With the continuous improvement of living standards, people are also paying more and more attention to the hygiene and safety of household drinking water. As a result, water purifiers came into being and quickly became one of the most popular home appliances.
Major brands have launched water purifier products and vigorously advertised that it can provide clean and hygienic drinking water to families. Under the various brands, water purifiers are popular for a while and are welcomed by the majority of families.
Many families even ask visitors to drink water filtered by a water purifier because they believe it is the cleanest and most hygienic drinking water. For a time, the water purifier became the rising star of the home appliance market and stood on the altar of sales.
However, the water purifier has also exposed a lot of problems, and there is a gap between its "boastful" function and the actual effect, and it has gradually fallen off the altar. This article will analyze the various problems exposed behind the hot sales of water purifiers, and explore why water purifiers have fallen from the darling of the market to the present.
The core component of the water purifier is the filter element, which determines the filtration effect of the water purifier. However, what has long plagued users is that there are different standards for when it is time to replace the filter element.
At present, the water purifier mainly judges the replacement time through two ways: one is the use time, such as setting to replace it every 6 months; The second is through the water output, when the accumulated filtered water reaches a certain value, it will prompt replacement.
However, there are problems with both ways. The time standard does not take into account differences in the frequency of use, and the water output standard does not take into account differences in water quality. The loss of the filter element at the same time or the amount of water produced is different.
Some users may only filter a few glasses of water a day, and the filter cartridge will still be as good as new after 6 months of use; In areas with poor water quality, a small amount of water can cause serious depletion of the filter.
Fixed time or water output standards do not accurately reflect the actual wear and tear of the filter element. The ideal way to determine this is by testing the filtered water quality, but frequent testing is too cumbersome for the user.
Faced with this dilemma, manufacturers often choose a time standard in order to sell more filters, using the excuse of replacing the filters every six months as an excuse to sell the filters. However, users are faced with frequent prompt replacements, which can lead to higher costs and uncertainty as to whether a new filter is really necessary.
Accurately judging the timing of filter element replacement is still a technical problem, and the design of water purifier products needs to be further optimized.
Another problem that is often criticized is that the price of water purifier filter elements is high, which increases the cost of use for users. At present, the water purifier filter element can be divided into three categories: first, the special customized filter element, which can only be purchased from the filter element specified by a certain brand, which has no versatility and high price; The second is the integrated composite filter element, which can only match a specific brand and is more expensive; The third is the standard quick-connect filter element, 10-inch specification, strong versatility, and relatively reasonable price.
For the first type of special filter element, some brands deliberately make the filter element unusable through patented technology, forcing users to repeatedly purchase the original filter element, which undoubtedly increases the economic burden of users.
Type 2 composite filters are multi-functional, but the complex manufacturing process leads to high prices. The third type of standard filter element is reasonably priced, but the inferior filter element is uneven, and the price of high-quality filter elements is also depressed.
It can be seen that no matter what type of filter element, the price is not easy and affordable for users. Repeated replacement of filter elements virtually increases the cost of water purifiers and seriously affects the audience of the product.
If the cost of the filter element cannot be reduced technically, it will be difficult for the water purifier to be truly popularized to thousands of households, and it can only become a niche product.
While water purifiers provide clean drinking water to households, they also produce a large amount of wastewater. Many water purifiers have a wastewater ratio as high as 1:2, which means that half of the water is wasted and discharged as wastewater.
The discharge of a large amount of wastewater not only wastes water resources, but also pollutes the environment. The problem for users is how to properly dispose of this wastewater. Direct discharge into the sewer increases the load on the network; Collecting and reusing it adds to the workload; There are potential safety hazards when discharged into the water network.
There is no easy and reliable solution for wastewater treatment. In order to pursue the water purification effect of products, some brands do not take into account the problem of wastewater recycling when designing, resulting in a large amount of wastewater that is difficult to treat.
This undoubtedly increases the user's worries. Proper product design should not ignore one indicator for the sake of another, not only to ensure the cleanliness of drinking water, but also to take into account the reuse of wastewater, to achieve sustainable green design, rather than passing the problem on to the user.
How to reduce the proportion of wastewater in water purifiers and realize the ready-to-use disposal of wastewater is an urgent problem to be solved in water purifier products.
Another common problem in the water purifier industry is the false advertising of products. In order to attract attention, some brands boast about the features and effects of their products in advertisements, but no evidence is available.
For example, it claims that the product can soften blood vessels, detoxify and nourish the skin, or that the filtration system can remove all pesticide residues. However, there is a lack of scientific evidence and proof of the efficacy of these so-called products.
