Mythical Seltzer Water
I recently came across these very interesting Polar Seltzer water flavors. I thought this was a great example of competitive advantage gained through marketing. Seltzer water is a low involvement product meaning that customers don't do research on the product or spend a lot of time shopping for "the best seltzer water". Instead, they rely on brand familiarity (past purchases), price, and maybe, recommendations from friends and family. This means that in order to get customers to try their product, Polar has to create a unique, attention grabbing marketing strategy that will convince customers to try something new. The following photo shows how Polar has done just that.
They have created mythical creature themed drinks with colorful, engaging packaging that draws in potential customers. The box doesn't even say the actual flavor of the drink, but instead labels it "unicorn kisses", "yeti mischief", or "mermaid song." The adds an element of mystery to the product and leaves the customer wondering "what in the word does unicorn kisses taste like?", which motivates them to try the drink.
Even the can itself is adorned with colorful, themed decorations. The mythical flavors have the slogan "impossibly good", which is catchy, connects to the mythical theme, and lets customers know how delicious the drink is. The junior sized cans and fun packaging also make this product great for kids. Parents who want to give their children a healthy alternative to soda can entice their little ones with these unique designs and names.
Each box even has its own "origin story" on the back about how each flavor was created. This is aesthetically appealing and adds a deeper meaning to something as simple as purchasing a drink at the grocery store. I think this was a really creative, innovative, and effective campaign created by Polar. I personally hate seltzer water, but I actually like unicorn kisses, so they are doing something right.
Do you guys think this is an effective campaign for this product?
Hi Emelia,
ReplyDeleteI love the fact that water is being made to look more attractive. I think sparkling water is increasingly becoming a competitive market as people start to avoid drinking soda due to the bad press and soda tax.
I feel that this marketing strategy is a good example of product extension as it was likely that many of these flavours pre-existed but were poorly sold due lack of product awareness. I also think that other water producers such as LaCroix and Bubly have improved their packaging and range of flavours to attract more millennials and furthermore they have started to use social media and influencers to promote the products which will improve brand awareness. My only worry is that this packaging may be targeting Gen Z rather than millennials and their purchasing power is low at present hence sales may not rise.
Your post reminded me a lot of the Wide Awake Coffee story. Coffee drinkers may be a bit more loyal to a specific brand than seltzer drinkers but the overlapping theme between the two is stiff competition in the market. With so many alternatives to choose from, companies need to have a product that jumps off the shelf visually to its consumers. Polar does just that with these boxes (which I have actually never seen before) and the unique descriptions. Definitely a unique branding that sets this product line apart from other seltzer brands and would catch your eye as you're walking down the aisle in the grocery store. I wonder if this has done harm to Polar's other lines of seltzer waters?
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