Aligning brands with water issues

With growing international concern about water pollution and water scarcity, it seems a no-brainer that brands should want to make statements about water, particularly in a brand environment in which companies’ political stances on issues are in the spotlight.

Water issues are very much in the public eye since:

• one in five children in the developing world lack access to safe water;

• 2.6b people have no access to basic sanitation ;

• the construction and maintenance of water systems is challenging in many areas due to a lack of local expertise and oftentimes a lack of finance; and

• declining water quality is a global issue because of population growth, and increasing agricultural and industrial activity, among other issues.

However, while the evidence is overwhelming that this is an issue that should be a concern for all, making a statement that a brand is concerned about water issues may place the spotlight on that company. Companies involved with such an important issue would have to assure themselves that they have the best water use and management policies in place.

Firms would have to ensure that they do not overuse resources, that they recycle and that they do not pollute. In addition, they might have to consider the lifecycle of their products, including packaging and the chemicals contained in products, including personal care products and pharmaceuticals.

Deborah Spicer writes for the trend-mapping futurist blog, Spicy Trends. To subscribe to a newsletter on trends in society and, specifically, in marketing, mail deborah@spicytrends.co.za.