There is a huge gap between what users see and how effective the product is. Once this kind of false propaganda is recognized, it will not only damage the brand's goodwill, but also lead to consumer distrust of the industry as a whole.
Some brands have been named, criticized and punished by the industrial and commercial department for false publicity. It can be seen that false propaganda is not only useless, but also causes damage to the development of the enterprise itself and the entire industry.
In order to win the trust of consumers, water purifier products must return to the product itself and truthfully advertise its filtration function and effect, rather than fabricating exaggerated functions to confuse consumers.
Only by insisting on honest marketing can we gain the recognition and support of consumers. Otherwise, the consumption heat obtained by false propaganda will eventually be mispriced.
The core function of a water purifier is to filter water quality and make tap water cleaner and more hygienic. But some brands are also suspected of exaggerating when advertising filtration systems.
For example, the advertised product has a multi-stage filtration system, but compared with the actual material of the filter element, most of them still use basic PP cotton and activated carbon to intercept contaminants.
PP cotton can filter large particles of impurities, and activated carbon can adsorb odor molecules, which has realized the basic function of a water purifier. A small number of high-end products may employ technologies such as more sophisticated ultrafiltration membranes to achieve deep purification, but this is not a common situation across the industry.
But some brands still attract consumers' attention by boasting about multi-stage filtration systems. In the face of complex technical parameters, it is difficult for users to distinguish between virtual and real, and there is a certain distance between the filtering effect of the actual product and the publicity.
If the actual materials and processes of the product do not support multi-stage filtration, it should not be marketed in a way that misleads consumers. The hype of filtration systems is not conducive to the long-term development of the industry.
There is also a prominent problem in the water purifier industry, that is, there are too many inferior products, which also seriously affects the user's perception of the entire industry. Some brands break into the market by cutting costs, cutting corners, and dumping products at low prices.
However, these low-quality products that quickly access the market often have various problems and cannot achieve normal filtration results and product life. After purchasing and using the product, users found that the product did not meet their expectations at all, and there was a distrust of the entire water purifier industry.
A bad product and a bad user experience are enough to make users lose interest in a category. At the same time, these inferior products will also squeeze the market space through low-price competition, making it difficult for real high-quality brands to enter the user's field of vision.
It can be said that the proliferation of inferior products not only damages the reputation of the industry, but also hinders the growth of quality brands. To get rid of this dilemma, the entire industry should pay attention to the quality control of products to prevent inferior products from entering the market; Brands should also earn the trust of users and let them understand what makes a really good product.
Only by improving the quality of products and brands can we rebuild user confidence.
In the face of various shortcomings in the water purifier industry, as consumers, we also need to look at this industry calmly and rationally. It is true that water purifiers can provide cleaner drinking water through filtration.
But under the effect of capital and marketing, it is also deliberately touted and rendered. In fact, the water quality of tap water in mainland cities is already quite good, and it can be drunk directly after a simple boil.
There is no need for unnecessary fear and anxiety due to marketing exaggerations. We should rationally look at the safety of tap water, and also look at the functional limitations of water purifiers.
Capital can create a new consumption boom, but after the boom has subsided, rational analysis is king. Similarly, in the face of all kinds of false propaganda, we must also maintain independent thinking and not believe exaggerated advertisements.
Only by consuming responsibly can we avoid unnecessary waste and enhance self-protection. This is not only true for water purifiers, but also should be our basic attitude when facing various emerging products and advertisements.
Staying rational is the key to smart consumption.
Looking back on the development process of the water purifier industry, we can clearly see that the root of all kinds of problems lies in the excessive marketing of the brand. Blindly relying on false propaganda to exaggerate the effect of products, blindly relying on low-cost and inferior products to quickly open up the market, these seemingly clever marketing methods will only lay the root cause in the long run.
They not only disrupt the market order, but also are not conducive to the sustainable and healthy development of the entire industry. If brands can promote their products with integrity from the beginning, they can insist on providing high-quality products, maybe the reputation of water purifiers will not be so worrying.
The short-term growth gained by over-marketing will inevitably come at the cost of loss of market reputation and brand trust. In the future, the entire industry should reflect on the harm of over-marketing, return to the product itself, and win the trust of consumers through sincere quality, rather than relying on marketing methods to revoke.
Only in this way can the emerging industry embark on the road of benign development and avoid repeating the painful lessons of the water purifier industry.
