Aqualisa Quartz Showers Market and Business Analysis

Aqualisa Quartz Showers Market and Business Analysis 1 Introduction/Case study analysis Aqualisa quartz shower, the top, state of the art product of the Aqualisa, was launched in May 2001. Quartz was the result of the intense market research, fantastic piece of technology and design. The compatibility, ease of installation and reliability were popular among the plumbers while the beautiful design, stability of temperature and good pressure made it ideal for the consumers. Unexpectedly, despite of the Quartzs fantastic features, it did not get the overwhelming success that Aqualisa expected. 2 Consumer Behaviour The consumer behaviour with regards to its purchase of shower in UK was somewhat complex and problematic. Only 60% homes had showers. Gravity-fed plumbing meant slow water pressure (3 to 4 litters per min). Varying temperature was also a problem. The individual consumer market had various priorities (see the table (a) below).44% of UK market for shower was replacement shower. So there was a demand for durability. Similarly the do-it-yourself consumer was keener on convenience as well as value of the product. Property developers wanted a product which they could use in their developing properties which should not only be cheap but stylish and long lasting as well. The plumbers played very important role in the selection of showers for the consumers. Individual consumer market fell into three pricing segments Segments Shop from Priorities Premium Showrooms Quality and design Standard Plumber recommendations Quality and durability Value Plumber selection Convenience and price Table a Do It Yourselfers proffered to buy showers from BQ style chains, which were easy to install, despite of being bulky, within a day without any help. The property developers needed stylish an attractive design, cheap and which would work in multiple setting. Showermax was designed for them which were very popular among them. The plumbers preferred the apparatus with which they were familiar to avoid repeat plumbing. The lack of trust in electric shower because of previous failure made them sceptical about electric showers. 2.1 Market Players their Strategies In the UK the main players in terms of market share were Triton, Mira, Gainsborough, Aqualisa and Masco with 545,500, 390,000, 203,500, 122,000 and 120,000 sold units respectively.* Tritons simple strategy was to create awareness at consumer level. This strategy gave them an edge and as a result more trust was developed in the product. They had range of all three kinds of shower e.g. electric shower, mixer shower and power showers, so targeting several segments. The distribution of the products of particularly Triton and Mira, in all distribution channels was exceptionally well. 2.2 Swot Analysis The following is the swat analysis of the Aqualisa Quarts. Strengths 5% to 10% market growth High tech products Showers with better water pressures than the competitors Brilliant, researched based designs Innovative products(e.g. Quartz) No 2 in mixing valve and 3 in over all UK market. Good service provider Popular in plumbers Elegant designs and Clever products Weakness 10% products still goes faulty Should be available in up to 90% of trade shop, show rooms and out lets. Weak marketing strategy for Quarts as the sale forces for Aqualisa spends 90% of time on maintaining existing account while the 10% on developing new customers Opportunities brand awareness Maximum sales and profits in case of Quartz success. Market leaders in innovative showers products Road to new inventions and ideas Leave the competitors behind Threats Other competitors catching up to Aqualisas product quality Perception of the product as overpriced Too much focus on innovation thus spending more money on inventions and ignoring core issues like providing basic service to customers.(10% items still goes faulty) 3 The Product development and launch process for Aqualisa Quartz Aqualisa was a respectable company with a 25% net return on sales and 5% to 10% growth in the market*. Despite the fact that the company was at the third position in the market as a whole and was considered respectable and reliable, it was feared by the company that the rivals may well beat them if they dont come up with something innovative and novel. The managing director Harry Rawlinson organised (RD) Research and Development team of Aqualisas sales and marketing Directors, market researchers, Cambridge scientists, and top industrial designers*. All the experts through brain storming and market research came up with the idea of the product which involved a small apparatus installed remotely in order to mix