Marketing Case Study II Aqualisa Quartz Essay Example

Marketing Case Study II: Aqualisa Quartz Essay Marketing Case Study II: Aqualisa Quartz Introduction and Problem Statement Aqualisa, a premium British shower manufacturer, is experiencing teething problems with its new line of electronic mixed shower products – Quartz. Despite being hailed as â€Å"a breakthrough in shower technology† (Case p. 6), early sales were dismal. Plumbers, the main channel of Aqualisa’s products, have developed an ‘electronic phobia’ since the late 1980s when early electronic showers failed, hurting Quartz by association. Furthermore, the company is also concerned of cannibalization that could occur to Aqualisa’s existing products should Quartz become successful, especially to Aquavalve, Aqualisa’s current flagship. Alternatives and Analysis 1)Whether to target the plumbers 73% of consumer decision is derived from plumbers’ advice . Moreover, independent plumbers installed 54% of mixer showers in the U. K. shower market . Therefore, plumbers become an extremely vital channel of distribution for promoting Quartz as a mainstream brand. Despite their resistance to electric showers, most plumbers found the Quartz installation easy and timely. This paves the way to persuading plumbers to change their attitudes towards electric showers. 2)Whether to target the other channels of distribution Trade Shops: Quartz models accounted for the highest profit margin in dollar sales (Appendix 1), as trade shops could get at least â‚ ¬400 per unit of Quartz sold, vis-a-vis â‚ ¬335 from Aquavalve 609 (with the best margins). In view of this, it would be in the interests of the trade shops to adopt Quartz, forming a major selling point. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Case Study II: Aqualisa Quartz specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Case Study II: Aqualisa Quartz specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Case Study II: Aqualisa Quartz specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Developers: As property developers are price sensitive, cheaper shower models such as â€Å"Aquavalve Value† should be promoted to increase sales for Aqualisa. However, in the case of luxury builders, Quartz should be sold as a premium product, which is aesthetically-pleasing and promises to deliver high performance at the same time. D. I. Y: With 84% of the D. I. Y market segment purchasing low-cost electric showers, it can be seen that the D. I. Y sheds tend to attract value shoppers. Consumers would be confused if Aqualisa’s premium product enters he D. I. Y market and they will perceive Quartz to be mass market and of low quality. Hence Quartz should be excluded from the D. I. Y. market. Direct consumer: Although only 27% of installations are made independent of plumbers’ advice, Aqualisa must not neglect the fact that an advertising campaign is necessary to create market awareness and interest for a new product in the market. The advertisement on Exhibit 9 might not be able to achieve the intended results as it is too focused on the technical specifications of Quartz. )Issue of cannibalization Based on the BCG Growth-Share Matrix definition, Aquavalve is arguably Aqualisa’s cash cow. As Quartz’s superiority becomes apparent, Aquavalve could be at risk of being relegated to a dog’s position. However, this fundamental shift is a necessary evil, especially in the light of competition – take the chance of losing a cash cow (Aquavalve) in exchange of a question mark (Quartz) becoming a star, rather than lose the cash cow to a competitor’s new-born star (Appendix 4). Recommendations and Conclusion The objective for Quartz is to create product awareness and customer experience while generating sales momentum without affecting Aqualisa’s brand image. Aqualisa should eventually target an additional 20,000 unit sales for the fiscal year of 2001. In order to achieve this objective, the current marketing channels should be limited to showrooms and tradeshops (plumbers), leaving DIY shops out. In redressing the communication issues, the Objective-and-Task Method should be adopted to determine the promotion budget. The tasks are separated into the two-pronged ‘push’ and ‘pull’ strategies, estimated to cost â‚ ¬2-4million in total, which can be covered by additional Quartz sales of ~6,500 ~13,000 units per year (Appendix 2). As part of the ‘push’ strategy (Appendix 5), the primary purchase decision makers plumbers should be the primary focus of Quartz’s marketing efforts. On an additional budget of â‚ ¬1-2million, the plumbers ought to be enticed by the following: 1. Intensify the ‘ease of installation’ selling point by distributing Quartz installation guides to our plumber accounts; Emphasize ‘highest dollar margin’ selling point to our trade shops, forming an effective ‘push’ to plumbers (their customers). 2. Giving discounts for the first ten Quartz systems installed, allowing plumbers to absorb a bigger commission which encourages product handling. 3. Establishing a redemption program that rewards plumbers who promote and install a certain number of Quartz systems successfully, thereby encouraging diffusion of Quartz innovativeness into the mainstream market. Providing a 3 year warranty, which not only instills consumer confidence, but gives plumbers the incentive to install Quartz since any cost incurred for second visitations would be reimbursed by Aqualisa. For the ‘pull’ efforts (Appendix 5), Aqualisa should take on an advertising campaign targeting consumers within a â‚ ¬1-2million budget to boost their buyer readiness stage towards the level of ‘liking’, so as to induce more plumbers to try Quartz on their customers’ prompting. With reference to Exhibit 9, advertisements should not be centered on the functionality of Quartz, but on the intangible benefits such as the ease of use and safety, i. e. the â€Å"perfect shower experience†. The value proposition of Quartz to consumers is precise temperature control, steady output, and the ease of use. Aqualisa should continue to skim the early adopters’ market with Quartz’s premium price, while lengthening Aquavalve’s Cash Cow status. Once this premium market segment is satisfied, Aqualisa should consider introducing Quartz technology into Gainsborough to capture the middle-income market segment. In conclusion, Quartz ‘breakthrough’ status could herald in a new age for Aqualisa. Despite the real risks that could affect the firm’s existing products, Aqualisa should capitalize on its first-mover advantage to secure a dominant position in the evolving shower industry, alongside its existing products via a hybrid marketing system (Appendix 6), contributing to its future survival and success.

