Aquapax Case Study For a product concept that began amidst a culture of religious fervour, as seventecnth century pilgrims bottled water from religious wells to take home as holy relies, the public perception of bottled water has undergone a dramatic transformation since its origin. If sits now in an increasingly politicised conext, as ingrained cultural assumptions battle with cnvironmental and ethical concems. Aquapax Aquapax, the product of entreprencur Neil Tomlinson's frustration at disaster relicf after the 2004 Indian Occan tstanami, positions itself as a constructive coenpromise in this particularly divisive market. Tomlinson deseribes his motivation to create his water storage innosation, and the necessity of becoming a lone catrepteneur rather than working within his previoes corporate structure: "I war on holiday with my wife and family when the 'fors' tslaw tsinami foodage appeared on our 7 bock on 26 December 2004. The powerful imagos made me feel both guilty and helpless when my concidered plans to lend a hasd to ehtis luster basel' hamanitarian crisis were waved wiehin the corporate stracture of my then employer." In order to sce his product through, Tomlinson realised that he required an covironment that gave him both aulonomy and creative freodom. He left bis employer, and began working with the Suswex Innovation Centre, whe were able to peovide him with reiources, conections and a creative cnvironment that allowed him to develop his concepe: "This led me to work on a disposabe portable water contaiecr sadtahe for lons-term storage. with comperhensive intcgrity in terms of function and curbon footprint. This became a nour obseseion and developed shimatdy into my mission of lananching a premaitam coesamer brand called AQLAPAX, Bottled water is an integral part of diesster relief, as other water sources can be essily contaminated of their structural integrity compromised. There is an unpleasant irony in this: natural disaster relief requires the use of a product that is in itself severely damaging to the environment. As Tomlinson describes, 'It takes mose water to produce a plastic water bottle than that bottle is physically capable of holding*. Further, significant levels of non-renewable oil are requined to produce the plastic. The water inside a plastic water bottle might have becn sourced frum within the ame country that it is being distributed, but the oil and water neeled to probace the plastic will almost certainly have bees soureed at a high ccological (and potentially ethical) cost, most likely from the Middie Fast. Tomlissoa rocognined an opportunity tw create an aliemative that would be of value to both disaster relief providers and botted water consumers. Aqupax cartoos are made from mosly paper. sourced from sustainably managed ferests in Northem Europe. Ethical Consumcrism Aquapax is marketed as a product for cthical concumers, with the narrative of Neil's personal entreprencurial joumry taking proedence. On boh these fronts, Aqupax is jostling for a niche withn the bothled water industry. Tonliaion accepts that his aliemative to plastic bottled water, Aquapax, is not the best eption, rather. it is a good altemative. In his own words, 'there's nothing wreng with tap water, but all the while demand for botted waser was going mad. If yoe can't beat the maket, then you can chanke it." Aquapax is positioned as your enviroementalist friend, who usdentands that yoe won't always make the best decision, but encourages you to make beter enck. Aquapax has even offered tips en the best way to buy aater thereby re-negotiating their particanchip of the botiled water industry, and positioning themselves as a aurhoritative ostsidar 'on a mision to colocite the public by sharing sonse handy tips on how to select mineral-water". The isue here is that botaled water of any kind is in itself ethically debions. Aquapax offers value to ethical consumen forced to make occanional distress water purchases, and to regular bouled water drimkers intrigued by the marketing and the sense of satisfistion attributed to feelisg that they ate being ethical without the noed to change their habits. Aquapax is an isnevation much like kerb side recycling schemes; offering a positive change in behaviouns with very little actual impoct on the consumer's lifestyle. Adupted from lohn liswsint July 15th, 2015 Answer all four questions listed below as part of your ascesiment. Qucstions 1. Ncil Temelinson is stack for new ideas to help grow Aquapax business. Using a search strategy develop a list of opportunities that Aquapax ceuld pursae 2. Discuss two stratcgics for innovation that he could we to drive creativity in the business 3. Ia the case stedy it is stated that 'botded water of any kind is in itself cthically dubious". How would you sugged that Acoapax deal with this ethical issue as they move forward? 4. Discuss bow Aquapax can use networks to its advantage