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 the most comfortable for th ...