The development process of the water purifier industry is full of warning significance, and it has also sounded the alarm for other emerging industries. For an industry to gain a firm foothold, it cannot rely on false propaganda and inferior products to quickly open up the market; We can't blindly pursue sales, but pursue product quality and brand reputation; It is not about short-term interests, but about long-term development.
The various problems existing in the water purifier industry should become a negative teaching material for other emerging industries. Emerging industries should return to the true value of products and services, insist on quality to drive brands, and gain consumers' trust through sincere content marketing.
Near-term rapid growth cannot be the goal, only long-term sustainability is king. All emerging enterprises and the entire industry should learn the painful lessons of the water purifier industry, find out their own blind spots and biases, and optimize products and services in time to avoid entering a similar dilemma.
Only by making high-quality products and operating with integrity, can emerging industries and brands go long-term.
Water purifiers were once touted to heaven
I remember when I was a child, drinking water was not a special concern for everyone. Every household in the residential building had tap water that could be drunk directly, and at that time I had never heard of such a topic as "drinking water pollution".
The water from the village well and the stream in the river can be drunk with confidence as long as it is boiled and disinfected. At that time, the drinking Xi was very natural and simple, and there were not too many worries.
With the passage of time, people's living conditions have gradually improved, and everyone has begun to pay attention to the details of life. The health and safety of drinking water has gradually attracted the attention of all sectors of society.
At the same time, some water purifier manufacturers have also smelled business opportunities and have launched water purifier products. They advertise water purifiers in a big way, saying they can filter out pollution and provide healthier drinking water.
Slogans such as "clean water and healthy life" and "keep family members away from diseases" have emerged one after another, echoing people's yearning and longing for a better life.
Under this touted marketing, many families do believe in the "magical" effect of water purifiers and regard them as essential appliances to improve the quality of life. Some people also regard water purifiers as a symbol of healthy fashion and taste.
During this period, water purifiers quickly entered the field of vision of many people and were touted to the forefront. It seems to have become one of the most "hot" home appliances at the moment, and it has the pride of the sky.
The problem of exposure is gradually lost during use
However, when the water purifier really entered thousands of households, consumers gradually found some problems in the process of use, which made the "altar" of the water purifier begin to crack.
The first is filter replacement. Many water purifiers have set up a filter element replacement cycle, such as 6 months, which will automatically remind you that you need to change the element. But in reality, the appropriate time to replace the filter should be judged based on the quality of the water and the amount of water used.
The fixed replacement cycle is not only unscientific, but also often replaces the filter element that can be used in advance, increasing the economic burden of users. What's worse is that the filter element of some water purifiers adopts a closed design, and the actual situation of the filter element cannot be checked, so it can only be blindly replaced according to the equipment prompts, which is easy to be overcharged by the manufacturer for the frequency of replacement.
According to incomplete statistics, the price of the filter element is usually more than a few hundred yuan, and frequent replacement is undoubtedly burning money.
In addition to the problem of the filter element, the ratio of water output to waste water of the water purifier is also a headache. For example, a 2:1 configuration means that for every 2 cups of water filtered, 1 cup of wastewater will be discharged.
If this part of wastewater is not used rationally, long-term accumulation will cause great waste of resources and environmental pressure. However, the reuse of wastewater also requires additional equipment modification and maintenance, which increases the cost of use.
In addition, some unstable manufacturers also use false propaganda to coat water purifiers with various efficacy. For example, it is simply impossible to advertise that medical wastewater can be filtered, pesticides, etc.
The filtration effect is also often exaggerated several times over. This will undoubtedly mislead users into creating unrealistic expectations.
All kinds of problems were gradually exposed, and after all, cracks appeared in the "altar" of the water purifier. It has clearly lost its initial market popularity.
Inferior products are rampant, and users' confidence in the entire industry is in crisis
At the same time as the rapid expansion of the water purifier industry, inferior products have also sprung up. Some small workshops take advantage of the user's blind dependence on the function of the water purifier to produce a large number of water purifiers of uneven quality.
The appearance of these water purifiers can imitate well-known brands, but the quality of the core filter element is worrying. Many users find that the water purification effect is not good, the water output is small, the filtration is slow, and there are often failures.
The proliferation of such inferior water purifiers has seriously damaged the user's consumption experience, and has also made more and more people lose confidence in the entire water purifier industry. Comments began to appear in the user group that "this thing is a lie" and "it is better to waste money on this than to continue drinking tap water".
Some users have returned multiple water purifiers because of quality problems after purchasing multiple water purifiers, and have since angrily boycotted such products.