water. This idea was very powerful as the product installation wouldnt require excavation. After feedback from the 60 consumer field test sites and three years of development and expenditure of around  £5.8 million Quartz was developed. It cost the company from  £175 to $230 to make*. The Aqualisa was launched in the major showrooms like Bathroom Expo in London in May 2001 and was awarded fist prize. There were good and positive reviews about the product in the news papers. The fact that the product had good flow of water, very convenient and fast to install and accurate temperature control made it a popular product. Quartz was on the covers of major trade journals. There was a single time add run in news paper on Sunday too. 3.1 Positioning Strategies and Marketing mix The positioning strategy of the Aqualisa quarts was complicated. Following chart would show some pros and cons of the Positioning of the Quartz. Positioning Pros Cons 1 Targeting Consumer Directly If the consumers were targeted directly there was a good chance of the revitalization and an increase in the sale of the product once aware of the advantages of the product. Insist /influence the plumbers to use the Quartz. The advertisement would cost  £3 to  £4 million in two years 2 Targeting Do It Yourselfers Quartz was so easy to install that anybody could do it easily, so if advertised to d.i.y market could be beneficial. If advertised as premium value product the partner like BQ could help boost the advertising campaign too. If the item was associated with the d.i.y products it would never take its premium position. It was too good to take place of value product. 2 Targeting Developers Large- volume channel Developers would enforce more plumbers to install quarts so plumbers would get more confidence about Quartz Never accepted Aqualisa product even at 50% discount No guarantee that reducing price would defiantly attract them. Table c McCarthy (1999) classified the tools that constitute the Marketing mix, into four famous Ps Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. In case of Aqualisa Quartz as a Product it was a fantastic piece of technology and art. It was ticking all the boxes for what the consumer wanted. The plumbers regarded it as a wonderful product because of the ease of installation. It was innovative, state of art product. Quartz was premium Priced. The price was high because of the Quartz being innovative and state of the art product. It wouldnt be long when the competitors would be following the same route and may price their product even higher, so just because the Quartz did not get the overwhelming success in its first phase of launch, the price should not be reduced. Place; the Quartz was distributed to various channels e.g. trade shops and showrooms etc. There were a good number of plumbers working for Aqualisa who were also introduced to the product. They loved the ease of installation as it took half a day to install. In spite of that very few sale were made. Promotion; the product at the time of launch was exhibited in London in May 2001 at Bathroom expo. It was given first prise for being a fantastic product*. Similarly a single time add in the mail on Sunday magazine was run. Major news papers and trade magazines had it on its front pages. Still the promotion was not enough to make the product successful as it failed to target the potential buyer. 4 Reasons of Failure of Aqualisa Quartz in the initial phase There were many reasons to the failure of the product despite its fantastic qualities and innovations. Some of the reasons are listed below. The Quartz was an innovative and fantastic product but it was considered an expensive product. Although the price was high but the product deserved a higher price being so distinctive than traditional products in market. The twenty sales personal would spend mere 10% of time on gaining new customers while 90% on maintaining old customers. Obviously more than 10% of time was required to attain new customers. Reluctance of the Plumbers to accept electric showers due to previous failure of the electric shower so they were eager to try Quartz. Consumers often had to force the plumber to install the Quartz for them. But once they installed it they were converted and were convinced that it was a brilliant product. Weak positioning also created a vague image of the product as the plumbers were sceptical and the individual consumers were not fully aware of the advantages the product was offering. The Marketing mix of the product was also not perfectly well executed as the item was although available through main channels but little work was done on the promotion of the product. At the time of launch it was exhibited at the London Expo and it won the first prise and it was on the front pages of trade magazines, still it was not enough. Intense marketing at individual level was also required for the awareness and promotion of the product. 