Brand Relaunching - A Brand Buliding Concept

Re-launching a brand means thinking beyond a new design or a new name. It means, "going deeper." Many a time in marketing, there comes a stage in the life of a brand when it needs to be re-worked and relaunched to take it to a different level. This happens not only for brands which may not be doing well but also for brands that are doing well but would like to do better. Brands go through various stages of evolution in their life and often may need to be restructured and repositioned, revitalised or rejuvenated to improve their sales and market share and profits.

Before getting into the methodologies and ways of launching a new brand(or Brand Relauncing), it is important to define the objectives for the relaunch. Some commonly used objectives are:

Is the objective to rejuvenate the brand as a contemporary one, as it is being perceived as dated and traditional? Is the objective to relaunch a brand that has failed due to an inappropriate marketing mix?

Is the objective to relaunch the brand and reposition it for faster growth and market share?

WAYS IN WHICH BRANDS CAN BE RELAUNCHED

The first is to keep all elements of the mix the same but reposition the brand in the minds and hearts of customers. Thus, nothing is done to the product, the pricing or the distribution but the communication and the entire repositioning exercise changes the perceived value of the brand. The elements used would be in the area of the communication mix including the packaging. This approach is usually followed when consumers have accepted the product, found it affordable and available but do not want to use it because they feel it does not match their needs or aspirations, keeping the psychographics in mind. Another method to relaunch the brand is to change the channel and distribution strategy. Other elements may be working but the distribution channel may be ineffective due to the choice of in-appropriate outlets or even ineffective trade margins and marketing strategy. This can be linked with the sales effort, sales organisation and structure. This happens in cases where the product is accepted, its awareness is high but it is not available. There is, therefore, wastage of advertising money. In this case, revamping the distribution structure becomes necessary. The third way to relaunch a brand would be to revamp every element of the marketing mix including the brand name, the product ingredients and pricing, and bring it out with a new

price and bring it out as a new avatar. Brand Relauncing is a normal exercise but should be dealt with cautiously. If the brand is doing well because its positioning, distribution and pricing are accepted and it is growing as per the desired objectives, then it is recommended not to tamper with something which is working. Finally, it is important to say that while brand relauncing is implimented , the main objective should be to bring it to a better level in terms of sales, market share and profit than what its current position reflects.

Dabur to relaunch Vatika brand, will target urban youth

The moves come 12 years after Dabur first launched Vatika hair oil in 1995. Vatika shampoo was launched in 1999 followed by soap in 2005

New Delhi: Mid-tier consumer goods company Dabur India Ltd is all set to relaunch the Vatika brand, which is used for soaps, shampoos and hair oil. We are relaunching the Vatika brand with a fresh brand image, a new logo and overall new brand proposition. We will also be expanding the brand portfolio, said Rana Banerjee, deputy general manager, marketing, Dabur India. We are changing the brand proposition to suit the urban youth by highlighting the naturalness of our products. Another senior executive of the company, who didnt want to be named, added: Dabur Vatika is looking at launching new variants in the shampoo and hair oil category and also plans to enter the medicated soap segment by the next year. The moves come 12 years after Dabur first launched Vatika hair oil in 1995. Vatika shampoo was launched in 1999 followed by soap in 2005. Vatika contributed some Rs170 crore to Daburs revenue of Rs2,234 in the year ended March, with shampoos contributing Rs80 crore, followed by Rs70 crore from oil. The firm plans to add a new leaf logo to the Vatika brand to signify the naturalness of the products. We would like to keep pace with the trends in this segment, which are pointing towards conditioners and hair serums eventually, says Banerjee. According to data by ACNielsen, a market research firm, Vatika shampoo and hair oil account for 5% and 6% of the annual shampoo and coconut hair oil market, valued at Rs1,500 crore and Rs1,200 crore, respectively. The competing brands in these segment include Parachute hair oil from Marico Ltd and herbal product range from Ayur, a New Delhi-based herbal product brand. Dabur has rolled out an advertising campaign for its Vatika anti-dandruff shampoo and will soon start one for a repackaged shampoo. The market has changed with the entry of modern trade. For a brand to stay ahead of competition, it is important for the products to stand out on the shelves and to connect with consumers at all levels, said Banerjee. Our communication to consumers will get more specific as we will emphasize on sub-branding initiatives, he added. Dabur is trying to move Vatika out of the overcrowded mass market and carve a niche for it in the fast growing urban market, says Rajeev Ramchandani, manager, research, at HDFC Bank. Theres nailbiting competition with firms launching quality products at highly competitive prices. ITC Ltd recently entered the shampoo space at very low prices. Rural consumers, who account for almost 70% of FMCG sales, dont look at brands, but prices. With ITC trying to capture the market Vatika has been present in, it will be important for Vatika to look at a new growth strategy.

