2022 is destined to be a year of continuing transformation for businesses. And, the Water Quality Industry is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this.

According to Alan Murray, CEO of Fortune Magazine, these changes will be fueled by: 1) a technology revolution; 2) a post-pandemic imperative to reinvent office work; and 3) a continuing drive to put purpose at the center of business. The most successful companies will be those that embrace these three interlocking waves of change. And the performance gap between those that do and those that don’t will grow

Technology

Technology will continue to revolutionize how we work. From a marketing perspective, think about the printing advances that enable your direct mail to be more cost-efficient. These include digital inkjet printing and hybrid print technology.

In terms of digital marketing, we will see new privacy restrictions on Google Chrome (no more cookies). As a result, advertisers would lose the ability to serve up highly targeted ads based on tracking consumer activity on Chrome. That means advertisers will need to focus more on using their own lists. When you use your own lists, we call this using first-party data. In 2022, you will want to maximize your own data. You will want to make sure all your lists are current. That means correct addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.

From the list perspective, we will continue to see large numbers of New Homeowners. We will also see a higher availability of email names in the marketplace. This gives your dealership new opportunities to reach out to your clients via email.

In 2022, we will continue to see a focus on consumer privacy. Because of this, the major list compilers will be sharpening how they work with consumer privacy regulations, such as the California CCCP as well as the Do Not Call.

New technology in the water industry also includes things like Digital monitoring. Real-time reporting of the microbiological quality of drinking water. Mobile apps for appointment setting, ordering salt and other supplies. Nanofiltration technology.

The Post-Pandemic world

Alan Murray’s comments focus on the need to reinvent office work as part of the 2022 transformation. In-person, zoom, hybrid – there are lots of options to consider for the more typical “office-type” businesses.

For businesses in the home industry, it’s important to focus on what would allow you to go back into consumer homes.  What will make people feel more comfortable about your staff entering their homes? Branded masks, white uniforms, “touchless” payment options?

What new products can you introduce that have been made relevant by the pandemic? Can you transform your water dealership?

In the water purification industry, have you introduced UV protection, touchless coolers, digital monitoring, mobile apps? What about touchless faucets for the RO? Buzzwords will be clean, pure, sanitary. That’s what the water treatment business is all about. This is your chance to capitalize on it.

Have you considered adding new product lines?  Perhaps air purification or whole house generators? What about adding digital leak protection?

Businesses need to continually assess and reimagine themselves.

Putting purpose at the center of the business

I am looking at this statement from 2 points of view: marketing and resolve.

From a marketing perspective, we call this offering content.  Every business needs to make sure that it stays relevant to its customers and prospects.  The way to do this is by providing valuable, relevant, and consistent content that touches our customers and makes us important to them. Content marketing enables us to engage with our customers. This assists in both or our lead generation efforts and customer retention.

When it comes to resolve, does this mean all companies need to be like Bombas socks? To be successful, does our company have to have a dual purpose? Do we need to resolve to make the world a better place because that helps us drive profit?  Does purpose help our businesses succeed?   It’s an interesting question. We know that both our lead generation and retention improves when our company is respected. How do we channel that purpose?

Sure, we say that 2022 will be a year of transformation. As we move into 2022, we have lots of food for thought. Bottom line, water dealerships can transform their businesses by leveraging the latest trends in technology and offering products that will resonate in the post-pandemic world.  Dealerships that embrace and react to the challenge of change, can position themselves for a banner year.