Non-price Drivers of Household Water Consumption

The unique role of marketing in bringing about voluntary behavior change is becoming more important in addressing a wide variety of societal challenges. Particular challenges where the role of marketing is becoming more prominent include a vast array of environmental issues (Kotler 2011). The research presented here outlines a social marketing intervention, Project Hydro, which was initiated to reduce household water consumption in a drought affected part of Australia. Project Hydro has led to a 30 percent reduction in household water consumption over five years. In contrast to costly supply side solutions, this research identifies key drivers of household water consumption, using a large scale survey extending the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to the context of household water consumption. Implications for policy makers and social marketers are discussed.