Abstract Parle Agro's Frooti is the leading brand in the tetrapak fruit drink market. The brand witnessed declining sales and started losing its appeal due to increased competition. To revive the sagging sales and appeal of the brand, Parle Agro decided to relaunch the brand with new positioning and packaging. The caselet discusses about Parle Agro's design and implementation of the brand relaunch exercise for Frooti. It provides a detailed description of the advertising strategy followed by the company to promote the brand that involved a teaser advertising campaign revolving around a faceless character 'Digen Verma'. Issues: Design Teaser Importance and advertising of campaign marketing of merits brand and research relaunch demerits

implementation

Introduction 'Frooti', launched by Parle Agro in 1984, was the first tetrapak drink to be introduced in the Indian market. By 2000, Frooti had a majority share of the Rs. 300 crore tetrapak fruit drink market. However, analysts felt that this 16-year-old brand had been losing its appeal over the years. The sales of 'Frooti' also had dropped. The situation worsened with the increase in competition. In addition to the threat it faced from soft drinks marketers, Frooti witnessed heightened competition in its own segmenttetrapak for fruit drinks and juices... Discussion:

Questions

1. "With pressure from all sides, Parle Agro was forced to rethink its strategy." Discuss the components of the re-launch strategy for 'Frooti'.

2. Discuss the rationale behind the 'Digen Verma' campaign. Do you think it will be effective? 3. "The success of a brand is dependent on many factors besides the promotional campaign." Comment.

Ponds Goes in for a Complete Brand Relaunch

Read more: http://www.andhranews.net/India/2008/April/18-Ponds-Goes41668.asp#ixzz1aC56tzVl

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Pond's, a brand synonymous with skincare the world over relaunched today in a grand spectacle! The face care expert that entered the top end segment in 2006 has re-invented itself in a brand new avatar with superior and holistic solutions for the Indian woman. Amidst much fanfare, Pond's relaunched its hugely successful revolutionary anti-ageing skincare range Ponds Age cream Perfect Results today. The fabulous spectacle depicted the rebirth of a timeless brand through a captivating Grecian musical that celebrated the rebirth of love, romance and beauty. The ambience drew inspiration from the mystical world of Greek mythology, from the tarnished white pillars and intriguing Greek human statues to the unending immaculate white drapes that enveloped the surreal setting. The enchanting Greek love story unfolded with Malaika Arora Khan as the Greek goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite, Arbaaz Khan as her handsome lover Adonis and an enthralling dance performance narrating the birth, death and rebirth of Aphrodite by the Terence Lewis Dance Company. The grand finale was a re-invention of love that was brought to life with the couple renewing their vows onstage by getting married to each other once again. Speaking on the occasion, Managing Director- Hindustan Unilever, Mr. Nitin Paranjpe remarked "I am delighted to be present at this significant milestone in the Pond's growth story in India .This is just the beginning for Pond's as it globally relaunches itself and embraces the role of being the face care expert for women across ages. Pond's is a brand that has managed to touch the lives of millions of Indian women around the country because of its pioneering leadership in skincare technology .After years of extensive R & D and technological advancements, we are proud to relaunch the brand and offer our consumers completely new products, new packaging and revolutionary new ingredients that will help the Indian woman get the best there is in face care. And as always, the one thing that remains constant is our promise and commitment to providing Indian women with innovative breakthrough skincare solutions and delivering superior products." Commenting on her association with Ponds, Brand Ambassador Priyanka Chopra said "Being the face of Pond's is a big honour for me. It makes me nostalgic, as I have used Pond's as a child. I believe the most exciting thing about the newest avatar of Pond's is, it not only looks different, but also feels different on the skin. Right from anti ageing to skin lightening, these international ranges cater to every group. They say, "Love makes the world go around," and Pond's is love's helping hand. It's all about romance and truly making you feel lovely. Gracing the occasion was also Zayed Khan and Dia Mirza who seemed completely mesmerized with the fascinating extravaganza and later joined in the fun and dance with Malaika Arora Khan and Arbaaz Khan. With the re-launch of Pond's Age Miracle, White Beauty and Perfect Results, Pond's

