So Now developed an inclusive marketing strategy for Vidare in 2013, a company that remediates both our need for safe drinking water and our need for sustainable development.
In 2017, 2.2 billion people did not have access to safely managed drinking-water services, meaning water services that are accessible on-premises, available when needed, and free from contamination. In fact, it is estimated that with current climate change, population growth and water consumption trends, half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas by 2025.
On the other hand, factories producing bottled water are usually far from sustainable. It is common to extract groundwater that would otherwise be used by, for instance, agriculture by local farmers.
In Hyderabad, India and in close collaboration with the local elders and decision-makers, Vidare commissioned the build of a water factory. Because of this approach, rather than draining the entirety of groundwater, they thereby ensured a balanced use of resources.
So Now’s responsibility was to craft a narrative for the production of bottled water. The initial thoughts were to advertise Vidare as a Dutch water brand, hence capitalizing on the quality of Dutch drinking water. However, So Now believed it would be more effective to promote drinking water “by Hyderabad, for Hyderabad” and place emphasis on the local context of the production.
Together with a local university, So Now and Vidare developed the following strategy:
‘Talk to Me’
Water bottles would only be sold within the area surrounding the factory, based on the carbon footprint of the logistics. The labels on the water bottles would be manufactured from easily biodegradable materials. As people bought the water, they could stick the labels onto any location in their community or surrounding the factory that needed repair, whether that was a broken street lamp, a piece of land that was used as a landfill, or a part of the forest that had to be rejuvenated. In return, once a certain number of labels were attached, the company would invest in fixing the broken object the community had designated based on a fixed % of its profits.
This way, Vidare could achieve three goals: give access to safe drinking water, adopt environmentally friendly practices, and integrate the local community in their path towards sustainable development.