4.1 Strategies to revive the product Following strategies could revive Quartz. Segmenting the market and Targeting the independent plumbers which constituted the 54% of the UK market*, was of core importance. A vigorous marketing was needed to target them. The plumbers were sceptical of using the electric showers but once they used Quartz they were converted. Targeting 54% of the market could be really beneficial for the company. Following this strategy the Quartz could dominate as a successful product up to 90% of plumbers who made 100% of decision for 54% of market in the. change the perceptions of the consumers particularly property developing market which constituted 20% of the UK market (source Aqualisa). Once the independent plumbers were converted then that would eventually change the status of the product as a reliable and efficient. Availability of Quartz in max no Show rooms, Trade shops and D.I.Y sheds. According to the UK shower market in 2000, total electric shower units sold in show rooms was 55,000 *. It was important to make sure that the Quartz is present in max no of showrooms and. Similarly 330,000 electric units were sold by the trade shops and a good no of plumbers were working for these shops*. The presence of the product in the trade shops would mean better chances of exposure to the consumer. The D.I.Y sheds like BQ could promote the Quartz as a premium high quality product with the benefit to install independently. The sale of electric shower in UK at D.I.Y sheds in 2000 was the max i.e. 550,000*. If the product was placed in the D.I.Y sheds with the help of BQ promotions it could get the success it deserved. Launch an intense marketing campaign was vital to target the consumer directly. Once the product is successful the profit would cover the costs of marketing. Only one time add in magazine is not enough. Electronic media e.g. TV and radio should run advertisements for the product. Microsoft launched a massive $500 million marketing campaign, when it introduced the original Xbox, promoting the new product through in store merchandising, retailer incentives, events and sponsorship in addition to traditional advertising. (Alice z. 2004) Position Quartz as a family product. In the showrooms once the individuals with families had a look, they bought it as it was perfect and safe for all ages. Targeting the consumer directly through advertisement would let the families realised that the Quartz is a family need. Brand awareness would attract the families, plumbers, D.I.Yers and property developers as they would become aware of the product benefits. Justify high price by emphasising the qualities of the Quartz. Promotional low prices temporarily for the new buyers particularly the property developers. Once they plumbers used the product they were converted. So by low promotional prices would attract massive audience who could be converted as well. To increase the 20 person sales force. To increase from 10% to at least 50% of time to spend on new customers attainment. 5 Conclusion Aqualisa Quartz despite of the fact that it was a fantastic product, it failed to achieve the success it deserved in the beginning. The product was such an innovation that it should have made records of best selling product. The push button technology, ease of installation, stable temperature and ideal water pressure made it ideal shower. It was safe to use with children as well as with elderly. Aqualisa was expecting huge sales but the results were rather disappointing when there were only few sales in the first phase. Robert Lauterborn (1990) suggested that the sellers four Ps correspond to the customers four Cs. Four Ps Four Cs Product Customer solution Price Customer cost Place Convenience Promotion Communication. The Quartz was a fantastic Product and it was offering perfect customer solution. Similarly the price was just ok for the product as it was one in all products. And customer would pay high Price for an item if it is fit for purpose and providing the luxury at the same time. Thats when the Promotion comes in. But at the same time Quartz needed wright positioning and good marketing to attract the consumer. The product was available through trade shops, Showrooms and D.I.Y sheds. The plumbers working for the Aqualisa were also introduced to the product. Still more was needed. So if all the strategies listed above are tried, it should not take long when the Quartz would be on its way to success.

