Brand Makeover: Repositioning in a Dynamic Environment

– Prof. S Ramesh Kumar
Marketing area, IIM Bangalore

Brand Repositioning is a broad- based concept. Even an introduction of a brand variant same category, (for instance Ethnix from Raymond’s) or a variant in a related category hair oil and face wash in cosmetics), is likely to have an impact on the original associate developed for the respective brand. The consumer’s sub-conscious mind also plays an important role in their perception of brand associations.

• Cadbury during the nineties, transformed its Dairy Milk chocolate’s associations to appeal to young adults when the offering was associated with children for decades.

• Lifebuoy soap, at the dawn of the century introduced Lifebuoy Gold positioned to attract teen -age girls. There was another variant of the brand that focused on urban youngsters. Would such variants affect the perception of Lifebuoy in the minds of consumers?

• Moov repositioned Iodex in the balm segment by highlighting its nonsticky proposition (over Iodex).

• Fair & Lovely cream’s name being changed to Glow &Lovely.

Which of these examples indicate brand repositioning?

Brand Repositioning is associated with any change in any aspect of a brand’ s original associations. Such changes impacts the perceptual field of consumers with respect to the brand. These changes can be associated with a new ad or a new variant or with any aspect of the marketing mix elements.

Repositioning a brand is almost inevitable in a dynamic marketing environment with or without digital marketing. Sunfeast Dark Fantasy’s biscuits AI based campaign, enabled consumers to customize the ad with celebrity Shah Rukh Khan. This is also a repositioning exercise because it not only fosters the association with a celebrity; consumers would also feel that the brand (in a mundane category) is into personalization using technology.

Need for Brand Repositioning

• Changes in the environment. Bata a well-known brand in the Indian context that has been used by generations of consumers repositioned itself to connect with consumers of the present era

• Competitive pressures. Nokia was an early pioneering brand in the category of mobile phones . The brand still exists with higher end offerings. For a moment think of the spontaneous associations that come to your mind when you compare Nokia with Samsung/ iPhone/One Plus/ Google.

• Changes in consumer tastes/preferences. Chocolates and cream biscuits were associated with children through several decades. This is no longer the case and brands target several adult segments. Cadbury Silk has a romantic association and Celebrations targets families on festive occasions with a brand imagery that is distinct from Silk. Watches continue to be sold (in this era of mobiles) as an extension of one’s personality or with a host of features.

• Evolving technology. Nike was a shoe brand and today it is a fitness brand with state of the art features. Mobile phone category that has become indispensable for several daily tasks, other than being used as a phone is another example. As brands proliferate in a category that evolves with technology, repositioning becomes a prerequisite for every brand in the category .Household paints , sportswear and household lighting are examples of mundane categories in which brands attempt to change the perception of consumers through appropriate repositioning. Aesthetic appeal besides functional utility is another dimension oftechnology (foldable phones and slim watches are examples).

• Changing lifestyles and values. Is gender empowerment important for a detergent or watch or biscuits? Social and cultural changes over time reflect the need for repositioning brands as appropriate. Lifestyle changes over time herald progressive values and these are reflected by brand associations. Brands may become ideological brands.(Raga watches advocate self-reliance, individuality and a self- concept that is non- conformist in nature. Ariel’s (detergent)“Share the load” campaign broke the stereotypical image of housewives being associated with washing clothes as a part of the household chore and signaled gender equality. Marie Light (Sunfeast brand) biscuits repositioned itself on the relationship platform advocating both the husband and the wife’s names in the nameplate at home.

• Image of the product-line. Nestle was associated with the controversy on sugary baby food (Cerelac) being marketed in developing countries while the company’s offerings of baby foods in the west were healthier options with respect to sugar content. Nestle decided to launch several sugarless variants in India (14 out of 21 variants of Cerelac will be introduced without refined sugar) . Asit can be observed the relaunch (repositioning) of sugarless baby foods is likely to enhance the image of the company (and its associated brands). Hence when a company markets a product line of offerings, the context may require the repositioning of the product line.

• Brand Transgressions. Brand repositioning may be required when a brand (especially when well- known brands commit mistakes that involve product quality or even cultural values) . Cadbury had to reposition itself with a film celebrity known for his perceived credibility amongst consumers (Amitabh Bachchan) after its “worm in the chocolate” episode. Maggi noodles from Nestle was involved in a major controversy when lead and other harmful chemicals were found in the samples. Maggi had to reposition itself as appropriate and the mother-daughter campaign that was developed with the theme of nostalgia was one of the campaigns associated with the repositioning of the brand after it’s debacle.

• Reinforcing the premium image. Rolex watches have a global reputation for its functionality and prestige. The word Perpetual appears on the dial of every Rolex watch. In 1931, the brand invented and patented the world’s first self- winding mechanism with a Perpetual rotor (which is still used in every automatic watch of the brand). The brand created a Perpetual Excellence campaign highlighting the brand’s pursuit of excellence in everything it does and the theme was implemented in a variety of formats in print , digital channels (short films) ,digital content and TV . Rolex sponsors hundreds of events, organizations and persons in the fields of sports, art, entertainment,culture and exploration and these initiatives emphasize the legendary nature of the brand. The repositioning initiative had taken these sponsorships into consideration.

The list of repositioning contexts is not exhaustive.

Artificial intelligence, machine learning and other marketing technologies are prerequisites for any brand to even survive in today’s context. But using such tools for timely brand repositioning will continue to be within the preserve of adept brand managers.

Source: ET Brand Equity