Managing Brands Over Time_CHPTR_7

7/29/2019 Managing Brands Over Time_CHPTR_7

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MANAGING BRANDS OVER TIME

One of the challenges in managing brands is the many changes thathave occurred in the marketing environment in recent years.

Undoubtedly, the marketing environment will continue to evolve andchange, often in very significant ways, in the coming years. Shifts inconsumer behavior, competitive strategies, government regulations,or other aspects of the marketing environment can profoundly affectthe fortunes of a brand. Besides these external forces, the firm itselfmay engage in a variety of activities and changes in strategic focusor direction that may necessitate minor or major adjustments in theway that its brands are being marketed. Consequently, effectivebrand management requires proactive strategies designed to atleast maintain - if not actually enhance - customer-based brand

equity in the face of all of these different forces.

Reinforcing BrandsThe advantage of creating a brand with a high level of awarenessand a positive brand image is that many benefits may accrue to thefirm in terms of cost savings and revenue opportunities. Marketingprograms can be designed that primarily attempt to capitalize on orperhaps even maximize these benefits - for example, by reducingadvertising expenses, seeking increasingly higher price premiums, or

introducing numerous brand extensions. The more that there is anattempt to realize or capitalize on brand equity benefits, however,the more likely it is that the brand and its sources of equity maybecome neglected and perhaps diminished in the process. In otherwords, marketing actions that attempt to leverage the equity of abrand in different ways may come at the expense of other activitiesthat may help to fortify the brand by maintaining or enhancing itsawareness and image.

At some point, failure to fortify the brand will diminish brandawareness and weaken brand image. Without these sources of brandequity, the brand itself may not continue to yield as valuablebenefits. Just as a failure to properly maintain a car eventuallyaffects its performance, so too neglecting a brand, for whateverreason can catch up with marketers.

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Reinforcing brand meaning may depend on the nature of brandassociations involved. Several specific considerations play aparticularly important role in reinforcing brand meaning in terms ofproduct-related performance and non-product-related imagery

associations, as follows.Product-Related Performance AssociationsFor brands whose core associations are primarily product-relatedperformance attributes or benefits, innovation in product design,manufacturing, and merchandising is especially critical tomaintaining or enhancing brand equity. For example, after Timexwatched brands such as Casio and Swatch gain significant marketshare by emphasizing digital technology and fashion (respectively) intheir watches, it made a number of innovative marketing changes.

Within a short period of time, Timex introduced Indiglo glow-in-thedark technology, showcased popular new models such as theIronman in mass media advertising, and launched new Timex storesto showcase its products. Timex also bought the Guess and Monetwatch brands to distribute through upscale department stores andexpand its brand portfolio. These innovations in product design andmerchandising have significantly revived the brand's fortunes.

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Non-Product Related Imagery AssociationsFor brands whose core associations are primarily non-product-relatedattributes and symbolic or experiential benefits, relevance in userand usage imagery is critical. Because of their intangible nature,

non-product-related associations may be potentially easier tochange, for example, through a major new advertising campaign thatcommunicates a different type of user or usage situation.Nevertheless, ill-conceived or too-frequent repositioning can blur theimage of a brand and confuse or perhaps even alienate consumers.

In categories in which advertising plays a key role in building brandequity, imagery may be an important means of differentiation. Forexample, in the soft drinks category, millions of dollars in advertisingare spent to craft an image for a brand. Consequently, ad campaigns

have become a valuable branding tool in terms of crafting a brandimage.

It is particularly dangerous to flip-flop between product-relatedperformance and non-product-related imagery associations becauseof the fundamentally different marketing and advertising approacheseach entails. Consider Heineken. Earlier ads showed simple scenes ofthe bottle or people peacefully drinking the beer, backed by theslogan "Just being the best is enough." Subsequent ads, in an

attempt to make the brand more hip and contemporary, were muchartierfeaturing a bright red star logoand had a more prominentlifestyle component. Perhaps as a result of being too much of adeparture, the ads failed to really drive sales.