J.S. Bach Flute Sonata in B Minor: the Development of the Baroque Flute

J. S. Bach Flute Sonata in B minor (BWV 1030): the development of the Baroque Flute, the flautists and the music Johann Sebastian Bach (J. S. Bach) is no doubt one of the greatest composers of all times. He composed many works for flute including works for solo flute, flute with harpsichord and/or continuo and, two flutes and harpsichord. However, there has been a controversy, over the flute works, whether they were composed solely by the composer, assisted by someone or under the guidance of J.S. Bach. In addition, some scholars doubted that some of works are not written for flute and they are actually transcribed for flute by the composer. Especially, the Sonata in B minor (BWV 1030) raises most number of controversies. The J. S. Bach flute compositions are standard repertoire for the flute even today. As a professional flute player, it is very important to have comprehensive knowledge on the background of these works because they directly affect the way of interpreting them.By rev iewing the development of Baroque flute and analyzing the time period of the compositions would greatly help flutists to have a deeper understanding on these important repertoire in flute especially the B minor sonata (BWV 1030). The development of the instrument, Baroque flute, plays no doubt very important role on influencing the work written for it. The difference in range, tonality, mechanisms greatly affect the compositions written for it. Unlike other wind instruments, the Baroque flute was developed later than others.Since it is made differently, it is definitely impossible to apply the styles of other instruments on the Baroque flute. Some research suggested that J. S. Bach has little familiarity of the flute and flute players because, although the style of the compositions are similar to the other pieces of the composer, the flute works do not show that he understands the characteristic and the quality of the instrument. 1 And, the lack of knowledge of the flute would proba bly be because the composer did not listen much works for flute and meet flutists in where he worked.As mentioned above, the development of Baroque Flutes has great impact on how the pieces were written for it. Consequently, it is impossible to overlook this element when doing this research. â€Å"Flute† is a general term for a large and diverse woodwind instrumental family of which players blow air across the surface of any hollow object to produce sound. The appearance of the instrument, not only in western music, is found all over the globe like di-zi in China. 2 In Western music, flute plays an important role from ancient Greek music to contemporary music nowadays. The design, uses and playing styles keep changing even today.As one of the oldest instruments in Western music, â€Å"flutes† first appear in a picture of a shepherd playing the flute from the sermons of St Gregory of Nazianzus in a manuscript of early eleventh century. 3 It is mostly associated with nat ure and pastoral life. In Renaissance, flute was one of the instruments in mixed ensemble. More importantly, it played a notable role in sacred concerti or sacred symphonies. Johann Hermann Schein (1586-1630), one of J. S. Bach’s predecessors, composed seven ensemble works that featured a transverse flute which is always assigned to the second voice.This tradition went on to the Baroque era and solo flute works became more popular from 1670. There were large changes in its mechanisms. The new instrument is now built in three or four sections instead of one piece; it is modified from a large cylindrical bore to a conical bore in which the diameter of the headpiece was greater than the foot piece which improves the tuning of the upper notes; most importantly, one key was added in the foot piece so there is an extra note which the little finger of the right hand cannot reach originally and it produces the new note d#’. These inventions are very important. However, there i s a common misunderstand, however, regarding â€Å"the flute† as a single instrument. In fact, it refers to an instrumental family in the Baroque Period. There are, generally speaking, eight different kinds of flutes including concert flute, descant flute and flute d’amour. Different kinds of flutes appeared in different pitches. 5 In the music that Bach wrote for flute, he did not, like all the composers at that period of time, specify the type of flute they writing for.In addition, there is a possibility that different flutes were used in different performances. All flutes were written as if they were in the key of D especially in the first quarter of the 18th century. As a result, it is difficult to judge which flute the composer had in mind from the music. 