In the case of increased doubts and disgust of users, even those manufacturers who are indeed developing and producing high-quality water purifiers have gradually lost the market. Because consumers have already tacitly assumed that all water purifiers are not trustworthy.
Poor quality products have caused the credibility of the entire industry to plummet. Companies that are honest in their original intention to provide good products will eventually be suspicious.
The water purifier was once blown into the sky, but now it has fallen to the bottom. Behind this crisis of confidence, the spread of inferior products is an indisputable fact. But we also need to reflect on how much responsibility manufacturers should bear in such a situation.
The public reflects on the necessity of water purifiers
After the frequent exposure of water purifier problems, many members of the public began to reflect on the necessity of such products.
First, the tap water supplied by the mainland's big cities is of good quality and can be directly drunk. The residual chlorine contained in tap water can be removed by boiling, and the residual trace chlorine does not cause substantial health effects.
However, the mainland's tap water sources mainly come from regulated groundwater and treated surface water, and the water quality index has a certain guarantee. Unless there are special circumstances, there is no need to worry too much about the normal supply of tap water.
Second, even if a water purifier is used, there are limitations to its effect on tap water. Because the general water purifier only integrates simple physical filter materials such as activated carbon, PP cotton, etc., it cannot remove all the components in the tap water.
The safety provided by the water purifier is not higher than that of a regulated waterworks. For residents in areas with water quality, the additional value of using water purifiers is limited.
The third point is that companies deliberately create anxiety and uneasiness among users through exaggerated publicity. A large number of advertising slogans emphasizing that "water pollution threatens health" to promote products can be described as misleading and untrue.
Although trace impurities in general tap water exist, they are not very harmful, and there is no need to be anxious due to gimmick-style propaganda.
In the end, this kind of marketing method that relies on exaggeration and spreading panic ultimately backfires and reduces the public's trust in the industry and buries the hidden dangers of the development of water purifier enterprises.
If you insist on honest and standardized marketing from the beginning, the company may be more durable.
To sum up, for the necessity of water purifiers, we also need to remain sober and rational enough, and not be led astray by capital marketing.
Maintain reasonable consumption and rationally purchase products
In view of the current problems in the field of water purifiers, as consumers, we should also reflect on our own purchasing behavior and consume rationally.
First of all, we should be wary of exaggerated marketing by merchants, and don't be anxious because of inducing advertising slogans. Many of the claims imply that consumers are already facing a "health threat", which in itself is questionable.
We need to think independently and not believe in exaggerated advertisements.
Secondly, when buying any product, we must start from our own actual needs and make rational judgments. In reality, tap water in most areas can be drunk directly, and there is no need to buy water purification equipment that may not have much effect because of gimmicks.
After rational analysis, make a careful purchase decision.
Finally, we should also pay attention to avoid being "generated" by capital marketing to generate unnecessary consumer demand. Many new home appliances are marketed by creating anxiety, but in fact, the existing lifestyle can also meet our needs very well.
We should avoid this kind of passive consumption and truly rationalize consumption.
As consumers, we shouldn't just follow the crowd because of what businesses say. Rational consumption and independent thinking are the basic qualities we should have. Only in this way can we promote the healthy development of the industry.
Looking forward to the industry, win trust through quality improvement, and rebuild healthy development
Looking forward to the future of the water purifier industry, we expect companies to learn from the current pain points, rebuild public trust by improving product quality and service, and promote the healthy development of the industry.
First of all, enterprises should truly develop and innovate and launch high-quality products that are of practical help to users. This requires not only to work appearance, but also to improve the performance of core components through technological breakthroughs, such as the filtration accuracy and life of the filter element.
Only by providing high-quality products can we regain recognition.
Secondly, enterprises should also adhere to the integrity of marketing, no longer use exaggerated advertising methods. Consumers should be informed of the true features and limitations of the product openly and transparently, and users should not be given false expectations.
This avoids undermining the credibility of the business.
While providing high-quality products, companies should also pay close attention to user feelings, fully listen to consumers, and constantly optimize products and services to meet real needs.
Customer satisfaction can become the starting point and foothold of enterprise marketing.
Finally, as industry leaders, enterprises should also take the responsibility of actively guiding consumers to buy rationally. Touting propaganda can be appropriately reduced, and more rational analysis can be used to help consumers identify product functions and make correct choices.
It is believed that as long as the water purifier companies can implement the above methods, they will be able to re-establish the trust of the market and the public, come out of the current credit crisis, and regain the pace of healthy and rapid development.
This will also drive progress and innovation across the industry.