Significant repositioning may be dangerous for other reasons too.Brand images can be extremely sticky, and once consumers formstrong brand associations, they may be difficult to change.Consumers may choose to ignore or simply be unable to rememberthe new positioning when strong, but different, brand-associationsalready exist in memory. Club Med has attempted for years totranscend its image as a vacation romp for swingers to attract abroader cross-section of people.

For dramatic repositioning strategies to work, convincing new brandclaims must be presented in a compelling fashion. One brand thatsuccessfully shifted from a primarily non-product-related image to a

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primarily product-related image is BMW. Uniformly decreed to be thequintessential "yuppie" vehicle of the 1980s, sales of the branddropped almost in half from 1986 to 1991 as new Japanesecompetition emerged and a backlash to the "Greed Decade" set in.

Convinced that high status was no longer a sufficiently desirable andsustainable position, marketing and advertising efforts switched thefocus to BMW's product developments and improvements, such asthe responsive performance, distinctive styling, and leading-edgeengineering of the cars. These efforts, showcased in well-designedads, helped to diminish the "yuppie" association, and by 1995 saleshad approached their earlier peak.

Reinforcing brand equity requires consistency in the amount andnature of the supporting marketing program for the brand. Although

the specific tactics may change, the key sources of equity for thebrand should be preserved and amplified where appropriate. Productinnovation and relevance are paramount in maintaining continuityand expanding the meaning of the brand.

Revitalizing BrandsChanges in consumer tastes and preferences, the emergence of newcompetitors or new technology, or any new development in themarketing environment can potentially affect the fortunes of abrand. In virtually every product category, there are examples ofonce prominent and admired brands that have fallen on hard timesor, in some cases, even completely disappeared. Nevertheless, anumber of these brands have managed to make impressivecomebacks in recent years as marketers have breathed new life intotheir customer franchises. Brands such a Reader's Digest, BostonMarket, Coach, and Bally have all seen their brand fortunessuccessfully turned around to varying degrees in recent years.

As these examples illustrate, brands sometimes have had to returnto their roots to recapture lost sources of equity. In other cases, themeaning of the brand has had to fundamentally change to regainlost ground and recapture market leadership. Reversing a fadingbrand's fortunes thus requires either lost sources of brand equity tobe recaptured or new sources of brand equity to be identified andestablished. Regardless of which approach is taken, brands on the

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comeback trail have to make more "revolutionary" changes than the"evolutionary" changes to reinforce brand meaning.

Often, the first place to look in turning around the fortunes of a

brand is the original sources of brand equity. The brands most likelyto respond to revitalization efforts are those that have clear andrelevant values that have been left dormant for a long time, have notbeen well expressed in the marketing and communications recently,have been violated by product problems, cost reductions, and so on.Where there is evidence that these values exist and that they wereindeed a part of the brand's magnetism during healthier days, thenchances of revitalization are good. If you find that the brand reallydoes not have any strong values, chances are that the product orbusiness strength in the past was a function simply of performance

and spending characteristics and that, in fact, according to our defi-nition, it never really became a true brand. Bringing these brandsback to life is more like starting from scratch. It really isn'trevitalization.

In profiling brand knowledge structures to guide repositioning, it isimportant to accurately and completely characterize the breadth anddepth of brand awareness; the strength, favorability, and uniquenessof brand association and brand responses held in consumer memory;

and the nature of consumer-brand relationships. If not, or to provideadditional insight, a special brand audit may be necessary. Ofparticular importance is the extent to which key brand associationsare still adequately functioning as points of difference or points ofparity to properly position the brand. Are positive associations losingtheir strength or uniqueness? Have negative associations becomelinked to the brand, for example, because of some type of change inthe marketing environment?