Admin Assistants Develop your phone skills for the office

Admin Assistants Develop your phone skills for the office You may think having an excellent phone manner is an outdated relic- after all, wont everyone just email if they want something? Not necessarily- if youre in an admin or customer service field, talking on the phone might still be a part of your everyday reality. And even if youre not, a good phone manner never goes out of style and can add a veneer of professionalism to your image in whatever job you do.Here are a few tips on how to be a boss at manning ye olde telephone.Have a formal greeting.Unless you know it’s your coworker Bob, or your spouse, or your boss calling you back after getting disconnected, come up with a professional way to answer calls. Be polite and informative: â€Å"Good morning/afternoon/evening. [Name of Company.] [Your name] speaking .† If you’re serving in an operator capacity, you can add something along the lines of â€Å"How may I direct your call?† It may seem silly, but it helps to think of a few variations and try them out lou d to pick the one that comes most naturally.Only answer if youre ready to talk.That means answering promptly (not making someone wait for 14 rings), but also making sure not to answer if you have your mouth full of coffee or lunch or if there’s a big commotion going on at your desk. If someone is calling you they want to you to hear what they have to say and respond with clarity.Take excellent messages.If you’re answering the phone for more than just yourself, make sure you take good messages. Work out with your boss the exact information you should get from everyone who calls. Never be too shy to ask for spelling clarification on a name or email address, or return phone number information.Leave excellent messages.If you hit an answering machine, speak slowly and clearly. Give your name and contact info at the beginning and again at the end so the person jotting down your details won’t have to listen to the whole thing again to get your number if they missed it at the beginning. Be succinct, but don’t leave out any important or relevant details- such as the reason for your call. Spell things you think might be garbled, especially by bad cell reception.Charm and disarm.Anger and frustration can magnify over the phone, especially when you cant throw an empathetic facial expression the way of someone ranting and raving. If youre in a position to deal with difficult or outraged clients or customers, youll have to pacify with your words. First and foremost, let the person know youre listening (I hear how upset you are and I understand why.). Then, let him or her know you will try to get to the root of the problem and fix it. Shouting back and getting snippy or curt will not help- it will usually only incense the caller more. Most people just want to be heard.Use names.Whenever possible, throw in the name of the person you are speaking to. Addressing someone this way makes a professional conversation feel more personal and less remote. Yo u don’t have to feel distant just because you’re not in the room together. And this goes both ways- make sure to always identify yourself early on with your own full name!Be sincere and kind.Having a good phone manner doesn’t mean being a phony. Sure, you should be cheerful, enunciate clearly, and speak articulately, but don’t put on a persona that isn’t anything like your true self. Be the best and brightest professional version of yourself while being as genuine and as frank as possible.  People can hear a lot of body language through the phone, and smiling is the clearest way to communicate positivity.

