Bottled water is the second largest commercial beverage category volume in the united states. We buy bottled water for the convenience, but certain types are marketed differently. Fiji water has a price per bottle of up to $1.50. Smart water reaches almost $2. Your general local gas station water is usually the cheapest around 99 cents. It is surprising to me that people are willing to buy water for a higher cost because of the way it is marketed. I find Fiji water and smart water to be the most popular and most expensive. I believe this is because their marketing makes you feel like their water is healthier and better than other brands. It gives off a more sophisticated feel to it and Fiji water is said to be blessed by the Buddha in Fiji. When in reality there is no difference between your local gas station bottled water and a type of water labeled fiji or smart water. The water goes through a filtration system and it there is no extra health benefits from one type of bottled water to the next. I always go for the cheapest price but if I do know many people that are will to pay extra for the more prestigious brands of water. This shows how big of an effect marketing has on people. If you took the exotic label off of a fiji bottle and left the price tag, next to a "cumberland farms" water bottle 50 cents cheaper, people would most likely choose the cheaper bottle.
Do you buy Fiji water or Smart water over a brand like "Cumberland Farms Natural Spring Water?" Even though it is more expensive, why would you buy it?
Allison
ReplyDeleteI don’t understand why people buy bottled water when for only a few cents you can drink tap water. OK, I realize that tap water doesn’t always taste good, but this can be solved with a simple and inexpensive filtration system. When you buy bottled water where do all those bottles go? According to Pristine Planet, just over 20% of those water bottles get recycled which means the rest get thrown away. So much for going green. Is the convenience of bottled water worth the price?