Samenvatting

The concurrent growth of digital technologies, online shopping and spending power of millennials has created awareness and interest in environmental and socially conscious consumer behaviour. This research provides an evaluation and analysis of the website for the Ocean Bottle and the prospects of their market access to engage European millennials. Therefore, the central question is: ‘How can the Ocean Bottle company improve its website effectiveness and market access to increase the number of European millennial buyers?’ The central question is answered through desk and field research. Firstly, is the selection of definitions and three theoretical models concerning website effectiveness. Secondly, is the selection of six dimensions from the theory models to formulate the questions for the field research. The field research included two focus groups of millennials living in Europe, who evaluated the website of the Ocean Bottle in an interactive online discussion to obtain the perspective of potential buyers. Moreover, two interviews were conducted with a cofounder of the company to obtain internal information and to offer advice directly to the company from the focus group members.
That advice includes the following recommendations: Firstly, the company should expand the information on their website, providing further details efficiently and visibly, with interactive elements. Secondly, the company should regularly share information about the collectors and the status of the factories in short video clips or images. Thirdly, customer reviews are considered relevant to purchase decisions because of shoppers’ potential doubts about the high price of the bottle. Therefore, the reviews should be more visible and placed in the online store, thereby immediately informing a potential buyer. Ultimately, a long-term recommendation would be the creation of an interactive community involving customers or supporters to allow for the sharing of information and inspiration. Another long- term recommendation is to increase investment in marketing by significantly raising the company’s presence and engagement on social media platforms such as YouTube with commercials, video clips or interactive campaigns. This marketing method reaches a large group of people in an honest and engaging manner. As a result of implementing the proposed suggestions the value of the brand and demand for the bottle would be increased through a focus on enhancing the reputation of the company.
In conclusion, the focus groups consider Ocean Bottle’s website to be appealing and transparent. Nevertheless, the mentioned recommendations can be implemented to increase the website’s effectiveness and expand the company’s reach in the long term. Even though Ocean Bottle is an impactful company, it is highly recommended that the company focus on enhancing the value of their brand reputation to reach a larger group of buyers, thereby continuing to share their mission and achieve their goals.