Catastrophes, Cultures, and the Angry Earth Essay

Catastrophes, Cultures, and the Angry Earth - Essay Example â€Å"The waters came and took our house and all of our belongings. Now we have returned and officials tell us that we can’t rebuild here, our land will be used for something else. This is our land, we want it back, and we want our lives back.† -----Anonymous Survivor in Aceh, 2005 â€Å"We would all love to see Tokyo rebuilt along the lines of Paris or Berlin, but do we have the resources? No! Why should people in rural areas who suffer each year, toil and sweat yet more for those of Tokyo? Rural areas need attention too, they are the foundation of the nation.† -----Japanese Parliamentarian, 1923 Answer: In the course, the main idea being taught revolves around the nature of the human society specifically during the time of catastrophes and disasters. Based on the quotation that introduced the course according to the historian Marc Bloch, calamities are instruments that help see, study, and analyze the nature of human society. This can be attributed to the fact that as a human body, society has the capacity to maintain, to operate, and to defend itself. It also has the capacity to rebuild once it had been destroyed. The only question in the process of coping with the different forms of trials and disasters is the manner by which it can be undertaken. The course is aimed to open the minds of the students to the need for larger and more holistic objectives in the society which can help understand the reason for the need for continuous improvement of the different groups in the society such as political, economic, and social institutions. Due to the continuous exposure to natural disasters, human society had learned to establish ways and means to cope with the effects of calamities and disasters. The lessons of the pasts and the technologies of the present are used as tools to plan and to cope with possible dangers in the future. Discussion of the First Quote: Calamity in Aceh The first quote was expressed by an anonymous survivor in the calamity that affected Aceh in 2005. Based on the quote, aside from the natural calamity which is the flood that affected many lives, there are other issues that hinder the process of recovery and reconstruction. Upon the return of the survivors to their land, officials prohibited reconstruction. Thus, the aside from the fact that the natural calamity took their home, the social and political issues and policies affected their land. There are different issues that can be discussed in the quote since it expressed a view of the different dynamics that can occur in times of disasters. One is the background of the disaster in Aceh. Aceh, formally known as Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (or the State of Aceh, Abode of Peace) is considered as one of the most Islamic region of Indonesia. The culture and traditions of Aceh is strongly based on Islamic principles and practices. For that matter, religion can be considered as one of the guiding view in times of major calamities and natural disasters (Clarke, Fanany, and Kenny, 2010, p. 30). Due to the influence of Islam in the culture of Aceh, it is considered as one of the main context in terms of the study of the event of 2005. The Islamic law, or sharia, is known to affect the post-tsunami state of Aceh resulting to the question on the re construction and rehabilitation efforts in the area. The political policy in the state had been considered as one of the most highlighted factor in the rehabilitation problems since it is the only state in the country that applies Islamic law. The application of religious laws on political context can be considered as a point of continuous criticism since it can greatly affect the road to reconstruction of Aceh (Clarke, Fanany,

Classroom Management and Discipline to Accommodate the Needs of a Research Proposal

Classroom Management and Discipline to Accommodate the Needs of a Diverse Student Population - Research Proposal Example Instead, the changing demographics of students require teachers to engage in continuous professional development. The introduction will give an overview of the structure of the essay. Apart from the Introduction, there are three major parts of the essay that builds on the argument that I wish to present. The final part is the conclusion, which summarizes the points I will raise to emphasise my argument. The second section will give a comparative analysis of major theories and philosophical issues in learning and its relationship with classroom management. This discussion with then highlight effective classroom management, specifically those that minimise disruptive behaviours while optimizing learning. This section will examine the relationship of learning theories and classroom management. It will draw out from major philosophical trends that manifest in the relevant literature discussing classroom management. It will touch on behavioural management techniques and learning theories. Based on the previous discussion, I will present what are the contemporary strategies and techniques on classroom management. The strategies will be compared based on the objectives that they aim to address. I will then discuss the impact of context in lesson planning and classroom management. I will discuss the importance of socio-cultural background and justify the need to incorporate these factors in the learning environment. I will discuss the common practices to accommodate and adapt instruction to the diverse needs of the students. This section will provide a critical analysis of the issues relating to addressing the challenge of teaching a diverse population. The conclusion will re-introduce the purpose of the essay and provide a summary of the issues discussed. It will then give a comprehensive overview in support of the argument that I wish to

