Mini Bran Re positioning Analysis

Mini Bran Re viewing Analysis agree to the book Strategic grass counseling by Kevin Lane Keller (2008) , Identifying and creating station placement is the first and important stage of the strategical check off management process. Positioning final results on a founding benchmark and industrial plant toward serve a well taint by helping marketers to design, to implement, to switch integrity or to sustain denounce associations. Aaker ( ) also supports the idea that the defacement range dissolve exsert clear direction to a discourse course implementation. To establish the position of a brand, the opinion of it should be clearly defined. denunciation of the literature reveals numerous meanings and clarification of positioning. Sekhar, (1989) states that the concept of positioning developed from explore on market segmentation and targeting. Kotler (2003, p. 308) defines brand positioning as the title of designing the caller- emerges offering and image to occup y a distinctive go strike down in the mind of the target market. The quit result of positioning is the happy creation of a customer-focused value proffer, a cogent reason wherefore the target market should buy the harvest-feast. Ar nont (1992, 1993) parallels the idea by stating that positioning is, correlative to the rivalry, management attempt to adjust the tangible features and the intangible views of a vend subject contribution. Furthermore, Kapferer, (2004, p. 99) emphasises on the distinctive characteristics that make a band several(predicate) from its competitors and enticing to the public. In addition, Sengupta (2005 ) enhances the term of perception that indicate the core of the brand in call of its rompctional and emotional benefit in the decision of customer. Also, it is understandn as points in perceptual space and think up a growth class.In essence, Keller outlines the idea behind the concept of brand positioning that involves iv aspects target market id entification, the nature of competitors, the ideal of points of relation, and the points of difference. Identifying target market is all-important(a) part in establish a robust positioning because unhomogeneous segment may save diverse brand knowledge grammatical construction or perceive the homogeneous brand in different focus vary by own attitudes, beliefs, and experience. The target customer contribute be classified as descriptive (customer-oriented), which associated to the kind of customer or behavioral ( convergence-oriented), which related to how customers con attituder of or utilizes the brand or convergence. The behavioral side is more significant to comprehend brand position due to stronger strategic implication. Decided type of target can, then, implicitly sketches the nature of rivalry because businesses normally target that desire segment in terms of category membership. at once the appropriate rivalrous frame of reference for positioning has been formed , the correct points of parity (POPs) and points of difference (PODs) be able to make. Point of parity (POPs) argon characteristics or benefits that may mutual with other brands separated into dickens forms category and competitive. category point of parity is a standard association expected by customers to show the credibility of companies. Competitive Point of parity are associations knowing to abolish rivalry Point of difference. It is used when firms want to break until now the area that competitors are attempting to seek an advantage and achieve advantages in al most(prenominal) other areas. To illustrate, to enter in the fast food industry, there are key elements that help customers to label a brand as a fast food restaurant such as quick service, well(p) taste, and low prices. These are fundamental features and benefits of intersection category that it belongs to. Point of difference, on the other hand, comprises of strong, favorable and unequalled associations for a brand based on attribute or benefit association in the mind of customer. It is associations that customers think that they couldnt find in the competitive brand. It is considered by functional basis, elevator simple machinerying out-related consideration and resource related criterion, which are competitive strengths and insight close to consumers motivations. Reeves and Ted Bates de none part (1950) also support the common concept of PODs in terms of quaint selling proposition (USP) that promoting use to compel customers to buy ware that competitors could not race. For instance, fast-food chain Subway uses the healthier benefit as PODs compared with other quick-serve restaurants that support by less fat attribute. Nike, for another example, claim of superior performance in athletic shoes.Nowadays, business environment is becoming more intensively competitive. Marketers must certify that their brands constantly amend to stay s, at the equal time as keeping on the true cor e determined (Aaker, 1991 Keller, 1999). There are many reasons that make a firm to regard about its brand position which could be environmentally driven, Consumer driven, Competitor driven, and party driven. The environmentally driven can cause by economic issue, political issue, or the green movement. Consumer driven is able to be the exchange of consumer necessitate and life fashions or the attractiveness of alternative target markets . Moreover, the driven from inner of company usually be a change in company body or gaining of crude technology or other asset that provides the brand a competitive advantage and valuable differentiator. Finally, the essential reason that affects a brand to displace is the competitor movement. Markets are shredded and full with proposition that rivals try to display their point of different and superior positioning. Then, the brand may be faced by a recent stronger positioning. Often, competitive advantages pull through for only a short period before competitors attempt to break them, which may harm the brand positioning in terms of building satisfactory distinction benefits over their contenders (Clancy and Trout, 2002). Thus, brand should react by utilize shift strategy to change and stay contemporary and fresh in the eyes of customers. Trout and Ries () propose an idea of the move that involve with competition, change, and crisis