BRITTA WATER FILTER DECISION SHEET

1. Problem: Couric has to take a decision as to what strategy to adopt in order to make Britta a
market leader in household filtration products. This has been caused due to large number of
innovations leading to :(a) PT filter becoming technologically inferior product as compared to The FT filter made by
PUR.
(b)P&G taking over control of PUR thereby the rival company has a Cash inflow.
2. Immediate action.
(a) Survey. Carry out survey to determine :(i)

Loss in sales by launch of new product by PUR.

(ii)

Details of sales of rival products including trends

(iii)

Consumer attitudes towards filtration system, bottled water and tap water.

(iv)

To determine why consumers have discontinued the use of the PT type filter
after the initial purchase and what alternatives have been chosen by them

(b) R&D. Invest in R&D to focus on removal of contaminants and other chemicals as
indicated in the PUR advt. Redesign the existing PT design with newer technology to
add indicative mechanism to indicate filter replacement time
3. Options Available. Based on the results of the survey consider the various alternatives
(a) Withdraw from Filtration business or continue with old PT design.
(b) Redesign the existing PT design and relaunch in market along with a different
advertisement campaign.
(c) Launch new FT model under new name along with new improved design of PT +
Advertisement campaign.
(d) Launch new FT model under old name along with new improved design of PT +
Advertisement campaign.
(e) Launch new FT model and withdraw old PT design with large discounts to users of
PT for changeover to Britta FT + advertisement Campaign.
4. Decision matrix

Pro
s

Con
s

Option A

Option B

Option C

Option D

Option E

Prevent
further
losses

Regain
all
customers
familiar with
Britta
name
and
trust
associated

will
challenge
rival
product
immediately

Britta
brand will
give instant
recognition

Save on R&D and

production costs of
old model

Large budget
required
for
spreading
awareness via

As new name,
product
acceptance
will
be slower.

Initial
inertia will
be there till
campaign
(iii)

Reduced
revenue
when
compared
with option D

Loss
of
revenue
from
product

No
royalty
to
Britta Germany

Acceptance of new

advertisement
s

picks up

FT type filter by
customer
not
known

5. Following best course of action emerges from the above.

Launch new FT model under old name along with new improved design of PT +
Advertisement campaign.
6. Advertisement.
(a)Play on the fear of tap water of the consumers as done in the early days. Remind them
that tap water has impurities and Britta removed them. Using the Britta filter is
therefore cost effective vis--vis bottled water.
(b) View Bottled water sales going up phenomenally, rethink on the advertisement
campaign of Water transformed with positioning in a waterfall with emphasis on taste,
purity and cost with unlimited supply compared to the other two rivals especially
bottled water.