Sociological Imagination Essay Example for Free

Sociological Imagination Essay The blackboard website will be unavailable between 7PM to midnight on June 29th for maintenance, so please make sure you upload it before 7 PM. Do not wait till last minute. Late assignments will result point deduction or even a zero essay grade. Format: Please submit an electronic word file named â€Å"your full name essay 1†, such as â€Å"JohnSmithessay1†, through blackboard on time. This essay should be 3-4 pages in total, double spaced, 11 point font. Do not directly copy and paste your assignment on blackboard! Choose to attach your assignment word file. Late assignments are not going to be accepted. The sociological imagination enables individuals to see the intimate relationship between the events of history as they occur in human societies and the events of an individuals or familys biography. wrote C. Wright Mills. In this assignment, you are to write up an Essay explaining the connections between your family biography and historical events over the past 50 years. Choose one family members of yours to focus on, such as your grandparents, you parents, your brothers and sisters, or you. Reflect on his or her life and think about how his/her life trajectory is intertwined with the historical changes in the country that you are from. The purpose of this assignment is to for you to apply the sociological imagination to analyze the profound influence that historical and societal contexts have on lives of individuals. Please make sure that you fulfill the following requirements: Clearly state what the personal events are. Explain how these personal events in your family are related to or affected by some of the historical events you listed. Explain in your own words what the sociological imagination is and whether/how it has helped you to better understand the life experiences of your family members. You can refer to the first assigned reading to answer these questions. Before you start your essay, you can do the following exercise on a piece of paper. Please do not include the time line drawing in your essay! It is just used for you to better conceptualize your essay. Draw a time line that begins in the 1960 and ends at the 2013. Above the line you are to identify in chronological order three significant events and/or transitions in the life of you or your family members (such events or transitions are like births, graduations, marriages, divorces, employment changes, income changes, geographic mobility, employment changes, or other changes you can think of). Next, think about the historical and social contexts underlying this particular individual’s life trajectory. What historical or societal events have affected his/her path or life? What historical or societal factors have influenced the important decisions he/she made in his/her life? Below the line identify in chronological order some of these important historical events. Write down the historical events and the time period it occurred or lasted. Such events in the United States include, are not limited to, World War II, the Cold War, the Korean War, the Civil Rights and Womens movements, the Vietnam War, the recession of the 1980s, and etc. Please do not be limited by the events I list here. You are free to choose some historical events that are less well known (such as the development of colon technology, tea party movement and etc.) but you think are influential in your life or the life of the family member that you chose. After you have decided which family member and life events to focus on, write an essay on the relationships between these personal events and some the important historical events in your country. Please note: I am not asking you to write what you or your family were thinking or doing on the day of 911 or the inauguration day of president Obama. You are supposed to write about how these historical events substantially shaped the life trajectory of the particular individual you chose. Your essay will be graded based on how well you answered each question and the overall quality of your assignment. I strongly recommend you read the grading rubric in the appendix carefully before you start. Please organize your thoughts and arguments, present them in a logical manner and explain them in detail. Please proof read papers for typographical and grammatical errors. Appendix 1: excerpts of other students assignments as example The following are some examples from other students assignments. Please learn from them how to apply the sociological perspective to your own life events but do not be constrained by them. (1) During World War II my family underwent some great changes. My grandmother took a second job, working in the woolen mills making army blankets. My grandfather joined the marines and moved his whole family from Ohio to California It was during this time that my grandparents divorced. Divorces are higher during any period of dramatic economic change. Although Im sure my grandparents blamed themselves, their divorce was a product of the economy and society. The same theory holds true for my parents. When they divorced, they blamed themselves, wondering what each had done wrong, as I did. When I look at what was happening in the economy, the similarities [with my grandparents] are easy to see. The nation- wide divorce rate was up dramatically and the economy was beginning to take a terrible turn for the worse. (2)When people ask me why I enrolled in college a year ago, I usually answered that I enrolled because I wanted to. I realize now that my answer cannot be quite that simple. Because my family doctor believed that the pill was finally proven safe in 1963, I was able to plan my family. In doing so, my son and daughter are nearly raised and I am still young enough to pursue a second career. More than any other factor, though, the womens movement probably was the greatest influence on my decision. The successes of the movement in social equality have given me the necessary courage and confidence to attempt to be more than a mere shadow of my husbands social position. Appendix 2: grading rubric Sociological Understanding (40%) The essay should apply key sociological concepts, ideas, theories learned in class correctly and properly to analyze related topics. Assertions in the essay must be supported by evidence (from texts or from data) that is logically related to the thesis. Coverage (30%) The essay must be clearly based on readings and topics related to the course. Essays that are simple summaries of sources are adequate, but will not get the highest grades. The essay should answer all the required questions in the essay guideline. If you fail to answer any questions, some points will be deducted. However, you should organize the essay in a way that it flows smoothly. Do not just list your answers to each question. Originality (10%) The essay should be original. Originality does not mean that you must be the first to think or write something, but that you take different sources and write about them using your point of view. Originality is entailed in taking your sources and forging them into an essay in your voice. Summarizing sources will be adequate, but not very original. Papers written by you and previously submitted to other courses are not original for this course. Such recycled papers will get a failing grade. Copying directly from internet without citing properly is considered plagiarism and will result in a failing grade. What is plagiarism? Writing Quality (10%) Words and constructions should be chosen with care. Statements should be direct and clear.w The essay should contain no errors of sentence structure, spelling, word choice, or punctuation. If you have difficulty writing or English is your second language you should tell me at the beginning of the semester. Im not a writing teacher, but I will do what I can to help you become a better writer. You should also seek help at the Writing Center. Every paper must have a title and the authors name, either at the top of the first page or on a separate title page. All citations and references must be in ASA, APA or MLA format. The general tone of the essay should be academic and professional. Good writing often sounds like well-organized thoughtful conversation. I do not want you to imitate the turgid academic writing found in some sociology journals. I want you to write with a level of sophistication appropriate for well-educated college students.