reinforce its lineage and commitment to providing superior face care solutions to Indian women that are at the cutting edge of technology and supported by extensive R & D. These have been developed out of Pond's global technology centers and the ranges being sold in India have been developed specially for South Asian skin. Each ingredient is testimony to the latest research in skincare and a commitment to quality, pricing and cultural demands of our target audience. *Topical retinoids are clinically proven and recognized as the leading actives for treatment of aging skin; Pond's Age Miracle Serum contains active levels of retinoids ABOUT POND'S: Pond's is a global face care expert that has a presence in 58 countries and strong presence in the three top face care countries - Japan, Korea and the US - making it a skin care brand to reckon with. The Pond's International skincare range is already a confidante and advisor of women who are in control of their lives, looks and environment. The brand boasts of state-of-the-art R&D facilities led from New York, Tokyo, Madrid and Mumbai helping it create international beauty solutions for the discerning woman. The Pond's philosophy is based on the application of leading-edge technology to face care. By combining this with an intimate understanding of the woman's skin care needs and requirements, Pond's delivers results women can see and feel.

Read more: http://www.andhranews.net/India/2008/April/18-Ponds-Goes41668.asp#ixzz1aC5F1TUp

Relaunching an existing brand

While turning around a brand is an opportunity that may come your way only rarely in the course of your career, something you are sure to encounter more often is the relaunching of an existing brand. A restage, or relaunch, has several definitions, but let us define it as any activity that aims to make consumers reconsider a brand in its totality versus the launch of individual items or lines. This could be through packaging changes, product upgrades, a new positioning, or any combination of several changes in the fundamentals of the brand. There are many reasons why a brand could be relaunched, including the availability of new technology, a desire to upgrade a dated image, or competitive actions. Whatever the reason, relaunches are common, but experience in the real world indicates that failed relaunches are even more common. To understand why, let us take another analogy from everyday life. Assume you are trying to win over a major new client, and you think it may be a good idea to get to know the client team better outside of work. They are the same age as you, but they are a tight bunch, with common interests like golf, theater and spending their evenings enjoying fine wine. You, on the other hand, have always been more of a regular Joe, whose idea of evening entertainment is a beer with your buddies. So what do you do? In answering that we can learn a lot about what it takes to create a successful relaunch. Keeping loyal users In the example above, let us assume that you pick up golf, change from jeans into formal clothes, and finally learn the proper form for sipping wine. You may or may not fit in with your clients, but one thing is for sure: your old buddies would find you very odd indeed. It is the same with many relaunchesin trying to go after new users, brand managers often forget what made them successful in the first place, and they end up losing their current loyal users. It may be that you no longer want to hang out with your old beer buddies as much as you did, and this may be a deliberate decision, but in most cases marketers only realize that they are alienating existing customers when they start seeing an exodus of erstwhile loyal users. The fiasco of the New Coke launch and its resulting alienation of existing users is staple fare for most marketing books, so I will not repeat that oft told tale. Instead, I will share some practical tips on how you can avoid such a mistake. Practical tips 1. Know who your current loyal users are and why they are loyal to your brand. A hint is that for most brands, this is rarely just the functional benefit they offer, but also a combination of all the imagery, feelings and emotions they evoke. My favorite airline is Singapore Airlines, not just for the excellent connections and the amazing in-flight entertainment, but also due to the personalized service that makes entering a plane after a long trip something like a homecoming. If Singapore Airlines were to relaunch itself with a totally modernized fleet, improved in-flight amenities and better connections, none of that would ever compensate for the loss of the emotional connection if it slipped on its service. 2. Understand what makes your brand familiar and recognizablewhat is your brands calling card? This can be critical if you are thinking of changing the packaging, since you would ideally want to retain some elements of your brand-mark to help retain a bridge with your current loyal consumers. There are several techniques to do this, but in essence it boils down to understanding which visual signalsshape, color, font or design