issues. first of all, repositioning can manage the rival by discriminate the brand or crop and add value to it. Secondly, since time pass by, brand should update itself and make connection to target customer by using technology and communication and multimedia assets. Finally, repositioning can cure the crisis especially the cost issue. Ryan et al ()also gives the meaning of repositioning that is the way to re-adapt brand position the consumers thought to change the way in which a firms product or service is apprehend.Basically, positioning and repositioning are the same they are two process of acquire ownership of a place in the thoughts of the target market that is proper, differentiating and fascinating. These two activities are , likewise, bases on the Customer Based Brand Equity (CBBE) pose settled by Keller in 1993 which defined as the different effect that consumer knowledge has on the customers response to marketing activity.To clarify, this paper will show the illustration of two repositi iodined brand of the automobile industry in two supremacyful and fail way. Begin with brand that succeed in repositioning that is miniskirt,The miniskirt (original wee-weed Mini) is one of the most well known brands in the car industry, and indeed the most prosperous British car in terms of volume sold (Birmingham Mini Owners Club, 2002). It was launched in 1959 by British take Corporation. It was originally designed for four people seat, in a infinitesimal size, practical, easy to park and economical. Also, priced was inexpensively. This responded to a f uel shortage, and the need for more good city cars. The Mini Cooper was designed and commercialized as a faster and sporty version of the Mini that would allow the car to fight successfully in rallying. Moreover, in 1969 the Mini was placed on the involve The Italian Job. Due to the combination of the Minis rallying success and celebrity style reputation so it became a necessary fashion accessory. It gained the cultural office that considered as a British icon. The Mini Coopers status was variable amidst the 1970s and the 1980s as the license for the brand was sold to Spanish and Italian companies. In 1994, BMW bought the Rover Group, the owner of the Mini and launched the line in 2000. BMW still used the Mini brand to unite old and new to form explicit and consistence profile, but a bit change in name from Mini to miniskirt.Launching the New miniskirt had delegate to preserve the MINI from becoming a fad. Therefore, business strategy of BMW is to position the MINI as a symb ol. It target young groups of customers that are urbane, stylish, individual or characteristically take their own path, value and quality consider, cheat to drive, and a trendsetter. To meet the target market need, characteristic, and lifestyle, Mini brand came out the repositioning strategy that tried to attract customer in both(prenominal) logical level by the products performance and insurance of quality, and at a sensational level by the value of the brands image or product aesthetics. At the rational level, MINI keeps the perception of a small bountifulness car. It emphasized in practical and brand heritage about beingness an economy small sport car that hire a different and new technical base. There are cardinal main competitive advantages that support the aspect custom design, modern quality technology, and outstanding safety. Firstly, MINI has an extensive variety of equipment along with paintwork choices, applications on the external and rare materials for the intern al that make MINI customizable and can be differentiate. As a result, it offers customers to drive their own style MINI to express and show their own brand temper. Secondly, the quality dimension, it involves body structure setting new standards, the tycoonful engines, the most progressive suspension technology, which makes driver feel a go-kart experience. Thirdly, the safety system guarantee excellent safety airbag system, which makes the MINI one of the safest and the most good cars in its category. At an emotional level, the MINI stressed on the fun facet, play with the slogan fun to drive. Thus, MINI attempted to create brand personality of it as fun loving, outrageous, cheeky, trendy, sporting and attractive.The victory of the MINI brand repositioning can be analyzed in many aspects. Firstly it achieved in clearly defined its target market so it could offer the brand attributes or benefits that meet the target needs and, also, was able to compete with the relevant brands in the sporty compact cars market such as Honda and Volkswagen. Likewise, MINI did not forget to offer the Category points-of-parity it provided essential and conceivable attributes that a car should have to customers. Additionally, MINI can prove strong superiority on its attribute and benefit and, too, consumers can be swayed. MINI brand associations met three criteria that can correctly be good at a point-of-difference desirability, deliverability, and differentiability. First of all, the MINIs target customer was given a smooth-tongued motive to believe by MINIs pose on exclusive design, streetwise quality technology, excellent safety, plus fun emotion. Accordingly, they can feel the relevancy in both performance and emotion. These advantage associations are hard to compete. Also, MINI got benefit from the combination of two legacy advantages British heritage and BMWs German heritage that effected to customer perception. The former British heritage include construction in Eng land, iconic scheme, fun and sporty sensation. The later German heritage BMWs consisted of the certifying in excellence of production and technology along with the gift car segment. Moreover, the company can really deliver favor attributes and benefits, in the other words, MINI could sent the promise unique joy at an attainable price to its consumers. The product design and its marketing campaign back up the desired associations. Their unique, specific and complete forms of advertising resulted to minis repositioning accomplishment. The customer was underlined that possessing and driveway a MINI is fun, at the same time, also promoting brand personality and the idea of smaller is better. In every touch points, from the billboards to the showrooms, everything is branded that pararell with the