Decisions must then be made as to whether to retain the samepositioning or to create a new one and, if so, which positioning toadopt. Sometimes the positioning is still appropriate, but themarketing program

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The Key To Revitalization: Choosing Vs. UsingOpportunities to revitalize mature brands -- particularly consumer

packaged goods -- occur during the purchase decision and theconsumption decision. Briefly put, the moment of truth is whenconsumers choose brands and use brands. Simply encouragingpurchase is not enough. The unfortunate curse befallen some brandsis that they are owned but not used. They are cupboard captives.For instance, although 63% of the households in the BrandRevitalization Consumer Panel possessed Tabasco sauce, 32% of thehomes had their bottle so long the sauce had turned from red tobrown. Similarly, 35% of the households had vitamins that they hadnot opened in the past 12 months, and an unopened package of

cookies lasted over 6 months in 41% of the homes without children.Using, like choosing, is dependent on awareness and attitude. Mostrevitalizable brands suffer from one of three problems: Lowawareness, shifting consumer needs, or heavy competition.

Encouraging Consumers To Choose A BrandClearly, increased distribution can increase sales. Assuming that abrand is available for purchase, the challenge is to strengthenpurchase attitudes and increase purchase salience.

Strengthening Purchase AttitudesMany of the attitude problems related to brands occur becausethe brand becomes dominated by other products, loses its appeal,or loses its identity. These problems can be addressed bymodifying the product or package, or by better understanding andleveraging the brands unique benefits.

Product and Package ModificationsAlthough brand reformulations can be costly and risky, modifyinga brand or its package can help regain lost sales, reports StuartElliot (New York Times, 11-7-93). Aqua Velva retained itstrademark scent and color but developed a more convenientbottle and a snappier label. Similarly, Lavoris generated sizablesales because the clear crystal fresh version of its productappealed to young customers who had never used it before. Othersuccessful modifications, such as some done by the Leaf Company

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(manufacturer of Good & Plenty, Heath bars, Zero, and Payday),involve reverting back to original recipes, and extending familiarfavorites into new forms, such as bite-sized Heath Sensations.

Consumers can provide valuable insights about changing apackage, label, or formulation when asked to compare the brandto others through a tripartite comparison. Although the insightsfrom this technique can help a revitalized brand gain parity, suchgains may only be incremental. Understanding and leveraging thebrands uniqueness and equity best generate bigger ideas

.1. Brand Uniqueness & EquityThe most meaningful differences that separate one brand fromanother may not be the ones most evident to their managers.

Understanding the deeper meaning of brands has been the focusof a method developed by Charles Gengler, a marketing professorat Rutgers University -- Camden. With his method, consumers arefirst presented with three brands (including the revitalized brand)and asked to select the one they prefer. An in-depth ladderinginterview is then used to uncover how this brands points ofdifferentiation are related to higher order values. A ladderingalgorithm then analyzes the resulting network of associations anddetermines the importance weights that various attributes,

benefits, and values played in the choice process. When combinedwith emerging customer prototyping methods, this ladderingprocedure has been uncommonly reliable in discoveringmeaningful points of differentiation and clearly targeting thehighest yield segments.

Successfully leveraging these points of differentiation entailknowing what the brand stands for and making sure theconsumers do too. A common problem, however, is trying tocommunicate too much. Multiple messages from multiple channelsdilute equity and confuse consumers, says Kevin Lane Keller, amarketing professor at Duke Univeristy. As a result, leveragingthese points of differentiation is most successful when advertising,packaging, and promotions all emphasize a single, clear,

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Increase Purchase SalienceSalient brands are the brands that get bought. Salience can begenerated at the point-of-purchase or can be developed into top-of-mind salience that leads one to put the product on a shopping

list or to make a special trip for it.Point-of-Purchase AwarenessTrade journals and retail associations consistently reportcreative ideas that generate point-of-purchase awareness. Thesales successes of many of these ideas confirm our intuition.Bright packages, sales signs, catchy displays, wide shelf facings. . . all increase our awareness of a brand. What is less obviousare recent findings that simply putting a product on an end-aisle display can increase sales even if it is not on sale.Similarly, suggestive selling at the POP (Buy 12 Snickers Bars

for your freezer) not only increases salience but can nearlydouble the number of units a person intends to buy.

a. Top-of-Mind Awareness.A brand can have top-of-mind awareness because it wasrecently used or recently advertised. Jeffrey Himmel claims hissuccess in revitalizing brands is attributed to raising their top-of-mind awareness and dominating their categorys share-of-voice. By focusing on a simple, single-minded point of

differentiation, his advertising campaigns use testimonials thatare broadcast frequently and consistently. Brands with smallerad budgets have more affordably targeted their users byadvertising points of differentiation or new uses on their labels.Trix Cereal, for instance, used a side panel to notecomplementary products on which Trix could be sprinkled, andMurphys Oil Soap printed a series of different usage ideasunder peel-off stickers that had been affixed to their spraybottles.