elementcome top of mind to consumers when they think of your brand. The great brands know thisCokes red and white, Nikes swoosh and Marlboros cowboy are all examples of how this understanding of the importance of having a consistent visual identity can go a long way in creating an enduring brand. 3. If you do relaunch, have a plan to talk to your current users so that they understand why you are changing and why they should stick with you. This communication could be in the form of a sticker on the new pack, an ad that shows what is better about your new product or service, or an offer that rewards loyal users to shift to your relaunch. In our earlier example, it may mean inviting the boys over for beer so you can explain what you are trying to do. Enhancing customer experience I am a jam freak, eating jam with toast pretty much every morning. As I was browsing the supermarket aisles yesterday and was about to reach for my usual brand, I was struck by the following words on a neighboring brands pack: Same great product, great new look. As a consumer I was left wondering why I would ever reconsider that brand just because their pack may look more aesthetic, since the jam inside, by its own admission, is the same. To me that amounts to marketing suicide. Market experience shows what should be an obvious truththat relaunches with purely cosmetic changes usually do not work as well as those that actually enhance the consumer experience in a meaningful way. I am not saying that you necessarily need to have an improved product to make a relaunch work, but it certainly does help. Even if you do not have a product or technological improvement to offer, you can make a relaunch a success if you ensure that you are offering your consumer some real improvement in what they get out of the total experience of your brand. Think of all the points where consumers interact with your brand: when they see your ads, when they see your products in a store, when they are shelling out money to buy it, when they actually use it, and when they or others around them react to the impact that the brand has had on them. If your relaunch is not able to bring about a meaningful impact at one or more of these points of interaction between your consumers and your brand, you are unlikely to succeed. So become familiar with these points of contact, and then do a brutally honest assessment of whether the proposed changes to your brand do anything to really improve the consumers experience at one or more of them.

Case Study: Brand Repositioning and Redevelopment

Situation
IDClothing is no stranger to brands, logos, and online stores. In fact, IDClothing previously operated nearly 15 online stores to sell personalized clothing for their clients. Due to technical and administrative challenges, only one store remained operational. With a clear potential to drive sales and develop strategic relationships, IDClothing sought the ability to quickly create a branded online store for any athletic team without requiring technical expertise or more than a few minutes of administration.

Persuasive Brands kept us focused, brought fabulous ideas, and was extremely responsive to our company's needs.
Jeff Rappaport Partner and Owner IDClothing (now Team Gear, Inc.)

Solution
IDClothing engaged Persuasive Brands to develop a webmall to easily support multiple online stores -each containing garments displaying a team's logo and colors.

Action
Persuasive Brands quickly identified a void between the company's current brand and its aspirations, and Persuasive Brands rolled up its sleeves. After defining the target customer, Persuasive Brands developed several brand positioning statements reflecting the core company's customer -- athletic teams and sports clubs. Upon the final selection by the owners, Persuasive Brands created multiple names for the company accompanied with domain and trademark availabilities. As summarized below, a new logo, tag line, and website were created to reflect the company's core focus. Branding Dimensio n Target Customer

Original

Revised by Persuasive Brands

Teams, Schools, or Corporations

Athletic Teams of Schools, Universities, or Clubs

Brand Based out of Northern New Jersey, we are Positioni your full service supplier of custom clothing ng and accessory items for your team, school, or Statemen corporate staff. t Company Name

Team Gear is a premier provider of personalized sports team apparel for schools, colleges, and clubs.

IDClothing

Team Gear, Inc.