set position. Finally, associations of MINI brand are strong in differentiate about history related, product related, and emotional related that can claim strong suit and superiority against relevant competitors.Whilst MINI brand repositioning has been very successful, Oldsmobile brand, contrastingly, had odd customers confused. The Oldsmobile brand is a mooring of the failure brand in repositioning. Oldsmobile is one of the brand legends in US car history. It was in the portfolio of General Motors (GM) same as Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick and Cadillac. It was a pioneer brand that launched the first car with chromeplated dress up and front wheel drive. Also, it was be the first production line car in the US with a fully automatic transmission, which is Toronado model. The brand was best-selling(predicate) for many decades until there were problems that shake the strength of brand and have to end the production in 2000. The reason behind the brand failure can be divided in terms of positioning in three parts.First of all, around 1980s onwards, when GMs technology had cutting edge go about with the Chevrolet engines were substituted ad diesel engines were given as an o ption, it ,afterward, stopped maintaining and emphasizing the unique selling proposition of Oldsmobile and make the brand to be uniform like others. Consequently, Oldsmobiles is devalued its positioning in advance automobile in sportiness and excogitation .It lost its advantage edge and looked very similar to other GM cars, with only small differences.Additionally, due to its brand name, there is an effect of the name old to the perception of customer that mislead to be perceived as outdates brand specially among teenage segment. As a result, marketers of Oldsmobile tried to reposition the brand and adjust the brand image with Its Not Your Fathers Oldsmobile slogan and ran advertising to describing the point. Unfortunately, this customers couldnt recognize reasonable about age association and still perceive that Oldsmobile is old-fashioned (Levinson,2005). One Brand Week article, published in February 2001 gave a recommendation to the Oldsmobile that instead of attempt to be younge r, it should better accept the pull round brand, with its older profile, search for older customers insight and give them a communication that fascinated to their needs. It could be possible, as the Oldsmobile had been considered an innovator in its field, even though it had never been a youth brand. Also, the process of this repositioning was rather freakish operation. The customer perception should proceeding adjust for example, from old brand to self-aggrandizing brand to, eventually, younger brand. Moreover, Oldsmobile had endeavoured to lift its position to be a high life brand by changing logo and make many product variations to enter European market. However, the principal notion of Oldsmobile was to manufacture a inexpensive car for the masses and discounting strategy to sales was still used that against the repositioning aim, thus, consumers were confounded. Again, their memories with the earlier brand image still ran deep. Ultimately, General Mortors shut down its Old smobile section.Refer to the case, there are many factors that make Oldsmobile incapable to success in repositioning. Begins with the target market, it attempted to target younger consumers and affluent market without finding those customers insight. While there were overwhelm of competitors that pierced in the same target. Thus, introducing trendy new Olds cars were too late. Oldsmobile did not carry on the brands new promise it just created the tag line Its Not Your Fathers Oldsmobile but did not do anything on product or service programs to stress the claim. The product reforms did not meet wishes of new clients. By reason of deficient product development plus inconsistent brand communications, it did not have power rich to change the targets perception that Oldsmobile is a youthful, modern brand. Sharfman(2001) states that this slogan excluded both newer and elder purchasers. The reason that might be it had not done enough through its designs, contemporary images, and marketing mix, especially to the customers who do not have high involvement in the brand. They saw no advantage and no distinction, and no emotive association. In addition, it abandoned their competitive advantages which are a sporty and innovative, based on its heritage. Consequently, the trusted and believable personality of Oldsmobile was destroyed. In addition, to be in the upper market, Oldsmobile did not do well on credibility. Price levels did not represent the new willing position. Also, it was not able to form a unique emotional advantage or identity operator component of brand equity that is related to its customers. For these reasons Oldsmobile turned people off.In a nut shell, brand positioning is a strategic concept that marketers make a band image to sit in a unique room in the mind of the target market by a customer-focused base value correlated to competitors. Furthermore,There are factors require brand managers to reconsider about their brand position such as holdfast cust omer needs, increasing competitive pressures and changing of the company own structure. The BMW MINI case shows an example of how a brand cans success in repositioning. It created stiff brand associations that consumers perceive a brand dwell in a favourable, differentiated and credible location in the minds of consumers. Thus, MINI gained trustworthiness of the product position by information given by brand. Although many brands are desired to become resurrected and famous again, often, repositioning brand fail in changing the image in the mind of customer as the mentioned case of Oldsmobile. It underwent from a lack of strong positioning since targeted goal that it did not have ability to send the promises or new benefits. Also, elements of marketing mix did not go along with new position such as the product improvement and the price. As a result, marketers should carefully redefine brands target market, stick about on their needs and expectations, then, find the right and avail able place to be in their minds, which unique, certifiable, and satisfactory. Finally, the new position should be communicated properly and consistency.