PACKED WATER CONSUMPTION PREFERENCES OF URBAN RESIDENTS AND FACTORS AFFECTING BOTTLED WATER MARKET: AN EXAMPLE FROM TURKEY

摘要

Since 1990s, packed water demand is rising and is preferred instead of tap water by the consumers in the world. Modern marketing requires understanding and identifying consumer needs and to meet these needs with a higher level of satisfaction than the competitor. Public and private companies have been operating in the water market and the sector demonstrates a rapid development in Turkey as well as in the world. Accordingly, the determination and marketing of consumer-oriented products is important. This study is focused on the plastic carboy bottled water - demijohn (19 litres) sector which constitutes an important segment of the packed water market. In this context, a field survey was conducted in the Mediterranean region of Turkey to determine optimum product patterns providing the highest benefit to the demijohn packed water consumers. Conjoint analysis was to determine the optimum product set. Price, origin of the water, HACCP certification, production mode of water (natural or mineral water) and taste (soft or hard) were found out as affecting factors that maximize consumer benefits in demijohn packed water preferences respectively. The recent findings of the surveys conducted in the world demonstrated significance of price sensitivity of consumers and quality expectations from packed water as well. This similarity indicated that the marketing strategies of the market and demijohn segment should focus on cost reduction and product differentiation with regards to taste and meeting quality standards. Product differentiation should consider local brand development or improvement of existing brands.