Logo

Tag Line

The Original Clothing Company

We Make It Personal Rotating photos of sports teams in their respective uniforms.

Imagery

Static "Corporate Grey"

Website

With the core audience, branding, and messaging redefined, Persuasive Brands turned its attention to the webmall -- creating a powerful, flexible, and easy to use solution.

Result
Within one month, the company's new brand identity was established concurrent with the launch of Team Gear's eCommerce-enabled webmall. Within days, nearly a dozen branded team stores were established to the delight of each team. And within a week, the first online purchase was recorded.

case study - examples of re-branding

Introduction The following mini-cases provide examples of businesses that have taken a decision to re-brand an existing product in an attempt to boost sales or reposition the brand in the eyes of the customer: Sunny Delight re-launches with SClub Procter & Gamble (P&G) has signed up pop group SClub (formerly S Club 7) for a 2m summer promotion for fruit drink brand Sunny Delight. The partnership with SClub is the cornerstone of a 12m Sunny Delight relaunch in 2002. It is the first celebrity tie-up for the brand. Buyers who save eight labels from Sunny Delight products will be able to send off for an exclusive SClub CD. The CD includes a new track called Hey Kitty, taken from the next SClub album, and also features interviews with the band recorded for Sunny Delight on the set of the SClub television programme. The promotion will be supported by a TV advertising campaign also featuring SClub, and an SMS text messaging campaign. Why has P&G needed to re-launch Sunny Delight? P&G were required to reformulate Sunny Delight after a 35 per cent drop in sales following comments from the Food Commission over the effect of the brand on children's health and criticism that the product was packaged to look like a fruit juice. The new Sunny Delight will be available in four sugar-free flavours and its packaging has been redesigned. Lego axes sub-brands by re-branding its entire product range Lego is re-branding its entire product range and introducing a new slogan to simplify what the Lego brand stands for. Lego says that in the past, consumers have been confused by the different sub-brands, such as Lego Technic, Duplo and Primo, and not realised that they were all part of the Lego group. From the start of 2003 all products will be grouped under four new categories: Next Explore Create Action

Make Stories

& &

Each of these new categories will be represented by their own set of colours. The new product structure replaces the previous branding structure which largely categorised Lego products by target age range. At the same time, a new slogan called "Play on", will come into effect, replacing "Just Imagine". It is meant to represent the five values behind Lego: creativity, imagination, learning, fun and quality. Lego also plans to open a chain of branded retail stores, beginning with one in Cologne and a second in Milton Keynes. AA re-brands to emphasise the width of its product range The AA (formerly the Automobile Association) has announced that it intends to spend 22million on rebranding aimed at emphasising the width of its product range. In an effort to be seen as more than just an emergency breakdown service, the AA wants to re-position itself as a multi-product business. As part of the re-launch, a 12m advertising campaign will using the strap line"Just ask". The advertising

campaign will explain to consumers that the AA provides 160 different products and services, including insurance, car servicing, maps and travel books. The new Just Ask strap line will be carried on all the AA's communication, including its web site, membership cards and direct mail. The positioning will encourage the cross-selling of AA products, and the company's call centres have been given technology to enable them to sell and answer customer queries on all AA products. The AAs previous strap line was "To our members we're the fourth emergency service." Coca-Cola to re-brand 'diet' fizzy drinks Coca-Cola in the UK is poised to change the brand names of Diet Fanta and Diet Dr Pepper to Fanta Light and Dr Pepper Light. The company is also launching a Fanta Icy Lemon Light variant in the UK before the end of the year, which observers believe could be the springboard for the change. The re-branding is designed to bring Coca-Colas UK product range in line with branding across the rest of Europe. However, Diet Coke is expected to retain its name as significant money has been invested in establishing the brand since its UK launch in 1983. Coca-Cola spent more than 4m on Diet Coke in the year to June 2002 (Source: Nielsen Media Research). The brand is called Coca-Cola Light in France, Belgium and other European countries. Coca-Cola brands Lilt and Sprite already have "light"-branded variants in the UK. A sales promotion was launched for the Diet Coke brand in August featuring an instant-win, top prize of 100,000. All Diet Coke bottles are coloured silver for the campaign and it has been supported with outdoor and press advertising.

