MARKETING MANAGEMENT

CASE ANALYSIS AQUALISA QUARTZ: SIMPLY A BETTER SHOWER

Submitted by: PGP H, Group 8
SN Name of Student Roll No.
1 ASHISH TOMAR 2014PGP067
2 PARESH KOTKAR 2014PGP245
3 ISHANI MITTAL 2014PGP137
4 TATSAT PRAKASH PANDEY 2011IPM112
5 PRATIBHA INDORIA 2011IPM072
6 SAHIL AGGARWAL 2014PGP318
7 DHAVAL VAIDYA 2014PGP411












SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS:

Company Background:
Harry Rawlinson is the Managing Director of Aqualisa, a U.K.-based shower manufacturer. In May
2001, Aqualisa had launched the Quartz shower, which was the first significant product innovation in
the U.K. shower market. In Harrys opinion, the Quartz was technologically leaps and bounds above
other U.K. showers in terms of water pressure, temperature control, ease of installation, use and
design.

SWOT Analysis (for Quartz showers):
Strengths:
A breakthrough innovation in terms of
great looks, good water pressure at stable
temperatures, ease of use for customers.
Its biggest selling point was its ease of
installation. Plumbers could install Quartz
shower in only half a day as against
traditional showers which took 2 days.
Shower valve could be controlled remotely
through the use of electronics.
Automatic temperature control.
Safe for kids and convenient for elders or
handicapped people.
Weakness:
Plumbers were reluctant to take up
installation of new products due to
previous failures experienced by them.
No reduction in the rate of defects since
its introduction (10% of the showers still
reported certain problems).
Customers always perceived Aqualisas
products to be overpriced.
Customers had little awareness of the
Quartz brand.


Opportunities:
Partnership with Do-it-Yourself retail
outlets like B&Q could help push sales,
and it could also avoid the need for
expensive consumer advertising.
Threats:
In order to promote the sale of Quartz,
Aqualisa might have to undermine its
own existing products.
Its direct competitor brand, Triton, had
already managed to build brand
awareness at the consumer level, which
Quartz had been unable to do till now.

Issues & Decisions:
The key issue being faced by Quartz brand is the fact that its high quality is not translating into actual
sales. The following stakeholders would need to be involved in rectifying the above problem: -
1. Plumbers: 73% of consumers decisions (20%+25%+28%) for purchasing showers are
influenced in some way or the other by plumbers.

2. Developers: They are potentially a large volume distribution channel for Quartz. Due to their
better negotiating power with plumbers, they could have a say in convincing plumbers to
prefer installing Quartz over substitutes.



Options & Recommendations:
1. As plumbers directly influenced the consumers, providing proper training and incentive to
the plumber for the promotion of Quartz could help in a better market penetration for
product.

2. The company should target the end user i.e. the customer directly for the publicity of its
product as the consumers were unaware of the product till now. Also, the consumers
needed to be convinced that by paying a little higher price, they could significantly reduce
the after sales cost.


3. As the market penetration of the brand in showrooms was quite poor (sold only in about
500 out of 2000) a premium product such as quartz should be made available more in
showrooms where there are more chances of it being purchased.

4. The primary focus can also be towards trade shops where the plumbers are the main
customers. They could also offer demonstrations in these trade shops for the benefit of the
plumbers which focussed on the simplicity of the installation.






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