6 In the journal â€Å"J. S. Bach's Compositions for Solo Flute: A Reconsideration of Their Authenticity and Chronology† by Robert L. Marshall, he suggests: â€Å"It is still widely believed that Bach wro te eight works for the solo flute.But the view that has prevailed among Bach specialists for the past fifteen years is that the rather similar Sonatas for flute and harpsichord obbligato in G Minor (BWV I020) and E Flat Major (BWV io31) were probably composed by someone else-most likely Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach–and that the Sonata in C Major for flute and continuo (BWV 1033) was written by one-or two-of Bach's students (one of them, again, might have been Emanuel Bach), presumably in part under the composer's active supervision and intervention. † 7 This suggestion probably comes from the lack of normal musical style in his writing.Moreover, his writing shows no understanding of the qualities of the instrument. However, this argument seems invalid when considering the type of flute Bach was written for. The first flute solo work by Bach, Partita in a minor (BWV 1013), was written between about 1720 and 1730. He was one of the first German composers who started composin g music for solo flute. This may be stimulated by the new four-piece design of the Baroque flute. The instrument has an advanced feature to have an extended footjoint giving the note c’ however, Bach did not use this new feature in his B minor flute sonata (BWV 1030).Also, its middle joint has different length and can be replaced so that the pitch of the instrument can be altered to accommodate different pitches in different areas. Moreover, it now has a clearer and accurate tone. Fast passages and big leaps can now be played with ease. 8 This is probably one of the reasons why there are more compositions for solo flute. In addition to the development of the instrument, flautists’ involvement plays another crucial role in flute music composition. Bach first work with flute players in Cothen. The Prince of Cothen happened to be a keen musician ho was not in favor of elaborate church music, so Bach concentrated on instrumental music. Interestingly, the flautists were con sidered assets to the court because the salaries of the flautists in the courts were around three times higher than other musician. And, in this Cothen period (1717-1723), flute appeared as a solo instrument in his Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 (1719) and the B minor Suite for flute (BWV 1067). 9 Later, the â€Å"violinlization† of music in Paris was taken place of which a style characterized by constant semiquaver and arpeggiated passagework in Dresden. This style was achieved by the new Baroque flute.Bach moved to Leipzig in 1723 and he met new flautists there and started composing a large amount of flute chamber music. They begin with the Flute sonata in E minor (BWV 1034) dated c. 1724. Then, the later works are the C major (c. 1731), Eb major (1730-34), B minor and A major sonatas (c. 1736). These pieces seem match well with the larger-bored four-joint flutes with the most effective range. 10 However, two of Bach’s flute chamber works do raised some questions with th e fact that if they were written for flute because there is more than one score written by the composer and they seem not written for flute.They are the sonata in B minor (BWV 1030) and sonata in G minor (BWV 1020). The sonata BWV 1030 is the most important one. There are two scores written for the keyboard part, one in B minor and the other one in G minor. Some Oboists claimed that the G minor is the original version of the sonata for oboe and it is transposed for flute later in B minor. However, there is evidence that flute was a transposing instrument and there is no reason for Bach to write two separate version of music for different instrument. But, as mentioned before, Baroque flute is a family of instruments.There is a possibility that the piece is written for flute but that is not the concert flute. Every instrument’s ideal sound is to emulate the â€Å"singing quality† of the human voice – the music was written in a range that more suitable in lower ran ge flutes. The sonata in B minor (BWV 1030) particularly has a strong vocal quality which may suggests that the flute part is actually written for the flute d’amour. Like his Church Cantatas, the flute obbligatos part is intended for the d’amour. 11 Flute d’amour is an alto instrument tuned to D at French Chamber pitch.It sounds a major or minor 3rd below the normal pitch of harpsichords, and played at transpositions. But, this is a French tradition of transposing the pieces in the â€Å"Clef francoise† with the G on the bottom line. As a result, Bach wrote two separate scores for the flute and keyboard parts in his flute sonata in G minor based on the â€Å"Clef italienne†. It is understood by the flautists who worked with Bach and they should recognize it at a glance. 12 To conclude, the B minor flute sonata (BWV 1030) by Bach is written for flute, Flute d’amour precisely.It raised much doubt about this because the composers of the time di d not specified what kind of flute they wrote for. And, nowadays, with misunderstanding that â€Å"Baroque flute† is a term for a single instrument, people may suggest that this flute piece is not suitable for a particular Baroque flute. However, with a clearer picture of the development of the Baroque flute family, the intention of Bach to write two separate scores and the common practice of the flautists those days, the Sonata in B minor should probably be intended for the Baroque flute, the flute d’amour.