case study - the re-branding of skoda

Introduction The re-branding of Skoda provides a useful case study of the challenges faced by brands wishing to reposition themselves Remember the Skoda jokes? What do you call a Skoda with a sun-roof? Answer: A skip - Why does a Skoda have a heated rear windscreen? Answer: To keep your hands warm when you push it - What do you call a Skoda with twin exhaust pipes? Answer: A wheelbarrow Critics of the Skoda would be surprised to hear the Skoda is now one of the fastest-growing car brands in the UK motor industry. The Czech car company boosted its sales in the UK in 2001 by 24% as opposed to the average market growth of 10.7%. This built on growth of 34% in 2000. How has this been achieved? Background Skoda had a monopoly in car manufacturing in Czechoslovakia until the 1989 'Velvet Revolution'. After this the Czech government started looking for a commercial partner to revitalise its Skoda factories. In 1991, Volkswagen took a 30% stake in Skoda and started work in training and educating the workforce to Western quality standards. It invested over 2 billion in the plant, research, development and new models. Ten years later, in 2001, VW took total control of the business. The first two launches from the new Skoda camp were well-received by the automotive press. The Felicia launched in 1994 - was built as an old-style Skoda, but enjoyed the benefit of VW features. The 1998 Octavia was built on the VW group platform. The costs of the improved VW car structure pushed up Skoda prices. The cars carried a higher price tag and Skoda needed to convince consumers that this price was worth paying. A VW marketing manager working for Skoda explained: "We needed to move away from being a cheap brand to being a value-for-money brand. At the same time, we badly needed to find our own positioning within the group, rather than just trading on being part of the VW Group. Otherwise, we might just as well have re-branded ourselves as VW, with very little reason for existence." Launch of the Octavia Skodas first VW-backed model was the Octavia. It was launched in the UK with a 10m promotional campaignSkoda's highest-ever spend on a marketing campaign. However, the Octavia launch was a failure. Just 6,154 Octavia cars were sold over the year following the car's launch, despite the fact that the car achieved almost unanimously good reviews. Market research at the time suggested that sixty per cent of people said they would never buy a Skoda. Only a fifth of early Octavia buyers were under the age of 45 and a third had previously owned Skoda cars. Skoda's image was old, unfashionable and out of sync with its products. VW's Strategy VW resisted the temptation to scrap the Skoda brand altogether. Despite its poor image in the UK, Skoda still commanded respect in Eastern Europe and held its own in other Western European countries.

The Skoda brand also had high brand awareness in the UK even if it was for the wrong reasons and a reliable distribution channel through a network of independent car retailers. The next product launch was the Skoda Fabia. It was launched with a much smaller marketing campaign and an advertising message that poked gentle fun at Skodas customer perception: "The Fabia is a car so good that you won't believe it's a Skoda" Key elements of the promotional mix were as follows: The Fabia was launched with a number of television, print and poster ads The initial TV campaign ran for four-and-a-half weeks and the print and poster campaign ran for two weeks. Expensive TV and print campaigns were supported by both PR and direct mail campaigns The PR push targeted the consumer press and attempted to get journalists to discuss Skoda in a positive light The direct mailings tried to build on loyalty levels among Skoda drivers and get across the brand's new image. AutoExpress magazine carried a competition to win a Skoda car that generated 27,000 responses. The respondents who didn't win the car were profiled to check their similarity to the average Skoda driver and followed up. Hot prospects received a scale model as a consolation prize and an invitation to test drive a fullsize model. Impressive results The results of the marketing campaign were impressive. By the end of 2000, more than 11,000 Fabias had been sold and even Octavia sales were seeing a 29% increase on the previous year. In July 2000, the near impossible finally happened - Skoda had a waiting-list for its cars. There was also a less obvious, but equally important shift in the public's perception of Skoda. Only 42% of those polled after the campaign said they would not consider buying a Skoda. Many UK customers now dont see a Skoda in front of them they see a cut-price VW.