Every time I go shopping at the local supermarket, there is one product that always seems to catch my eye. It is in a category which includes products which are incredibly cheap to manufacture (with an abundance of raw materials (well maybe not here in Brisbane**)), sell at prices far exceeding what you would pay for fuel at the bowser, and realistically probably the most basic product in the market. That's right, it is bottled water.
But we are not talking about any Bottled Water... we are talking about bottled water, with EXTRA OXYGEN!
Does the extra oxygen actually increase your performance, brainpower, or endurance? Not really... in-fact the human body generally takes on oxygen using the organs we call the 'lungs'. In fact, if you think about it, if we could effectively use oxygen from water, you wouldn't need a SCUBA tank when you go diving!. Apart from that, there are a few physiological road blocks regarding oxygen saturation in red blood cells etc. (Read more here.)
The best part is... if you want your bottled water with extra oxygen, you are looking at paying a premium of about 30-40% over standard bottled water. From a marketing point of view, that is great... as a consumer however, if I were to purchase the product I think I would feel just a little ripped off. Of course that would be the case if my purchase decision was based on the extra qualities that the oxygen bought to the water.. then again if you are simply buying it to be cool, fit in, or buying it as a luxury, then power to you (and let me know your details so I can sell some luxuries to you too!)
All this is that extra oxygen (even though in some forms it is toxic) makes a great story. And great stories are what Sales and Marketing are all about (well a good part of it anyways). I am just assuming here but this might be the way people interpret the story:
"I need oxygen to breath.. it keeps me alive... If that is the case, then more oxygen must make me feel more alive!"
However... telling a good story is one thing... treating your customers like idiots is another. In the case of bottled water with extra oxygen, I think that the manufacturers, and their marketing departments have lost their integrity. It reminds me of snake oil peddlers from back in the day.
Integrity (and openness) in marketing should be applauded, pulling the wool over the consumer, should be discouraged!
Let me know what you think? Are there any products that you can think of where you feel that the story is blatantly not living up to what the product actually delivers? Please leave a comment with your thoughts.
** For the out of towner's... we are in the grips of a very severe drought here in South East Queensland.. therefore a severe lack of water for anyone getting into the bottled water business
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