Most Noticeable Descriptive Essay Samples for High School

Most Noticeable Descriptive Essay Samples for High School Moreover, the typical uniform can help quit bullying that became a huge trouble for high-schools nowadays. There are a few topics which are absolutely unseen and students find difficulty in locating the correct direction and method of information collection. Moreover, a school uniform it's a wonderful choice for families with low income. Build a connection by means of your writing. Read my essay writing service reviews and my guide to selecting the very best service for everything you will need to understand about how to select the best writing businesses. When you locate a service you prefer, don't neglect to look at my review of it. If you like it is possible to look online and find one that you like. The purpose of these online writing service providers is clients' satisfaction so that they are always prepared to provide lots of time to all their customers. Tell the class they're likely to understand how to compo se descriptive essays employing each of their senses. They might have to keep up an excellent grade average to guarantee they get in the school of their selection. Again, you're likely to want to paint a photo in your. Sure, many students discover that it's much simpler to copy somebody else's paper fully or partly. It shouldn't be too broad or complicated as you must create a brief text and won't have the ability to explain everything in details. To distinguish between the kinds of essays is only a matter of identifying the author's objective. A personal narrative essay needs to be engaging, meaning you need to include great ideas with the important points of information. You would want to opt for a great topic so that you are able to write a good. Generally the toughest facet of developing a descriptive essay is picking the topic. The cost of an essay depends upon the quantity of effort the writer has to exert. Persuasive essay samples which you will find today on the blog support the notion of high-school students wearing uniform, however in case you use our custom-writing services that you can get a sample of persuasive essay that argues against the subject. Summing up, writing a brief essay appears to be a simple undertaking for many young men and women, but they generally underestimate the time and efforts, which are necessary for the creation of such a paper. What Everybody Dislikes About Descriptive Essay Samples for High School and Why A descriptive essay conclusions should supply the reader with a mental picture of a specific matter. Descriptive essays may be the easiest essays to write, when you produce a great topic. A superior descriptive essay comes out of a knowledgeable and imaginative mind. Descriptive essay writing should not be an issue, read features of descriptive essays writing to think of an ideal bit of work. There's quite a few essays completed by them. Utilizing a writing service is the best method to have a well-written essay to use as a guideline to guarantee the essays you write are hitting each of the essential points and are at the appropriate depth needed for your academic grade. Perhaps you're not even certain how it differs from the other forms of essays, and even if you're, maybe you don't find out how to begin writing it. If you wish to compose an outstanding descriptive essay, don't hesitate to read this excellent manual, explaining the most essential elements of these essays. This essay question is intended to demonstrate your writing skills and. After this is finished, you can pick out points that would go nicely with your essay. When you pick a topic for your persuasive essay, make sure this is something you genuinely care about. It's possible for you to use narrative essay examples high school to find out more. Descriptive Essay Samples for High School Secrets Writing is not only for those that are studying nor for your teachers. Students cannot dismiss the Structure of Descriptive Essay because it's vital portion of any writing academic course. Therefore, many students and employees decide to get inexpensive essay rather than writing it themselves. Be certain to inspect the Teacher's Notes. Unfortunately, nearly all students discover that short essay is extremely simple to write and it can be completed in 10 minutes. This essay gives students the chance to showcase their writing abilities. Scholarship essays shouldn't be considered a burd en since they are your gateway to land entrance into a prestigious university with plenty of benefits and perks that have the scholarship. Today several such on-line sites are available which are ready to aid students with any sort of difficult essay topics within any time given. It's critical that the service you decide on knows for sure they're only choosing the very best essay writers. In summary, the service exists, so should you wish to use it in order to find a top essay, that's reason enough. The start of your text needs to be short and clear. In fact, a brief essay has a typical structure, including an introduction, main body and conclusion. A self introduction essay is in the majority of cases written utilizing the very first person viewpoint. So spend the cue from that point.

Not Without Laughter by Langston Hughes - 1394 Words

Throughout Langston Hughes novel, Not Without Laughter, the author introduces multiple characters that reveal their notions of prejudice. The novel explores that prejudice in one form or another is in every aspect of ones life. Prejudice can be defined as an opinion for or against a persons look, race, class, or religion, which is usually formed by a hasty generalization. Most of the main characters, Aunt Hager, Sister Johnson, Jimboy, Harriet, and Tempy contain different accounts of prejudice in the world, which stimulate many of Sandys thoughts of life as he comes of age. Aunt Hager, Annjee, Harriet, and Sandy, are a multi-generation poor African American family that live in a small home together but are eventually divided by multiple circumstances. The story takes place during the 1910s in the small town of Stanton, Kansas. The first character introduced in the novel is Aunt Hager, an older Christian Baptist woman who was once a slave. 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