3 Due to changes in consumer behaviour or where perhaps there has
been of a failure of the original positioning a third alternative can be
considered which is to reposition the brand. Campari has recently been
re-launched in an effort to shake off its 1970s image as endorsed by
Lorraine Chase. The new repositioning has a more macho feel, it even
includes a notorious London underworld character ‘Mad’ Frankie
Fraser in the advert. Both the soft drink Tango and the snack Pot
Noodle have successfully been repositioned in recent years. However,
repositioning can be difficult to achieve and there are several examples
of brands that have been less successful at moving their position.
Babycham, originally a product aimed specifically for the female mar-
ket, abandoned the famous deer symbol and the trademark green bot-
tle for a more masculine image in 1993. By May 1997 it revived both the
bottle and the Babycham deer and went back to its original more
female-orientated positioning.
There are alternative views on the correct approach to successful product/
brand positioning. One view is that an organisation should identify one
unique selling proposition (USP) for a product and concentrate purely on
that aspect. The whole focus of this approach is to be seen as the brand
leader on that key attribute. For example, Gortex fabric is seen as the lead-
ing fabric for breathable, waterproof, lightweight clothing material. The
most effective USPs are based on quality, service, price, value or advanced
technology (Ries and Trout, 1981).
An alternative approach to stressing a USP, based on a functional aspect
of the product, is to concentrate on an emotional selling proposition (ESP).
The product can be distanced from functionally similar rivals by appeal-
ing to unique emotional associations. An example of this is Alpha
Romeo’s positioning on the heritage and image of the traditional Italian
sports car.
Both these approaches stress one key aspect of the product, however
there is a view that more than one factor can be used to position a product.
As has been mentioned earlier, Volvo is positioned on safety and the com-
patible factor of durability. Whichever approach is taken, there are a num-
ber of positioning mistakes that can be made by an organisation:● Underpositioning: In this situation consumers have only a very limited
perception of the brand and are unaware of any distinguishing
features.
● Overpositioning: Consumers have a perception that the brand is only
active in a very focused area, when in fact the brand covers a much
broader product range.
● Confused: Consumers have an unclear view of how the brand relates to
competitive offerings.Positioning is concerned with establishing an organisation’s product in
the mind of a customer, in a position relative to other products in the mar-
ket. Inevitably, therefore, making decisions about branding strategy will
be a crucial aspect of this process.194 Strategic Marketing: Planning and Control