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Adjustments To The Brand PortfolioManaging brand equity and the brand portfolio requires taking along-term view of the brand. As part of this long-term perspective, itis necessary to carefully consider the role of different brands and therelationships among different brands in the portfolio over time. In

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particular, a brand migration strategy needs to be designed andimplemented so that consumers understand how various brands inthe portfolio can satisfy their needs as they potentially change overtime or as the products and brands themselves change over time.

Managing brand transitions is especially important in rapidlychanging, technologically intensive markets.

Migration StrategiesBrands can play special roles that facilitate the migration ofcustomers within the brand portfolio For example, entry-level brandsare often critical in bringing in new customers and introducing themto the brand offerings Ideally, brands would be organized inconsumers' minds so that they at least implicitly know how they canswitch among brands within the portfolio as their needs or desires

change For example, a corporate or family branding strategy inwhich brands are ordered in a logical manner could provide thehierarchical structure in consumers' minds to facilitate brandmigration Car companies are quite sensitive to this issue, and brandssuch as BMW with its 3-, 5- and 7-series numbering systems todenote increasingly higher levels of quality are good examples ofsuch a strategy Chrysler designated Plymouth as its starter carline, such that Plymouth owners would then be expected to trade upin later years to high-priced Chrysler models.

Brand Extension and Sub-brandingAnother approach to attract new customers to a brand and keep thebrand r modern and up-to-date is to introduce a line extension orestablish a new sub-brand. These new product offerings for thebrand can incorporate new technology, feature and other attributesto satisfy the needs of new customers as well as satisfy the'changing desires of existing customers. For example Aqua Velvaintroduced its Ice Sport aftershave sub-brand to appeal to a youngeraudience while still selling classic Aqua Velva to a loyal cadre ofolder consumers.

Retiring BrandsBecause of dramatic or adverse changes in the marketingenvironment, some brands are just not worth saving. Their sourcesof brand equity may have essentially dried up or, even worse,damaging and difficult-to-change new associations may have been

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created. At some point, the size of the brand franchiseno matterhow loyalfails to justify the support of the brand. In the face ofsuch adversity, decisive management actions are necessary toproperly retire or milk the brand.

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Consistency PlanBrand consistency is critical to maintaining the strength andfavorability of brand associations. Consistency does not mean thatmarketers should avoid making any change in the marketingprograms. Consistency should be therefore viewed in terms ofstrategic direction and not necessarily the particular tacticsemployed by the supporting marketing program for the brand at anypoint in time

Changes over time are certainly not inevitable. A host of successfulbrands have had remarkable histories of a consistent identity/execu-tion Perhaps the most visibly consistent strategy is that of Marlboro.The Marlboro man, introduced in the 1950s and refined in the 1960s,is still going strong as a symbol throughout the world. With its strongbrand personality (independent, outdoor-lifestyle, free spirited,rugged, and masculine) and its visual image of the cowboy andMarlboro country, Marlboro has become part of marketing folklore

Blessed with a strong identity and disciplined implementation,Marlboro has rarely had a misstep that has taken it away from itsstrategy.

One of the most consistent brand strategies for durable consumergoods has been that of Maytag; its position as "the dependabilitypeople" has been anchored by the "loneliest guy in town" campaignfor almost three decades. First aired in 1967, the campaign featuredJesse White, a prominent character actor, who explained why Maytag

was so reliable. He punctuated his story with the tongue-in-cheekadmission that, because he was the Maytag repairman, nobody evercalled him (which is why he was so lonely). Since its introduction, thecampaign's central message has changed very little, and the actorhas changed only once: Gordon Jump, who played the bumblingstation manager in the "WKRP in Cincinnati" television series, tookover the role in the late 1980's. Maytag's is the longest-runningcampaign on television featuring a real-life character.

