Water water everywhere, nor any drop to bathe...

When it comes to bathroom habits, there are many that we, quite rightly, keep to ourselves. But there are some habits that we do need to talk about… especially when it comes to water efficiency.

Having worked with a range of excellent PR and marketing clients in the bathroom sector over the last two decades – from Bristan and its sister brand Heritage Bathrooms to Wolseley and Snug Underfloor Heating – we are well aware of the marketing challenges this industry faces. 

Following the excellent Bathroom Manufacturing Association (BMA)’s recent Insights Live event in Nottingham, it is apparent that water efficiency has reached the top of the list when it comes to issues that both bathroom businesses and consumers alike need to tap into.

Whilst manufacturers have been developing a series of water-efficient product ranges for a few years now, there is a clear need for the sector to plug the gap in consumer knowledge around the huge and growing issue of water scarcity facing the UK.

Despite what seems to be endless months of rain (or that might just be us in the West Midlands…), the truth of the matter is that the UK, and the East of England in particular, is facing huge water pressures. Add to that the plans for large-scale housing development in these areas, plus the growing UK population in general, and it is easy to see why the levels of concern are rising.

A 2024 blog from the Environment Agency entitled Meeting our Water Needs for the Next 25 Years calculates that we will need an additional 5 billion litres of water a day by 2050 – on top of the water we already use.

Yet very few consumers seem to be aware of this.

Tapping into consumer demand

The truth of the matter is that consumer knowledge of and demand for water-efficient products is critical, even for manufacturing businesses that don’t sell direct to consumers.

Recent BMA research suggests that as few as 22% of installers regularly recommend water-efficient products to their customers. Many cite the reason for this as being that there is just not the customer demand for them.

But let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater just yet… There is much that is and can be done, from consumer awareness campaigns to government support for water efficiency regulation.

Plugging into behavioural science for effective marketing

Making a splash with an educational campaign aimed at both B2B and B2C audiences could be a great starting point.

Our approach to behavioural science-led marketing has proven extremely effective in helping nudge people to change their behaviour.

At Leopard Co, we’ve developed a creative marketing framework rooted in behavioural science that we call CATERS. This is essentially a refined version of the widely lauded EAST (Easy, Attractive, Social, Timely) framework, with the added elements of Contextual and Relative. 

When combined with our Leopard Co ROAR (Research, Opportunity, Activation, Results) methodology, we look to ensure that every element of the marketing activity we create is backed by psychological principles that drive real behavioural change.

There is a raft of positive examples from the net zero sector that we can learn from, including the huge rise in sales of electric vehicles (EVs), solar panels and, more recently, air source heat pumps (ASHP).

In many of these cases, however, cost often tops the list of motivating factors for consumers purchases. That doesn't necessarily mean the products need to be cheaper for people to buy them, but highlighting savings in future bills, for example, has certainly proved effective in the sales of solar panels.

Government support through schemes such as the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), where consumers can claim £7,500 towards the installation of a home heat pump have also helped influence the adoption of this technology. When it comes to the uptake of EVs, the ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) mandate from government, which sets out the percentage of new zero emission vehicles that manufacturers will be required to produce each year, has also had an important influence on the range and options of EVs on the market. It has also meant that EVs have become normalised, with many more on our roads.

Although cost is king, the environmental benefits gained from purchasing products that help address environmental concerns such as water scarcity, remain important, as they are key in helping the consumer feel good about their purchase. Highlighting environmental benefits can also help play into the consumer’s sense of self as a responsible citizen who cares about the environment.

More detailed insight on the science behind behaviour change is available in our recent blog – What are the principles of behaviour change?