Água de beber, água de beber camará: uma análise do sistema de marketing da água a partir da perspectiva de macromarketing

Abstract

This thesis is aimed at studying the marketing system of water which is meant to be drunk, represented mainly by the modalities of tap water and bottled water. The main point of our thesis is that the aforementioned system is unbalanced and that bottled water consumption provokes social issues, both economic and environmental. In order to develop such proposition, we structured four objectives and carried out two empirical researches (qualitative and quantitative research). The first objective was to present how the Water Marketing System (SMA) works with water that is meant to be drunk. To achieve that, we described all the elements that form the SMA: entrances, agents, flows, activities, exits, context and other systems. We propose that the State is an agent with a special role and that Marketing is an academic field which can contribute to enhance the results in the system. Furthermore, we presented special elements that are central to harmonize the situations caused by unbalance: efficiency, stakeholder theory, distributive justice and sustainability. Moreover, we intended to understand the variables that influence in the consumer predisposition to replace bottled water for tap water (straight out of the tap or filtered). We developed a questionnaire for consumers all over Brazil, which was applied both face to face and online, out of which we have used a sample of 798 valid questionnaires. To manage statistical data, we applied multivariate regression techniques, Theil-Sen and quantile. That way, we found the following variables: “organoleptic characteristics”, “health risk” and “attitude towards tap water” influence in the likeability of replacement of tap water straight from the tap and “organoleptic characteristics”, “health risk”, “context indicators”, “attitude” and even “trust in government” influence when the intention is to replace and use treated water. In addition, we applied the analysis of variance and figured that, depending on the income of the consumer, there is variation in the predisposition to replace bottled water for tap water. Besides, we intend to present practices of incentive for the consumption of tap water developed by agents of SMA. We carried out the data collection through a documented research and interviews. We found that at least three different SMA agents (companies, NGO and State) encourage the consumption of tap water, developing actions that fit three theoretical frames: social marketing, consumer’s education and market regulation. Still, we note that the interviewed agents consider: that SMA is unbalanced, that information is key in the education process, that the bottled water companies intensify communication actions in order to promote bottled water as the best option for ingestion, amongst other findings. As a result of such steps, we conclude that there is a situation of unbalance in the SMA and that bottled water consumption generates a few problems. To sum up, we point to targets in support of the balance to be conducted by State and Marketing through the results we found, which led to a proposition of actions and target ideas for these two agents.