For decades the “at home” water filtration category had been owned by two brands, Brita and PUR who both use a generic 2-stage filter. CEO and visionary, Doug Kellam was convinced the public would want elevated water filtration…if they understood it better.
Challenge
How to convince audience members that ZeroWater’s 5-stage filtration pitcher clearly outperformed the leading brands’ 2-stage filters
Entering a crowded market is one thing. Upsetting an industry giant is quite another. ZeroWater® CEO, Doug Kellam knew he had a superior product. He just needed something demonstrable to convince consumers that they would not only taste the difference, but that they could see it as well.
Solution
Aha!
No one knows your business better than you, which is why we are excellent listeners. One evening while sitting with our production partner Kenny Taht, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of the GoCo, and ZeroWater® CEO, Doug Kellam, Doug casually shared an experiment he’d conducted; he poured a glass of wine into the ZeroWater® pitcher and it came out clear! Further, the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) meter measured all zeros. Kenny and I shared an instantaneous ‘aha moment’ and proceeded to develop the concept that made ZeroWater® formidable competition to the previous category leaders.
We took a pitcher of clear water, added some wine to it, then poured the water into both a Brita pitcher and the ZeroWater® pitcher. Like magic, the water in the ZeroWater® pitcher was crystal clear and read all zeros on the TDS meter. The Brita pitcher water was pink and measured over 139 on the TDS meter, clearly showing the dominance of the 5-stage ZeroWater® filter over Brita’s generic 2-stage filter.
Benefit & Results
Turning Wine Into Water
Because collaboration is part of our ecosystem for success, we were able to glean information that may never have surfaced. Doug’s experiment, and our ability to replicate it for TV audiences, allowed ZeroWater’s breakthrough, and ultimately enabled us to test the product at Target stores.
We asked Doug if they could work on creating a pitcher that turns water into wine. No word yet on that, but we guarantee you’ll be among the first to know when they figure it out!
Retailing Explosion
Today, ZeroWater® is in nearly every major retailer including Walmart, Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and Home Depot, unseating PUR as the number two brand in the category.
