Frost & Sullivan Reveals: Water Quality the Clear Reason for Water Filters
SINGAPORE, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ — Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, announces the results of the end-user study, Voice of the Customer: Perceptions and Behaviors toward Water Filter Markets. The research measures APAC consumers’ brand awareness, brand perceptions, current usage, consumers’ satisfaction with current water filter brands, reasons for purchasing water filters, and features deemed important in water filter products. This research surveyed water filter consumers within Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand.
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It appears the water filter market is not based upon regional brand distribution, as many manufacturers do not distribute their products within all surveyed countries, as discovered via brand awareness, preferences, and ownership results. Rather, brands distribute in only a few countries and regional results tend to be skewed by a country or two-to-three countries.
Across APAC, consumers’ top-of-mind brand awareness is low, and unaided water filter brand awareness is not aligned across the APAC countries surveyed. Amway is the top recalled (unaided) water filter brand, although it is not a top owned or best perceived brand. Brita, Diamond, and Panasonic, are owned and perceived as best according to by-country analysis, but do not have strong unaided brand awareness. Panasonic is recalled by consumers across most APAC countries, although by a low percentage. Amway is most known in Thailand, Brita is most known in Australia, and Diamond is most known in Singapore.
Television advertising and word of mouth show up as effective drivers of water filter brand awareness. For water filter manufacturers/brands looking to increase marketing efforts, leveraging customers’ opinions might be a powerful tool to consider.
Most water filter consumers are satisfied with their brand. Panasonic, Philips, Brita, Pure, etc. rank tops for brand perception. Panasonic and Philips water filters are preferred within Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore, whilst consumers in Australia and Japan prefer Brita. These brands have the potential to build a stronger brand within the few APAC countries they serve and then tap markets beyond the borders of these few countries to achieve a reputation regionally.
According to the survey, consumers consider the core function of improving water quality as the most important feature of a water filter. Most APAC consumers primarily purchase water filters to “clean” their water (taste, etc. are secondary reasons) and marketing efforts might be directed toward this basic function of water filters (i.e., improving overall health, etc.). The other important qualities of water filters are reliability, ease of use and affordability. Nearly all of the surveyed countries are in alignment with each other. Do-it-yourself installation and filter change indication lights are least important, as is brand name.
“The vast majority of respondents appear to value water quality as a result to using water filters,” comments Tonya Fowler, Global Director with Frost & Sullivan’s Customer Research Team. Whilst most APAC consumers demonstrate concern about their drinking water for various reasons including dirt and sediment, toxins and contamination, chlorine and minerals, removing toxic substances and contamination are the primary intentions, particularly amongst Singaporean and Malaysian consumers. “It appears that consumers use water filters because it is cleaner and safer than drinking regular tap water.”
Frost & Sullivan’s survey also measures type of water filters used and technology of filters used as well as offers insights to primary reasons for purchasing water filters by countries surveyed as well as by home type demographics. Analyses of satisfaction by country as well as reasons for satisfaction/dissatisfaction are also explored in the survey.
This survey was conducted by Frost & Sullivan’s Customer Research Team, working in conjunction with Frost & Sullivan’s Environment & Building Technologies Team. Specifically, the Customer Research Team conducts independent, unbiased research among end-users to evaluate and measure companies and trends in the market.
For more information, please send an e-mail to Donna Jeremiah, Corporate Communications, at djeremiah@frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company web site, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, an overview will be sent to you by e-mail.
About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best in class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company’s Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO’s Growth Team with disciplined research and best practice models to drive the generation, evaluation and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 35 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.frost.com.
Contact:
Donna Jeremiah
Corporate Communications - Southeast Asia
P: +603 6204 5832
F: +603 6201 7402
E: djeremiah@frost.com
Carrie Low
Corporate Communications - Southeast Asia
P: +603 6204 5910
F: +603 6201 7402
E: carrie.low@frost.com
SOURCE Frost & Sullivan