Brian Ford
Principles of Marketing
Kristin Brocklesby
April 13, 2008
Fiji Bottle Water This paper will incorporate my opinion of why customers buy Fiji Bottled Water. I will utilize the three levels of product including the core benefit, actual product and augmented product. Lastly, I will give my suggestions on which brand development strategies make the most sense for Fiji.
The Core Benefit When customers purchase Fiji water, they are buying more than just bottled water. They are enhancing their status. Fiji has become synonymous with success. The company’s marketing strategy is geared toward upscale customers, hotels and restaurants alike. Some people want to be a part of this new trend. Drinking water from the tap is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Many people want to have some type of bottled water, because it’s trendy. The more people are seen drinking Fiji water, the trendier it becomes regardless of the price. Even though the price is more than the average bottle of water, some people just want to be a part of the new and upcoming thing. The company is marketing upscale customers within the upper and upper middle classes. Even though working class customers are not being targeted they are purchasing Fiji water. They want to be perceived as being able to afford this pricey water. Back when Ex NBA star Michael Jordan was playing basketball, lots of kids wanted to wear his Michael Jordan tennis shoes. These shoes were very popular and expensive. People who could not afford the shoes coveted them. Parents would make financial sacrifices for their children even to the point of forsaking their bills. They wanted their kids to fit in with the other kids who could afford the shoes.
Actual Product The quality of Fiji bottled water is in its purity. The water is untouched by man. The only time that it is exposed to air is when you unscrew the top. This is amazing within itself. The water has a very soft