from rival products. When repositioning companies can change aspects
of the product, change the brands target market or both. This gives four
repositioning options (see Figure 9.14):
Targeting, positioning and brand strategy 207Image
repositioningMarket
repositioningProduct
repositioningTotal
repositioningFigure 9.14
Alternative options
available for brand
repositioning1 Image repositioning: This takes place when both the product and the tar-
get market remain unchanged. The aim is to change the image of the
product in its current target market. In the early 1990s Adidas were seen
as reliable but dull. The company created an image of ‘street credibility’
in an attempted to reposition the brand to appeal to the consumer in the
sports shoe market. Tango, the Britvic soft drink, has been transformed
during the 1990s from a minor UK brand into a brand showing dynamic
growth. This has been achieved by creating an anarchic image for the
product through a major promotional re-launch that was aimed to
appeal to consumers in the critical 16–24-year-old age group.
2 Market repositioning: Here the product remains unchanged but it is
repositioned to appeal to a new market segments. Lucozade a brand of
carbonated glucose drink was originally targeted as a product for indi-
viduals suffering from illness, particularly children. In recent years it
has been repositioned as an isotonic drink at young adults undertak-
ing sporting activities.
3 Product repositioning: In this situation the product is materially
changed but is still aimed to appeal to the existing target market. In the
early 1990s Castlemaine XXXX larger was altered with its alcohol con-
tent being increased from 3.7 per cent to 3.9 per cent for pub sales and
4 per cent for cans sold in supermarkets. The packaging was also
changed as the size of can was changed from 440 to 500 ml. These