortunately, such areas also happen to be low-income areas. This means water purifiers that can be sold into these markets need to be effective and inexpensive.
Many entrepreneurs in emerging markets are targeting this segment by coming up with innovative technologies to build affordable water purifiers.
8. People who want to improve the taste of their water
Some people find regular tap water unpleasant to drink because of its chlorine or metallic taste. A water purifier can remove these tastes and make the water more pleasant to drink.
9. People who want to reduce their exposure to chemicals
Chemicals like chlorine and chloramine are added to public water supplies to kill bacteria. However, these chemicals can also be harmful to human health. A water purifier can remove these chemicals from the water, reducing people’s exposure to them.
10. People who want to reduce their carbon footprint
Producing and delivering clean drinking water requires a lot of energy. A water purifier can help reduce the amount of energy needed to produce clean drinking water.
Summary
Everyone can benefit from purified water, but there are certain target markets for water purifiers.
These target markets include households with infants, young children or elderly members; households with people who have compromised immune systems; pregnant women; athletes and people who dehydrate a lot; people who live in areas with hard water; people who live in areas with high levels of fluoride in the water; people who live in areas with poor water quality; and people who want to improve the taste of their water.
Each of these groups has a reason to need a water purifier. Purified water can help protect these groups from water-borne illnesses, reduce their exposure to harmful chemicals, and improve the taste of their water.
