Aqualisa Quartz Simply a Better Shower

Despite Aqualisa’s strong reputation and performance in the U.K. shower market, and despite Quartz’s superiority over other U.K. shower products, Quartz simply isn’t selling. Aqualisa must identify the key issues preventing success, analyze the different market segments and channels of distribution, and come up with a plan to turn the sales figures around.

There are several key challenges facing Aqualisa with regards to their Quartz product: A large marketing campaign has been out of reach due to a lack of funding; Quartz is perceived as overly expensive by developers and consumers; there is a threat of rival companies developing similar products as soon as 2 years from now; plumbing contractors, who represent over half the installations performed in the market, are unwilling to adopt the product because of fears over electronic components. To address these challenges Aqualisa will have to make key decisions: which market segment to target, which channel to sell the Quartz in, how Quartz should be priced to maximize profit, and how Quartz should be positioned to maximize brand awareness.

The director noted that once a plumber performed even one installation they were extremely satisfied with the product and were likely to use it in the future. Furthermore, despite being perceived as too expensive amongst new developers, the director noted that signing up as few as three or four developers would make Quartz a success. This suggests that changing market perceptions of the product and encouraging adoption amongst plumbing contractors and developers is a potential solution.

For a well-developed analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, refer to Exhibit 1. For a detailed understanding of the U.K. shower marketplace, an analysis of Porter’s Five Forces can be found in Exhibit 2. These analyses will be incorporated into the selection of a marketing strategy.

Quartz is designed and priced to be a premium product serving the premium market...