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The Maytag identity leads to a strong functional benefit of qualityand dependability, as well as emotional benefits (relief from worryand a reminder, for some, of their childhood homes). The functional

benefit, in particular, is both relevant and important to customers,and it has staying powerit has not become obsolete because oftechnological change or consumer trends. In 1993, Maytag was ratedas the preferred brand of washers, dryers, and dishwashers in theUnited States and Canada. It continues to command a significantprice premium over competitors in an industry that has intensecompetition and severe margin pressures.

Benefits of ConsistencyAlthough change is sometimes appropriate and even necessary,

there is no doubt that the goal should be to create an effectiveidentity ' whose position and execution will endure and not becomeobsolete and/or tired. The result can be a consistency of meaningand message through time that can provide the ownership of aposition, ownership of an identity symbol, and cost efficiencies, all ofwhich combine to provide a formidable competitive advantage.

1. Ownership of a PositionA consistent identity/execution can lead to the virtual ownership of aposition. Competitors are preempted and must therefore pickanother route, often one that is inherently less effective. An effort bya competitor to usurp Maytag's position on the dependabilitydimension, for example, would not be believed. Worse, thecompetitor's communication efforts might actually be mistaken forthose of Maytag by some, thus giving Maytag free advertising.Similarly, Black Velvet owns the sensual/smoothness dimension forwhiskey, and Marlboro owns the masculine position for cigarettes. Itwould be difficult for competitors to be credible if they attachedthemselves to similar positions.

2. Ownership of Identity SymbolBrand identity/execution consistency over time provides an opportu-nity to own an effective identity symbol, which might be a visualimage, slogan, jingle, metaphor, or spokesperson. Such a symbolmakes the brand's identity easier to understand, to remember, andto link with the brand. The competitive power of the position is thusenhanced.

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The Maytag repairman and the Black Velvet lady are two examplesof symbols that quickly and simply communicate the brand position.Others include United Airlines' theme music (which conveys a senseof stature and quality), McDonald's Ronald McDonald (who

communicates an image of family fun), the Sprint pin-droppingimage (which implies exacting technology), and Marlboro country.The Marlboro image is so well known that the company can some-times place billboards that display only a "Marlboro Country" scenewithout the brand name or package. A competitor attempting to usea similar scene would likely only reinforce the Marlboro identity.Thus, when an identity symbol is strong, competitors must go an-other route.

In addition, when a simple, position-appropriate symbol becomes

closely associated with a brand, the dangers of consumer boredomare somewhat reduced. While young brands need to entertain or dosomething outrageous in order to attract attention and become asso-ciated with a position, successful mature brands often need only torefresh existing associations. Ronald McDonald, for example, can beshown playing video games or wearing an updated outfit.

3. Cost EfficienciesA consistent brand strategy supported by a strong identity symbolcan produce an enormous cost advantage in implementingcommunication programs. All brandsespecially new onesarefaced with the problem of creating and maintaining awareness, aswell as creating and reinforcing an image or personality. The task ofcommunicating, getting attention, and changing perceptionsbecomes less expensive, though, when it is reduced to cueing avisual image or slogan that is well known and closely associated witha brand.

Consider the cost burden if General Electric, a Maytag competitor,

wanted to convince customers that it had surpassed Maytag in termsof dependability. Given the equity that Maytag has amassed on thisdimension, GE would have to buy an exposure intensity much largerthan Maytag employs, plus have an attention-getting message, toeven hope for any impact. Even then, the goal still might not befeasible. In fact, it is likely that Maytag's strong reputation and loyal

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customer base has carryover effects to other appliancecharacteristics such as performance.

Now consider Maytag's recent task of adding the dependability di-

mension to its new refrigerator line. Maytag simply had the lonelyrepairman make a cameo appearance during the last few seconds ofan ad introducing the refrigerator. That compact visual image cost solittle and said so much. Just a glance at the repairman brought backall of viewers' past dependability associations.

