brand repositioning

“BRAND REPOSITIONING”

What is brand?

According to AMA (American Marketing Association)

a brand is a “name, term, sign, symbol, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller of group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competition.

According to Kevin Lane Keller

Whenever a marketer creates a new name, logo, or symbol for a new product, he or she has created a brand.

According to Philip Kotler

Positioning is the act of designing the company’s offering and image to occupy a distinctive place in the minds of the target market.

Definition of brand repositioning

Brand Repositioning is changing the positioning of a brand. A particular positioning statement may not work with a brand.

Brand positioning and repositioning deals with the mind of consumer. Brand repositioning is more complex as it has to take into account the perception already created in the consumers' minds. (S. Ramesh Kumar-The writer is Professor of Marketing, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.)

Why brand repositioning?

Brand repositioning is required because of several reasons:

· When new offerings flood the market, the superiority of the established brand has to be re-emphasized

· The established brands may not be able to offer either the same features or the variants that are being offered by the new brands (Ambassador and Robin Blue). Hence, there is a need for them to reposition themselves in a timely manner, relying more on the consumer goodwill they enjoy or by exploring ways to appeal to the consumers

· When a contemporary image is required in some categories because of changing psychographics

· When brands desire to change their target segment (rarely)

· When brands want to communicate improved offerings

· When motivation to buy products in the category is low

Types of repositioning

After examining the repositioning of several brands from the Indian market, the following 9 types of repositioning have been identified. These are:

Types of repositioning After examining the repositioning of several brands from the Indian market, the following 9 types of repositioning have been identified. These are:

1. Increasing relevance to the consumer

Kelvinator – the coolest one- now- designed by housewife

2. Increasing occasions for use

Titan – watch with elegance – now –watches as gift

3. Making the brand serious

Cadbury 5 star – togetherness bar-now- energizer for young achiever

4. Falling sales

Ambassador – rugged road master-now- A member of the family

5. Bringing in new customers

Red ever day- focus on battery now-focus on user

6. Making the brand contemporary

Onida TV – neighbor’s envy, our pride-now-world’s envy, our pride

7. Differentiate from other brands

Minto- adult candy- now- all mint no hole

8. Changed market conditions.

Horlicks- milk additives- now-nutrition

9. Search for viable Position

Centure – the hotel with style- now- the hotel for business class

1. Important points for repositioning

1. Your brand has a bad, confusing or nonexistent image.

2. The primary benefit your brand “owns” has evolved from a differentiating benefit to a cost-of-entry benefit.

3. Your organization is significantly altering its strategic direction.

4. Your organization is entering new businesses and the current positioning is no longer appropriate.
5. A new competitor with a superior value proposition enters your industry.

6. Competition has usurped your brand's position or rendered it ineffectual.

7. Your organization has acquired a very powerful proprietary advantage that must be worked into the brand positioning.

8. Corporate culture renewal dictates at least a revision of the brand personality