Competitive Landscape

White India water purifier market has witnessed several entrants, not many have realized
success with water being a complicated area, and technology still being at an evolving stage.
However, in this underpenetrated market, competition concerns for players does not lie in
existing and emerging companies, but with the consumer belief that boiled water is safe for
consumption. Leading players in the India water purifier market are therefore leveraging their
brand equity distribution strength, and focusing on the launch of new water purifier models.

Being a highly consolidated market, the top 4 manufacturers account for over 66% of the overall
market revenue. The Indian market is characterized by the presence of good mix of international
and domestic brands. Low-cost water purifiers are making inroads in both urban and rural
markets through either conventional distribution channels or through non-government
organizations. Also, raising awareness about the hazards of unsanitary drinking water could be a
competitive force, in terms of social responsibility. The water purifier companies are required to
raise the awareness by selling the concept of safe water drinking and focus on offering products
and services that are affordable and 24*7 available

Competitive Factors
Some key factors on which companies compete in the market are price and technology. Since
the Indian market is cost-sensitive, manufacturers are focusing on developing low-cost variants
and improving their product reach

Also, various technologies namely gravity purifier, Ro Purifier, UV Purifier, sediment purifier and
water softener can be seen in the market, and this can be another competitive factor. Also there
are industrial, commercial and household varieties whereas the accessories segment includes
faucet mount, water dispenser pitcher filter, shower filter and under sink filter

Key Market Players

 Kent Grand Plus Mineral RO+UV Water Purifier: It comes under Kent RO Systems Ltd
which is an Indian healthcare products company headquartered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The
company manufactures water purifiers based on the process of reverse osmosis (RO)
purification. Along the years, it has expanded its products range from vacuum cleaners, air
purifiers, vegetable and fruit purifiers to water softeners. The company sells more than
225,000 RO purifiers every year and holds around 40% market share in India. RO purifiers
make about 80% of its revenues

 Havells Max RO+ UV 8 Ltr Water Purifier: This one of the best-selling RO UV water
purifiers in India comes under Havells India Limited, one of the largest electrical equipment
companies in India. It has been operating since 1958. The Havells Max RO+ has the seven-
stage water purification process. This includes sediment filter, activated carbon filter, reverse
osmosis membrane, UV bulb, mineraliser and post activated carbon filter. All these makes it
suitable for all kinds of water sources including borewells, river water, overhead water tank,
tap water and municipality water. As of 2017, the company had an asset of US$690 million

 Livpure Pep Pro++ 7 L RO + UV +UF Water Purifier: Livpure is a brand of SAR Group
company. Livpure Pep Pro water purifier gears RO, UV and UF technologies in purifying the
water. The fact that it is rated 4+ Stars by more than 500 real buyers at Amazon also
signifies the popularity it has gained. The company expects the industry to double every five
years or so and hope the market to reach about $1.12-1.41 billion USD by 2021

 Blue Star Majesto 8 Litre (RO UV): Blue Star Aristo RO + UV 7-Litre water purifier is
manufactured by air-conditioner manufacturer Blue Star Ltd. This is a six-stage water
purification device. It includes a pre-sediment filter, pre-carbon filter, RO membrane, UV
lamp, post carbon filter and aqua taste booster. The company also retails commercial
 refrigerator, air-conditioners apart from water purifier and had registered $352 million USD
revenue from this straight up in 2016

 Aquaguard Geneus RO + UV +UF water purifier: Eureka Forbes Ltd is a consumer goods
company based in Mumbai, India. It was founded in 1982 and is a part of the Shapoorji
Pallonji Group. The company also covers vacuum cleaning, air purification and home
security solutions apart from its water purification products. The water purifier business
accounts for 70% of Eureka Forbes’ turnover. It grew 59% in 2016-17 over the previous year