John Updikes A&P Essay -- English Literature

John Updike's A&P Many of the events that take place in John Updike's "A&P" would not have happened had the town lived under a Marxist society. Marxism is a socio-economic ideal where all people work for the good of the community and is characterized by not having any social class distinctions. The division of Classes in "A&P" is very apparent, especially between Sammy, the protagonist and first person narrator, and the three girls, one of the three antagonists, who walk into the store during the exposition. There is also a cast disparity between Sammy and Lengel, the store manager and another antagonist (along with society, who complete the three). A distinction is also noticeable between the three girls and the rest of the shoppers in the convenience store. The story is told entirely in flashback and is set in a grocery store in a town north of Boston, Massachusetts during one Thursday in summer. During the exposition we learn that Sammy is working one of the cash registers. Later in the story we are told that he is 19 years old and by his description of how his parents treat company we can assume he comes from a middle class family. We are lead to believe during Sammys narration that the three girls, on the other hand, come from a rich or high societal background. The way Queenie is described by Sammy as having prima-donna legs and walking slow while holding herself straight paints a portrait of a high society woman. The fact that Sammy calls her prim twice also leads us in that direction. Sammy looks up to Queenie because she is different and places her on a higher level than the "sheep" in the store. When Sammy quits his job, creating a conflict between he and Lengel, his motive is to become the .. ...ls us she was embarrassed by the whole situation-where she felt out of place because of her high stature in society. These scenes, of course, would never have taken place in Marxist cultures because the government would have provided for it's citizens and the girls would have never found themselves being humiliated in front of a lesser class of people. All the conflicts that take place in Updike's "A&P" would have been avoided in a Marxist society. Lengel and Sammy would have never had a confrontation because Sammy would not have been trying to impress a high society girl. Likewise, the three girls would not have found themselves shopping for a snack in the A&P because the government would have provided it for them. This leaves us with one question, however, In a Marxist society, would Sammy have realized his adulthood or would he have remained a child?

