One key barrier in convincing people to consume water more responsibly, is their perception of water's value. They regard water as infinite and thus a cheap commodity. Finish Water Index is a regularly computed formula which quantifies the availability of water and demonstrates its true value.

This figure is then placed alongside all the assets we deem of value: financial assets like dollars, gold, stocks or cryptocurrency. The idea is groundbreaking in two ways: 1. It quantifies the true value of water in an unprecedented way. 2. It shifts public perception through innovative and inventive use of media.

According to the UN reports Turkey will be a water poor country by 2030. Yet, people waste like there is no tomorrow.

Three years ago, Finish, the dishwasher detergent, started a water preservation campaign. Initially, the aim was to eradicate hand dishwash and pre rinsing. Although dishwasher penetration rate is 80% in Turkey, 50% of the consumers pre-rinse their dishes, wasting 57 liters in every cycle. The consistent communication of the brand made it the number one ambassador of water preservation. Thus the brand went beyond dishwashing habits and started communicating on all areas of needless water consumption. One key barrier in habit change was people’s perception of water as an infinite, cheap resource, making them take it for granted and hence use it without precaution or care.

In our third year of water preservation campaign, we wanted to put water saving on every single person’s agenda.

Water is the most undervalued resource. Currencies, stocks and oil is nothing compared to the value of a water. And until now, there was no attempt to show water’s true value.

With the help of the well-respected Turkish Industrial and Development Bank (TSKB) we created an index which shows the value of water: Finish Water Index.

Reserves, forecasts, industrial, agricultural and domestic consumption all go into a weekly computed formula. The figure quantifies water availability (and thus its value) on a scale where below 70 is draught and above 130 is abundance. The index was inserted into every medium where the values of financial assets are demonstrated daily.

Turkish economy is not promising. The most popular investment choice in Turkey is buying and selling foreign currencies or golds. The daily value of Dollar, Euro and gold is in everybody’s radar.

In our third year of water preservation campaign, we want to put water into every single person’s agenda.

Water is the most undervalued resource in the world. And there is no alternative for water. However, we have a “water is infinite” misconception.

To give the value water deserves, we locate Finish Water Index beside currencies and gold in every single medium. Tv channels, economy programs, newspapers, web sites…

We target almost every person who is over 18.

We inform them about the numbers in our tv commercial, print ads, billboard and influencers.

As the people see Finish Water Index with Dollar and gold, it starts to become the part of our daily life.

First, we locate Finish Water Index logo and its value beside Dollar and Euros in every single platform. Most watched news channels like CNN Turk and Bloomberg, economy programs, popular newspapers like Haber Türk and Sabah, web sites like Milliyet.

Then we explain the situation briefly in our TV commercials, print ads and billboards. With these we claimed that “for the first time we will know the true value of the water”.

Next, with influencers and YouTubers we explain Finish Water Index and upcoming drought with all the details.

As the index become popular and be part of our daily life, the conversation on scarcity and consumption increased.

Finish Water Index has reached 27 million people on TV.

The monthly reach is 25 million via the widgets on the news web sites.

After its launch the conversation on water scarcity has increased by 121%.

Among the people who have seen Finish Water Index, the water consumption has decreased by 9%.

The number of visitors of campaign web site yarininsuyu.com (tomorrow’s water) has increased by 600%.

The “Top of Mind” (TOM) score of Finish increased by 4 points. Finish overthrew its competitor and became the leader in TOM score.

Upon government request the local versions of index are being prepared.

USA, Australia and Italy are adopting the index.