 Pureit Mineral Classic RO+UV Water Purifier: It is considered as one of the best budget
water purifiers in 2018. It has the Storage capacity of the 6 litres. The purifier includes a six-
stage purification process including pp melt down, pre-sediment filter, Pre-Ro carbon filter,
post-carbon sediment filter. The post-carbon sediment filter removes all the suspended dust,
impurities, chlorine and thus improving the taste of water. It comes under the Hindustan
Unilever Limited (HUL) which is an Indian consumer goods company based in Mumbai,
Maharashtra. It is a subsidiary of Unilever, a British-Dutch company. The company had a
revenue of US$4.8 billion in 2016-2017

 Blue Star Aristo RO + UV 7-Litre Water Purifier: Blue Star Aristo RO + UV 7-litre water
purifier is manufactured by air-conditioner manufacturer Blue Star Ltd. This is a six-stage
water purification device. It includes a pre-sediment filter, pre-carbon filter, RO membrane,
UV lamp, post-carbon filter, and aqua taste booster. The company also retails commercial
refrigerator, air-conditioners apart from water purifier and had registered $352 million USD
revenue from this straight up in 2016

 Kent Maxx 7 L UV + UF Water Purifier: Kent Maxx 7 L UV + UF water purifier comes under
Kent RO Systems Ltd which is an Indian healthcare products company headquartered in
Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The company manufactures water purifiers based on the process of
Reverse osmosis (RO) purification. Along the years, it has expanded its products range from
vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, vegetable and fruit purifiers to water softeners. The company
 sells more than 225,000 RO purifiers every year and holds around 40% market share in
India. RO purifiers make about 80% of its revenues

CASE STUDY
Communication Campaign—Eureka Forbes Ltd.’s Aquagueard Water Purifier
Health is wealth is the advertising message that resonated with mothers across the country
when the Aquaguard was first launched. The EFL’s salesmen are called Eurochamps.
The initial communication had one primary objective: to introduce Eurochamps to its target
audience – the homemaker – and persuade them to accept the concept of direct selling. As
the concept took root, Aquaguard shifted gear and began the more difficult task of
propagating the importance of drinking water in improving the quality of life. Its 'Celebrate
Water' strategy won the brand many friends and laid the foundation for the Aquaguard of
today.

Awareness
Eureka Forbes created awareness about its product by huge amount of personal selling.
EFL’s sales personnel, called as Eurochamps by the company, were rigorously trained to
provide all the information like benefits of a water purifier, its usage and it’s after sale
services to customer.

Comprehension
EFL had to ensure that the customers identified the need and importance of their products in
their lives. For this they not only provided information about their product in their TV
commercials but also related it to the security and healthy development of their family that
included young growing children. With development of technologically advanced products
EFL ensured its consumers that it provided products that could purify water having different
kind of impurities and provide the consumer with complete protection from germs and
harmful chemicals.

Conviction
With the recent emergence of competition, EFL had tried to focus on its core competency i.e.
the wide customer base and has introduced more advanced water purifier as compared to
that provided by its competitors. EFL convinced its customers that Aquaguard was a need
for their family & other purifiers uses one or two purifying techniques, the Aquagurad range
of water purifiers have all of these which includes UV, uF, RO and e-boiling.

Action
The TV commercials flashed the Eureka Forbes distribution offices telephone numbers,
where customers could call and book home demonstrations.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY TARGET AUDIENCE

Primary Target Audience

1. The main target of EFL has been families with young children who are most prone to
waterborne diseases.
 2. Data States only 1% rural population has access to purified portable water, whereas
68% population lives in villages. So people living in rural areas are also main target
audience.
3. Hospitals, clinics, government and non-government bodies and health care agencies.
4. Industries which use mineral water in manufacturing their goods.

Secondary Target Audience

1. Small Children basically infants, teenagers who are Immature and incapable to have
a direct purchase.
2. People directly or indirectly using the manufactured products of industries which use
mineral water in their production system.
3. People going to hospitals, clinics, government and non-government bodies and
health care agencies.

