Social Listening in Marketing--PUR
Social Listening in Marketing
I selected the PUR water filter/system to review since I currently
have a PUR pitcher filter to filter my well water. I am pleased with it and wanted to know what other PUR customers thought. I used Brita for about two
years; however, it seemed to have an aftertaste that I didn’t care for, so I
switched to a PUR faucet system first. There wasn’t an aftertaste, in fact, no
taste at all, which I liked. I liked the blinking light to let me know when to
change the filter, and at the time, my local recycling site took the filters.
The system never leaked, as some customers noted on Twitter. After a couple of
years, I changed my faucet to the high-rise single with the hose attached, so I
switched to the PUR pitcher. I have been happy with the PUR pitcher; it
provides clean-tasting water with an indicator light when the filter needs to
be changed.
PUR’s website was
what one would typically expect,
The value proposition comes from ‘Why PUR’ when you click on
the drop-down ‘Learn’ on their homepage website. Branding by providing safe drinking water, removing more contaminants than Brita.
Why PUR?
According to their homepage, they have longevity in the filter business—being in the filtration
business for over 30 years. Innovation in survival for the first hand-operated Desalinator,
the first faucet filtration system with an Automatic Safety Monitor gauge when
contaminants are no longer being removed. First, to obtain certification from NSF,
a new category of contaminants includes substances like DEET and pharmaceuticals.
Then, PUR showed they cared about providing clean water by traveling to Flint, Michigan,
with aid and donating filters.
Their value proposition would be innovation and a leader in providing
a resource for clean water with fewer contaminants.
From their homepage, I clicked the Twitter link:
The three most common complaints about the PUR filter
system/filter:
·
Broken leaking faucet system
·
PUR filters recycling issues
· Moist filters, when taken from a sealed package
The first complaint on the list and the most frequent one is
of a broken leaking faucet system.
Tweets came From Dallas Emerson, Don Orlofsky, Ted Ridgeway,
and Kevin Mahon.
PUR responded with the same answer regardless of the issue, send them a DM or a PM. Responding with possible solutions to assist others with similar problems, and end the tweet with--and of course, we are always here to solve any issues you may have. Finish the tweet with the DM or PM statement.
The second most popular concern/complaint is PUR filters are
not recyclable. Beth, Herber, and Alicia Batson. Once again, all PUR responses
were to send them a DM or PM, so not helpful.
The third complaint/concern is about filters being damp out
of the package. Amy Lynn Stewart tweeted about the wet filter already being
used. PUR’s response explained, assured the customer the filter was good to use,
and offered to contact them with other questions with PM.
This response reassured her that the product was unused and
safe—an appropriate response on PUR’s part. I have experienced this; however,
the amount was so small I felt it could have been condensation in shipping from
Texas.
A fourth concern/ complaint occasionally was water filters out of
stock, but I have never experienced that issue. I have always purchased
replacement filters from Target or the PUR website, and they have always seemed
to have plenty to ship right away.
The PUR Twitter page rotated between a helpful hints such as,
“Remember to stay hydrated with PUR water this summer! And then an advertisement
piece would appear, sometimes offering discounts or new colors. Again, not inspiring
to me; it just seemed like more advertising in my face. I think a better use
would have been to address some of the issues individuals were tweeting. For
example, letting people know they were paying attention and serious about
correcting or solving issues before they became a problem.
Some complaints/concerns were answered the same day, and
some not until the next day. The most frequent response was for the customer to
send a DM, direct message, a PM, a private message with their concerns/complaints
to PUR. This would be an unsatisfactory response; not only would I feel as though
they were trying to blow me off, but also hoping I would drop it and go away. If
they would give some possible “try this” suggestions or “did you check to ensure
the right faucet adapter was used? Or the other common problem I found myself
with this type of filter system was that the filter was inserted in the wrong direction
or didn’t sit properly within the housing. I know from my own experience that
if I had an issue, I would look for other tweets where people had experienced
the same issue and how the company responded. And if those suggestions did not
solve the problem, then, of course, “please feel free to contact us.” Not only
would this give the person a sense that PUR was concerned and trying to solve
the issue, and if not, it let the customer know communication was still welcomed.
Also, by asking the person to reach out to them in PM, it seems they don’t want
the customer to air their concern on social media. Many of the same or similar
complaints would not have been repeated if an explanation had been offered or a
link directing customers to their homepage website for answers.
The recyclable issue could quickly be taken care of by a
brief print on the packaging to contact the local recycling center regarding a
location that did recycle the filters. I have a six-pack PUR filter box that
doesn’t refer customers to their website for tips or suggestions. Although it
does have a side panel on how to replace the filter, the print could be easily
added to direct customers to their website for additional information and tips.
E How https://www.ehow.com/how_8189876_recycle-pur-filters.html
offered recycling tips for PUR and Brita filters; one was with Whole Foods, and
another was to contact the company for free shipping labels with 5 lbs. of recyclable
filters. However, PUR did discontinue this offer. Also, visit the Earth 911
website for a search engine of recyclable sites around the country.
The wet filter in the packaging could quickly be resolved by
putting something on the box with an ATTENTION or something similar to let
people know before they open the package.
As a consumer, I read everything on the outside packaging before buying, and I often keep the box or outer packaging until the
product is used. PUR's external packaging could be used more effectively to promote customer awareness.
PUR filters also are on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UKBfQw7Ci0
with a how to install a faucet system video, easy-to-follow instructions, how
to change the faucet aerator, and how to fit the filter properly into the
housing.
I did not show comments from Facebook since PUR has a similar
Facebook page as on Twitter. https://www.facebook.com/pg/PUR/community/?ref=page_internal
Very similar comments as well, leaky faucet system, recycling issues, and a few
comments about not finding filters on Amazon. Nothing notably different from
Twitter. PUR does have 105K followers with 113K likes on Facebook.
PUR filters are sold on Amazon, Walmart, Target, and many other stores listed on Google. PUR's Blog https://www.pur.com/blog is much the same as their webpage; nothing new; if you review the webpage viewing the blog would be a waste of time, in my opinion. PUR is on Pinterest, https://www.pinterest.com/HomeOnTheRoad/pur-water-filtration/, Home On The Road, and other filtration systems and filters. PUR has brand recognition due to its longevity as an industry business. Offering different colors for their pitchers is great advertising since many individuals like to add a pop of color to their kitchen. In addition, adding color will not detract from their brand recognition since the word PUR is recognized through the drinking water industry; they don't need to rely on a particular color for brand recognition.
PUR is not using social media to its fullest or even
partially to what they could be doing to promote their brand further. As the
brand manager, I would want all tweets to be responded to within 6 hours or
sooner with ideas for solving the issue. The responses should be individualized
and not cookie cutter responses as PURs seemed to be. One answer fits all
seemed to be their response motto.
I would do a short, two to three sentences of something of
interest each day about the PUR company and encourage customers to respond. Again,
to come across as a person-to-person communication instead of the big corporate
advertising focus.
I learned that the social media site can have a negative
impact by appearing as a big corporation, 'we just want to sell our product; we don’t have the time to give you an actual solution to your problem.’ As a PUR manager, I would work to have a YES; we care about our
product and are proud of it, but foremost we care about our customers and their health. I think PUR shows
some of this attitude on their homepage but very little on social media other than saying, 'we are sorry for your inconvenience; send us a DM.'
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