Culligan Brand Positioning
Repositioning a legacy brand for a younger crowd
Context
Culligan’s customer base was aging; despite a rich 85+ year heritage, the brand’s relevance was declining.
They came to AKQA to update their brand positioning to resonate with younger consumers.
Approach
Using the 4C framework, I investigated company goals, customer behaviors, cultural trends, and the competitive landscape.
Company: Culligan had a strong brand legacy built on trust.
In our kick-off workshop, we learned that staying true to its heritage was important to Culligan. Our stakeholder interviews revealed that In the early stages of the company, customers had such a trusting relationship with the Culligan technician (“The Culligan Man”), that he even had his own key to their homes.
Customer: People only think about the quality of their water in response to big events, often something negative.
In our customer interviews and Culligan’s provided audience research, the following occasions were cited most often as the catalyst for at-home water filtration:
Receiving a troubling health diagnosis
An appliance failing and needing a replacement
Moving into a new home
Having a baby
Remodeling a home, kitchen, or bathroom
Culture: The global conversation around water largely centers on volatility and scarcity, rather than it being a source of life.
Investigative journalism and statistical reports revealed that water-related conversations centered on:
Bottled water company controversies
Lack of access to clean drinking water
Water shortages
Climate change
Competitive: Competitor positioning wasn’t focusing on customers’ relationship to water.
There were 3 camps when it came to competitive positioning:
Aesthetic beauty of the product
Being anti-plastic
No strong POV to speak of
Positioning Statement
To homeowners and renters
Culligan is the water purification and softening brand
That transforms water into a life partner, taking care of you in moments big and small.
Creative Output
The creative team came up with the tagline, “water you love” to fit this new positioning statement, which was a stark departure from the more functional, B2B messaging that Culligan previously relied on.
The positioning has come to life in other lines across the newly
designed website and advertising efforts.