Message Strategy
The message strategy is a foundation for your marketing. It consists of a positioning
statement and three support points. They address key target market problems by stating a
benefit; i.e. why the target market should care about your product. Your message strategy
makes it easier to deliver the same message across all marketing media. Consistent
execution of the same message is a critical factor in successful marketing

The positioning statement

 Eureka Forbes slogan is “Your Friend for Life” – This sends out the message of
durability and reliability of the company’s products and services. People’s
perception of EFL as their friend helped build trust in their minds for the brand.
 For Aquaguard it uses “Safe water: Every Indian’s Birthright’- They emphasized
the need of pure and safe water for all Indian households through this and also
focused on creating the need of their product.

Creative Execution
EFL has used the informational appeal to emphasize the importance of their product and the
need for it. Assuming consumer’s rationale for clean and safe drinking water and their high
involvement in the product it provided information on the water purifiers and the technology
used in each of their purifiers. Their slogan ‘Friend for life’ has a double message which
signifies long term customer relations and a friend to water which treats it nicely and makes
it safe. Besides rationale of the consumers, EFL has used emotional appeal in their
television advertisements. Most of their ads feature small children who are most vulnerable
to waterborne diseases. These ads question the use of tap water and carelessness when it
comes to the safety and growth of these children.

Message Source
EFL’s Aquasure featured TV actress Smriti Irani in its advertisements. Smriti, a popular TV
actress in Indian households and an icon among the houswives, formed an effective opinion
leader for the consumers. In the television commercials, she emphasized on the hidden
impurities in tap water and the need of purifying them for a healthy family. Also, she
elaborated on the advantages of Aquasure water purifier for middle class families.

Personal selling-
EFL has literally thousands of salesmen who do door-to-door selling and address customer’s
problems. They also offer discounts on direct selling thus providing an additional incentive to
the customer to opt for such a purchase. Eureka Forbes continues to be the best friend in an
Indian Household even after two decades and the sentiments have not changed.

Eureka Forbes – Friends to Society

 Aquaguard Water Right Child Bright Program which educated school students on
healthy living and built an army of young Aqua Ambassadors to spread the message
of water conservation.
 Eureka Forbes Institute of Environment engineered the Daily pollution watch on Star
News which is now aired on NDTV.
 EFL set up of various recreational Parks for the senior citizens.
 Installing free water purification systems in times of calamities – Mumbai floods,
2005, tsunami in Tamil Nadu, 2005 and Bhuj earthquake, 2001.
 Free PUC camps at petrol pumps all over India.
 Awareness programs and seminars on waterborne and respiratory diseases.
 Health check-ups were done during the Aquaguard RO Health Yatra across
residential colonies, market places, malls, parks and clubs as part of its social
awareness campaign.
 Also, personnel’s from Eureka Forbes participated in the Mumbai half marathon in
2005 to create awareness on saving water.
 Rainwater harvesting program to create citizen involvement in working out a solution
to the water crisis focusing it on Mumbai.

Success of marketing and communicating strategy

The company’s market strategy relied on consumers’ rationale and their need for safe and
drinking water. The problem of safe drinking water in most of the cities made it easier for
EFL to market their products. Their television advertisements met its objectives as they were
primarily targeted towards families. This created a mass appeal among the audience.
Eureka Forbes followed marketing system very different from those adopted by most
consumer product companies. It did not set up a dealer network to sell its products but it set
up a "Direct Sales”. Also, the direct selling ensured friendly salesman who provided all the
related information required by the consumer thus making their direct selling program a
success. Also, EFL’s CSR activities worked in their benefit and helped them further establish
their image strongly as the friends of the society as the company focused on relevant and
contemporary issues faced throughout the country. Also, EFL’s vision in the pollution
measurement and save water programs further enhanced the consumers’ trust in the
company. Aquaguard water purifier was a clear winner and it connected very well with the
concern of mothers about the purity of the water at home.