Brita Products Co. asked us to help them counteract the growing competition in the water filtration market and increasing sales of bottled water. We developed a public relations strategy that would set Brita apart from its competitors.
The program strategy capitalized on the fact that Brita retains fluoride in tap water that is recommended by dental professionals, whereas most bottled water brands do not. We developed a two-pronged approach including a direct to consumer educational program and a mass media program. We identified the dental health influentials of two highly respected organizations, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry for use in the educational program and the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) for the mass media program.
The primary goals of the education program were to reach ADHA members about Brita, motivate them to recommend Brita to their patients and distribute Brita information and rebates.
We worked hard with the AAPD to create a press release endorsed by the organization, which supported use of filtration pitches as a solution for keeping fluoride in tap water. In addition, we secured a member of the AAPD, to act as a spokesperson and provide direct product endorsement. Our media program targeted Brita markets where fluoridation or the lack of fluoride in bottled water was as issue.
Dental hygienists in three target markets were prepared to use the educational kit. Our spokesperson appeared on 26 television shows nationwide and the fluoride discussion reached 290 radio shows nationwide.
