Aqualisa Case Study

Q1. Aqualisa launched the most significant shower innovation in recent British history: the Quartz shower. The shower provides significant improvements in terms of quality, cost, and ease of installation. In product testing, the Quartz shower received rave reviews. However, early sales of the Quartz have been disappointing. The company is faced with some key issues about whether to change the channel strategy, promotional strategy, and the overall positioning of the product (niche or a mainstream product) in the context of their existing product line.

This case shows that despite the fact Aqualisa had a great product it doesn't necessarily mean that this is going to manifest in great sales of the product.

Innovation needs managing in an integrated way; it is not enough just to manage abilities in a technological superior product. Aqualisa had the generation of a technological innovation but lacked the ability to relate this to end users. The challenge for Aqualisa is in effectively communicating to its customers and making them aware of the fact that they have developed such a product, before their competitors catch up. In order, for Aqualisa to succeed they need to synergise the components of their marketing mix through an effective communication, positioning, and distribution strategies.

In the case in states that only about 60% of U.K homes, consumers are only probably going to buy at most two showers in their lifetime and because key influencers in the decision making process like plumbers where apprehensive of adopting the new technology it also led to the company's low sales because the majority of the UK shower market is made of replacement showers and plumbers tend to remain loyal to their selected brand as it is th...

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...e on the job or reducing their pay packet is a decision they will have to weigh up. Aqualisa should target the next generation of plumbers by sponsoring or donating equipment to plumber apprenticeship programs like from an Irish perspective FAS programs. This would allow plumbers to learn their trade by installing Aqualisa showers and when they venture into the working environment they will use Aqualisa Quartz as it is the product type they are most comfortable with.

In the future it may be possible for Aqualisa to move into the international market as their learning curve moves down and become more cost competitive as electronic showers are the future and as the product moves from the early adopter stage to the majority stage due to the Aqualisa brand name and the quality and ease of use of the product there is an opportunity to become the market leader in Europe.