A competitor of Marlboro, Ivory, or Black Velvet will have the sameproblem encroaching on their position. Consider the power and effi-ciency of the visual image of Marlboro country, a bar of soap floatingin a clear stream, or the Black Velvet lady. It is likely that a competi-

tor with no established position or visual imagery would have tospend five times as much (if not ten times or more) to make a signifi-cant dent.

Further, efforts to create a new identity are likely to be wasted inthat they might not register or might only be effective at creating anidentity that becomes obsolete. There is no cumulative effect. Incontrast, an effort to support and reinforce a long-running campaignwill more likely be productive.

Consistency over Time Why is it DifficultAs already noted, at least five very legitimate rationales can make achange in identity, position, or execution appropriate or even neces-sary. However, there are substantial forces above and beyond theserationales that bias managers toward change and away from main-taining a consistent identity. Awareness of these forces can help afirm avoid making ill-advised and premature changes in a brandidentity/execution. One set of forces relates to psychological factorsthat influence managers' decisions regarding brands; the secondinvolves strategic misconceptions or false assumptions about theexisting brand identity/execution.

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Mindset of Managers

Problem Solver/Action OrientationThose in charge of brandsfrom assistant brand managers toexecutive vice presidentsare generally bright, creative people

within a culture that emphasizes finding and solving problems anddetecting and responding to trends in the market. And there arealways problems and new trends to address. Market share, evenfor the best of brands in the best of times, will face dips andcompetitive pressures. New trends in distribution, customermotivations, and innumerable other areas are continuallyemerging.

An aggressive, capable manager often believes he or she should

be able to improve the situation, and that usually means changingone of the drivers of brand equity. The prime candidate for changeis the brand identity, position, or execution. The temptation is todig in, diagnose the problem or trend, and take actioneven whenthe "action" course may actually end up hurting the brand.

Consider the Black Velvet brand manager who is asked at theannual planning meeting how he or she plans to improve thebrand's flat sales (even though the overall category is declining). Aresponse of "Well, I thought I would do the same thing as the prior

five brand managers have done" may represent an optimalstrategy that builds and protects brand equity, but it is notimpressive or, perhaps more important, much fun. "I have adramatic plan for change that is likely to turn the brand aroundwithin twelve months" sounds both more professional and moreexciting.

1. High AspirationsThe problem-solver/action orientation is usually accompanied by

aspirations to improve the performance of the brand. Managersare generally not expected to do only as well as last year; the goalis always to do better, especially in terms of sales and profits. Ifthe brand is to improve on prior performance, an obviousimplication is that something must be done differently. Changingthe identity/ execution is one option.

2. Owned by Predecessor Identity/Execution

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The pressure to change can best be resisted by people who arecommitted to the brand vision and its execution. However, theidentity and its execution were likely developed by others(sometimes long gone), especially if the brand has had a

reasonably long run. A new, transient brand manager will have nopride of ownership and little involvement in the identity/execution.The conclusion that the brand and its message are not responsiveto the current market, and that a major improvement is possible,is thus personally painless.

Strategic Misconceptions

1. The New Identity/Execution isIneffective

Sometimes it takes time for an identity/execution to wear in. Cus-tomers need to get used to the concept, and the execution needsto be refined. A brand identity is not unlike a TV show that startsslow, develops a growing following and only after two or threeyears becomes a hit. It can take that long for the audience tobuild, and for the characters to find their niche and becomefamiliar to the audience. During that time, characters or otherelements may be added, deleted, or modified as the show settlesinto its style.

Brand identities and their execution can also require some settlingin. Marlboro, for example, started with a rugged man with a tattoowho only over time evolved into a cowboy. It took several yearsfor Marlboro country to emerge. A decision on the effectiveness ofthe embryonic Marlboro identity might have been premature.

Then there is the "blinders trap," in which a great identity/execu-tion is achieved but is not recognized as such. Greatness is harderto judge than one might think. Competent people may differ intheir opinions because they judge the identity/execution with

different assumptions about the market. Research results may beambiguous because several criteria may be relevant to brandperformance, and a given study may not measure all of them.

