Anja Mensing

Anja Mensing is a master student of International Marketing and Sales at the University of Applied Sciences in Münster, Germany. Prior to her current studies, she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a focus on European economies.

In her master thesis, Anja will reveal product preferences for smart hydration bottles on the German market, using Choice-Based-Conjoint Analysis. The main goal of the study is to examine the overall product acceptance of this product, considering demographic, socio-economic, psychographic and behavioral criteria.

The German market of hydration bottles is characterized by intense competition on the one hand and sophisticated consumers on the other hand. The result is a fragmented market with ever-more demanding consumers constantly seeking better remedies for their day-to-day challenges. The market for mobile drinking solutions is a particularly promising segment as consumers increasingly express a desire to pursue a healthy lifestyle that includes both a waiver of disposable plastic and a healthy and balanced diet. Current trend studies and a closer examination of (notably international) competitors show that smart drinking solutions are on the rise. These include smart bottles that measure and analyze the drinking habits of consumers. In order to ensure the acceptance of a smart hydration bottle on the German market, various concepts for a smart hydration bottle with a drinking reminder function will be tested and evaluated.

Results

The study revealed that potential customers of smart hydration bottles with a drinking reminder function in Germany are mainly mid-aged women who pay attention to their own health, but are aware of the issue that they are drinking too less or that they forget about it. The choice-based-conjoint analysis showed that a smart hydration bottle, which is considered a high-involvement product, is mainly evaluated by its drinking reminder function and how it communicates with its users. Other hydration bottle attributes, such as the material, are also of high importance for the choice of a bottle alternative and the overall product acceptance. It was additionally found out that the extent of the product involvement has an impact on the purchase intent of the same product.