Successful brand repositioning examples designed to reach a greater consumer audience
Reputation management is often a challenge for brands. If a brand has established itself as a big business, consumers may write them off as impersonal. A personal connection is what allows smaller challenger brands to take market share from their established competitors. By focusing on connecting with consumers, brands of any size can reposition themselves in the marketplace both online and in the shopping aisle.
Successful Brand Repositioning Example #1: Campbell’s Bets on Transparency
Consumers want transparency from brands. Specifically, 94% of consumers report they would remain loyal to brands with transparent principles. Keeping all business practices open isn’t easy for large brands, but Campbell’s managed this to do so leveraging the digital space.
Successful Brand Repositioning Example #2: Hallmark Trades on Brand Equity
Hallmark serves as an excellent example of brand endurance in a changing market. The brand has been around for more than a century and has seen significant paradigm shifts from its early days as a simple greeting card company, to its current status as a multi-brand conglomerate. In 2014, Hallmark’s movie channel was floundering. They chose to reposition it to reach more consumers by changing the tagline and adding a new focus: mysteries.
Successful Brand Repositioning Example #3: CoverGirl Updates Its Tagline
In 2017, CoverGirl faced shifting attitudes in the cosmetics industry. No longer just an everyday product for women, some consumers began using cosmetics as a means of self-expression. The 60-year-old “Easy, Breezy, Beautiful” tagline didn’t do enough to reach the growing pool of diverse consumers. As such, the brand shifted its focus with a new tagline: “I Am What I Make Up.”
Successful Brand Repositioning Example #4: Clorox Targets Aggressive Growth
Many brands failed to make the transition to digital because they became too comfortable with the status quo. These brands had successful products and loyal users. However, even the simplest of products need reinvigoration to stay relevant. Leaders of the Clorox brand understand and embrace the need to innovate, even with items as basic as household cleaners. It’s recent “2020 Strategy” is a three-pronged approach which combines:
Co-branded product development:
One way that Clorox expanded its presence was by collaborating on products with other well-known brands. A few examples of these strategies include Clorox with Scentiva and Fresh Step cat litter with Febreze. By combining brands, Clorox created awareness across multiple markets and solidified their overall household product lead.
Digital advertising initiatives:
Almost half of Clorox’s marketing budget goes to digital initiatives designed to increase online awareness. So far, online sales bring in only 5% of the brand’s revenue, but it’s also the fastest growing segment for sales. The brand’s efforts to expand online marketing have helped it gain a greater e-commerce foothold which will drive sales in years to come.
Brand equity investment:
Clorox has the benefit of strong brand equity. This equity is critical in household goods, where consumers tend to stay loyal. The brand reported reaching two million new households in 2017. This result indicates that the focus on staying true to the Clorox brand through integrated marketing strategies is paying off.
Successful Brand Repositioning Example #5: Walmart Uses Digital Initiatives in Stores
Brick-and-mortar retailers faced challenging times when the internet turned into the source for all products, even lower cost CPG items. However, Walmart didn’t abandon its brick-and-mortar locations to focus entirely on digital sales. Instead, it tied the digital and physical together through its mobile initiatives. The brand focused on convenience features for consumers such as:
Store maps:
The retailer offers an option to view location maps to find items at its stores easily. New maps are added regularly, as they have more than 4,600 locations to digitize. Through digital mapping, the brand improves the customer experience while limiting work for associates.
List building:
Consumers can create an in-store shopping list to better budget their time and their grocery money. They can gain information on product deals and discounts and easily locate in-stock items across various locations.
Third-party app partnerships:
Partnering with third-party app developers like Shopkick allows Walmart to reach new audiences who don’t typically use the retailer’s proprietary apps. It also expands the kinds of apps the retailer can offer, as consumers may use several shopping apps while in the store or online.
Specialty department integration:
Consumers can get details on Walmart Photo Centers, Auto Care Centers, and Pharmacies. They can also review availability for Rug Doctor rentals. This integration serves to cross-market these niche businesses within the store ecosystem.
Successful Brand Repositioning Example #6: Amazon Embraces Shopping Innovations
When compared to other examples, Amazon is a young company. However, that youth doesn’t trump its need to innovate. Amazon, through the development of its smart speaker and Alexa digital assistant, has disrupted the industry by creating a new means of online shopping: voice ordering. The retailer also partnered with the popular social media platform Snapchat to take advantage of image-based search.
The voice ordering market has been slow to take off, but it’s rife with potential. Smart speakers have not fully penetrated US households. As they do, voice ordering is expected to explode in value. The industry could account for up to $40 billion in sales by 2022. Amazon, being the primary purveyor of smart speakers, is set to profit exponentially from this trend.
Successful Brand Repositioning Example #7: Bloomin’ Brands Integrates Rewards
Customer loyalty programs are nothing new in regard to hospitality. However, integrated programs that allow consumers to dine at a variety of locations are. Bloomin’ Brands, the parent company of Bonefish Grill, Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Barn offers consumers a consolidated rewards program.
The company doesn’t just use the loyalty program to drive visits. Instead, their focus on servicing the 4.6 million users of the app is to gain data. Through it, the brand can discover what encourages consumers to visit specific locations. They can also use this information to guide future marketing initiatives and keep members alerted to promotions.