2. A New Paradigm Requires a NewIdentity/ExecutionManagers, by instinct and training, are always examining themarket for trends. A major challenge is to determine which of

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these trends represent a fundamental shift in the market. Will thechange in consumer tastes endure and grow, or is it only a fad?Wine coolers (such as California Coolers) and clear, sweetenedcarbonated beverages (such as Clearly Canadian) are examples of

fad products that failed to live up to their promise. Both they andthe "forces" that drove their short-lived success have faded.

Even when a paradigm shift is accurately detected, it is not alwaysclear that the brand strategy should change. The old strategy,even if found to be inappropriate for a major segment, may stillrepresent a better strategy than alternatives. For example, whenit came under attack by Healthy Choice, Weight Watchers couldhave chosen to stick to its professional weight control identity.This "consistency option" would have resulted in downsizing to a

niche brand, which although painful, might have resulted in ahealthier (albeit smaller) business.Further, there is an upside to maintaining an existing identity inthe face of a new paradigm. Customers lost may return after theglow of the new paradigm recedes and there is a resurgence ofthe old one. In addition, it avoids the risk that the revised identitywill fail because it is too little, too late or because it was executedbadly.

3. A Superior Identity/Execution Can BeFound

Managers evaluating whether to change identities sometimesoverlook the fact that much more is known about the existingstrategy and execution than about any proposed alternative. Thusthe warts of the existing strategy are clear while problems withthe untried proposal | cannot yet be predicted, often making theproverbial grass seem greener almost anywhere else than wherethe firm is now. Nevertheless, alternatives are not necessarilybetter, and may at best result in similar share and profitability

figures. A similar pitfall is the aspiration trap, in which a brandteam engages in an endless search for perfection and a dramaticimprovement in performance when the probability of achievingeither is actually very low. It can be a compulsive and futile wasteof resources. The problem is that "genius" identities andexecutions are difficult to achieve, in part because people capable

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of generating them are ran and the environment that allows suchpeople to thrive is rarer still.

4. Customers Are Bored with a Tired orStodgy Identity/Execution

Often it is those managing the brand, not the customers, who arebored with an identity or execution. The fact is that insiders canget bored and even irritated with an executionand when theydo, they assume that customers are as well. Many managers arelikely to see more repetition of their brand's advertising than anytarget group. In fact, by the time a consumer first sees a newcampaign, those who work with the brand have probably seen it(or alternative versions of it) hundreds of times.

Advertising giant Ross Reeves once claimed that if he had thesecond-best advertising in a market, he would always win,because the competition would get bored and change theirs.When asked why his agency was billing its Anacin client so much,given that it just kept running the same commercial, he repliedthat it was expensive to convince the client managers not tochange the advertising.

If boredom is being claimed as a reason for changing strategy, thebrand management team should do the research necessary to seeif consumers really are the ones who are bored. And rememberthat consumer boredom is not necessarily bad: Brands from Bayerto Charmin have built a flourishing business by "boring"consumers with the same consistent message. It is important todistinguish between the wearing out of a position or identity andwearing out of a particular execution. An execution can bechanged without changing the position or identity.

IV. REBRANDINGRebranding is the process by which a product, service isdeveloped with one brand, company or product line affiliation ismarketed or distributed with different identity. This may bethrough major changes to the brands name, image, brand, logo,marketing strategy and advertising themes. These changes areaimed at the repositioning of the brand/ company, with thespecific purpose of either distancing itself from certain negative

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connotations of the previous branding or to move the brandupmarket.Rebranding can be applied to new products, mature products, stillin development. The process can occur intentionally through a

delibrate change in strategy or occur unintentionally fromunplanned, emerged situations such as corporate restructuring.For example Shoppers Stop Logo from rounded to Flat, change ofname of UTI Bank to Axis Bank.

V. ENTERING NEW MARKETSA Brand can enter new markets in two ways:

1. They may enter the existing market with a new brand. (Tata Motors isknown for Heavy vehicles and medium vehicles, However they realisedthat there is a market of middle class price sensitive consumer, theyinnovated and came out with the AAM JANTA Compact car NANO.

2. They may enter a new market. For Example Global branding or entering

a new territory, which they did not go earlier. Mc-Donalds had toadjust with the product and match the Indian taste.

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