TTMC’s data-driven approach and strategic targeting expand market reach for Culligan’s bottled water.

Culligan was established in 1936 as a provider of water softening solutions for residences and has since grown to becoming a worldwide leader in water treatment needs, from the simplest filtration system to complex industrial water solutions. Culligan has over 80 years of experience in the design and distribution of water treatment systems for residential, commercial and industrial applications. It leads the industry in service, support and product and has over 800 dealers worldwide and offices in over 90 countries.

Campaign objective and project background.

Culligan had the objective to expand their market for their bottled water coolers. They wanted to take a more strategic approach to demand generation and felt a specialist agency would bring new expertise, an agile resource and market insight to inform the approach and extend their reach in key sectors. Having evaluated several agencies, Culligan were impressed with TTMC’s experience and credentials, and the agency was quickly engaged to conduct an eight-week pilot.

The main objective of the telemarketing campaign was to generate interest in Culligan's entry-level bottled water cooler, with the offer of a no-obligation seven-day free trial.

Project execution

Culligan's target audience included business owners, office managers, facilities managers, and HR leads in organisations with 5 to 250 employees. It spanned private sectors such as professional services, hospitality, healthcare, leisure, construction, wholesale, and retail but also extended to public sector organisations like schools and care homes.

TTMC began by sourcing high-quality data that matched the target customer profile. Culligan's existing database was suppressed against the newly sourced data, ensuring the focus remained solely on net new business. The data was segmented and uploaded into TTMC’s proprietary calling platform, enabling the telemarketing team to track and optimise campaign performance by industry.

Following a thorough briefing session, the campaign launched with a team of five agents, allowing for the testing of different profiles and styles. The goal was to gradually increase the team to ten, testing and validating various approaches to establish a proof of concept before fully ramping up. A collaborative approach was crucial in finding the right formula for success. Regular review meetings allowed both parties to share feedback, analyse performance metrics, review call recordings, and continuously refine the approach. TTMC’s real-time reporting portal, TTMC Connect, provided a transparent view of campaign analytics, offering actionable insights for ongoing improvement.

As the calling progressed, certain industries and sectors proved more receptive to the offer and were prioritised within the schedule. Close data management was vital to ensure that resources were focused on key sectors, such as care homes, while simultaneously refining targeting across other industries. New data was sourced to support calling efforts as volumes grew and to maintain a healthy flow of trial prospects to Culligan’s team. The calling team was increased over time, but TTMC was diligent in identifying agents who could strike the right balance between a direct approach that secured a trial and a more personal approach that built rapport and carefully nurtured interest.

TTMC applied a solution-selling approach alongside data-driven targeting, enabling agents to tailor conversations to address the unique pain points of each business and decision-maker. In a crowded marketplace, it was crucial to differentiate Culligan’s brand by emphasising competitive advantages like nationwide coverage and in-house bottling plants. As agents gained knowledge, they became confident in positioning Culligan as a strong alternative to regional and national competitors, highlighting key selling points such as ease of use—units requiring only a plug socket for chilled water—and low per-litre costs without fixed monthly fees.

The approach was incrementally refined adding new steps such as targeting senior decision-makers within care home groups who could authorise trials and purchases across multiple homes. TTMC also managed an email inbox, filtering responses and providing a feedback loop with the sales team to ensure that high-intent leads were efficiently prioritised. As the team grew, best practice was shared and agents became adept at presenting a compelling proposition and overcoming objections, such as space constraints or environmental concerns, successfully guiding conversations towards trial participation.

With a high volume of calls, it quickly became clear that a significant number of businesses were using competitor products which aligned to other products in Culligan’s range. As a result, TTMC established a second category of leads for prospects interested in Culligan’s competitively priced ‘plumbed-in’ solutions. Agents qualified these leads and scheduled callbacks for Culligan’s sales team to follow up with tailored quotes. With additional insights into each prospect's needs—such as current provider, spend, and contract length—the sales team was well equipped to convert quotes into sales, which significantly increased the potential ROI from the calling effort.

Results

Culligan is extremely pleased with the results achieved through their partnership with TTMC. The transparent approach, commitment to continuous improvement, and flexibility in finding the right fit of agents have been key to success. The initial pilot provided a solid proof of concept, leading to the extension of the programme, which now supports a team of twelve fully trained agents, allowing for coverage during holidays and sickness.

TTMC has delivered an average of one qualified lead every three hours, generating 1,484 leads to date and significantly expanding Culligan’s potential customer base.

In addition, the campaign has provided valuable market insights from conversations with around 16,000 decision-makers. These insights have helped Culligan better understand their competitive landscape, enabling them to fine-tune their offerings and competitive positioning.

Through this partnership, Culligan has significantly extended their reach and strengthened their competitive stance within the UK market for bottled water coolers. TTMC continues to refine the approach and targeting strategies and a second campaign, promoting Bottle Filling Stations (BFS) in public spaces, leisure centres, and gyms, is also under discussion.