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We're told to drink 8 glasses (64 ounces!) of water a day. It is a tall order for most of us. Why is it so hard to drink all that water? Lets consider the jobs to be done relevant to water consumption; the things consumers are really trying to do when they drink or consider drinking water. Its pretty easy to brainstorm some:

"Get me hydrated
"Quench my thirst
"Lighten my load at the grocery store" (before I got a car and I walked to the grocery store with a backpack this was a very important job for me!)
"Make sure I'm getting fresh, clean water (no icky bacteria or contaminants that are bad for me)"
"Keep my calorie consumption low"

To get these jobs done people resort to compensating behaviors. They add flavor to their water by squeezing in lemon or steeping in slices of cucumber or berries. They purchase flavor packets that stir into water such as Kool Aid and Crystal Light that are small, easy to carry home and easy to store on the shelf. They purchase bottled water and refill the bottles at a water fountain.

Procter & Gamble has recently launched an extension to their PUR water filtration brand that targets these Jobs. The Flavor Options SKU lets consumers insert a flavor cartridge into a redesigned PUR pitcher or the faucet-mounted version. Users press a button when they want to add a flavor and can vary the level of concentration of flavor they want. The PUR Flavor Options package comes in Raspberry, Strawberry and Peach and contain no calories, no artificial colors or flavors. They use sweeteners like Splenda. It seems like it is a great alternative that would delight many consumers, providing a relatively inexpensive and healthy way to encourage more water and less soda for adults and children.

The pitcher sells for between $25 and $29 and you'll have to pay about $10 for two flavor packs. According to the package, each glass costs as little as 7 cents (vs. $1+ for bottled water or soda). The business model is nothing new to P&G a device plus a consumable (the blade and razor model). However, this does represent a different way to sell beverages and is disruptive to the bottled beverage industry by making it simpler and more convenient to get a tasty beverage.

Even if this particular application of the technology is not a blockbuster hit, think of all the things that could be done using this technology. This delivery mechanism could be used to add caffeine, vitamins or medicine to water. As always, we would love to hear your thoughts. Im definitely intrigued by the concept. Now if only I could taste it before I invest in the system and cartridge....