Introduction to Conflict Resolution Essay

â€Å"Conflict is one of the drivers for improved team performance. Managed well, conflict can lead to better decisions, more creative ideas and higher quality output from the team. Managed badly, it can stop teamwork and hinder individuals from achieving their personal goals. † (Conflict Resolution: For Team Members (n. d. ) taken from TeamTechnology. co. uk http://www. teamtechnology. com. uk/conflictresolution. html) The assignment presents a situation in which a conflict occurred and what happened. Also, the assignment discusses on what should have been done and which was the wronged party. The conflict presented is between the two groups of the recruits that are undergoing training in the VP-92 navy P-3 squadron. The recruits were divided into two groups for a mock target attack mission: one was responsible for identification of the targets and informing the other group about the location of the targets and the second group was supposed to strike the targets. The problem arose when the area surrounding the vessel was foggy and the targets could not be identified clearly by the first group. Hence, the second group, whose performance was dependent on the first group, could not aim and shoot the targets. This was followed by an argument and a ‘conflict’ between the two groups which was resolved by the officers. Then the writer says which side he would have chosen and why and what actions he would have taken. The conflict, however small it was, was genuine and both the parties were justified and neither one is to be blamed. Title: Introduction to Conflict Resolution Part I – The Organization The organisation that is to be discussed below is VP-92. It is navy P-3 Squadron where the navy conducts its operations. The navy also provides training to its new recruits. â€Å"A Navy is the branch of a country’s military forces principally designated for naval warfare, namely lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includes operations conducted by surface vessels (ships), submarine vessels, and seaborne aviation, as well as ancillary support, communications, training, and other fields; recent developments have included space-related operations. â€Å" (en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Navy) Part II – The Conflict The conflict at VP-92 was between two groups of the marine crew at an assignment of mock target attack mission. One group, consisting of five crew-members, was responsible for identifying targets to be hit, while the other group, also consisting of five crew men, was responsible for hitting the targets in the assigned target areas to them. The conflict arose when the group that was supposed to identify targets could not identify the targets to be hit on time due to the fog and mist that was blurring their visibility and making it hard for them to locate their targets. As the targets could not be identified on time, the group that was supposed to strike the targets could not perform their duties on time. As a result a conflict arose between the two groups. Basically the ‘striker’s work depended on the ‘identifiers’ and the second group could not perform well because ‘identifiers’ had a problem with identifying the targets. The ‘strikers’ could not rightly strike their targets and their aim was wrong and not rightly focused. Hence, they put all the blame of their bad performance on the first group. Part III – Choose a Side I choose to be on the side of the group that could not properly identify their targets due to the bad weather and the mist that was blurring their view and became a hindrance to performing well. How Was it Managed? The group that was supposed to identify the targets in the mock target attack mission, informed the other group about the weather situation. However, when they persisted that targets should be identified, the assignment was not called off. The ‘ identifiers’ were asked to continue with their searching, which they did but spent a lot of time due to the lack of clarity of vision causes by fog. However, when the ‘strikers’ could not rightly strike their targets, they blamed the ‘identifiers’ for wrongly identifying their targets and also spending a lot of time on searching for targets. I think the conflict was very much genuine and there were no personal reasons for this conflict. The conflict was substantive because the group that was supposed to locate the targets to be struck could not be identified due to external factors such as the weather. Another reason may also have been the location of the ship where the fog was more and the targets were not visible. There was no negative impact on the goal attainment of the organisation or even the personal/ working relationships between the two groups. Since this was a mock assignment that’s aim was to train the new recruits in the navy to properly identify and aim their targets. In my view, the weather condition provided a flavor of the real target attack missions faced by the navy. The goal of this assignment would have been achieved if both the groups became experts in their tasks in variable whether conditions. However, expertise comes with practice and experience. Hence, I think this assignment and conflict was the first step towards attaining the goal. Even though this conflict arose out of a blame game for the two groups, one blaming the weather and the other blaming the first group, the argument was purely professional and not personal. There was a heated debate between the two groups, but this ended when the officers arrived after few minutes to give their remarks. After both the groups had presented their points of view to the officers, they were told that it was a part of the navy life and the navy assignments and no particular group was to be blamed for the failure to aim the target properly. Hence, this argument did not produce any hard feelings between the groups.